Employees across the globe have experienced unprecedented economic turmoil, and they are restless. Most are unhappy and unfulfilled in their jobs, and many are actively seeking new opportunities. This is just one of the findings from the 2012 Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI)—a survey of approximately 170,000 employees from more than 30 countries.

The research suggests that in the period after the global financial crisis, employees remain in a state of uncertainty. The economic recession that cut across most of the developed world has left deep scars. It has contributed to a degree of anguish over job security, and this has resulted in agitation, restlessness and a sense of being undervalued. When employees were asked whether they feel ‘valued’ by their employer, fewer than half of all respondents said they are made to feel worthy. Globally, only 44% say that they feel valued by their employer, with the highest in APAC (51%), followed by the Americas (45%) and EMEA (39%).

Given this fairly lackluster mood among the workforce, it’s not surprising that many are thinking of quitting. More than one-third (37%) frequently think about quitting their job and leaving their employer. This is higher in EMEA (43%), than in APAC (39%) and the Americas (28%).

As employees scan the labor market, they are both more selective and more certain about what they want from work—and it’s these insights that the 2012 KGWI focuses on.

One thing is clear, if employees can’t get what they’re looking for in their current jobs, they’re not likely to sit around waiting. And it’s likely that we’ll see significant increases in turnover across all regions over the next 12 months.

Even those who are content in their jobs are seeking greater engagement and ‘meaning’ from their work, and this presents a challenge for organizations the world over. Those seeking to attract and retain the most highly talented candidates will need to do more than just focus on their HR performance. Their brand recognition and their corporate culture too are central to the way they are perceived in the broader labor market. And, existing employees can be key to promoting these critical elements.

Among the best recruitment tools on earth are satisfied existing employees—they can act as brand ambassadors for the business in an increasingly networked world. Employees have a key role to play in communicating attributes such as business culture and management style in a growing number of forums. This can be a new opportunity for organizations, but for those that are slow to address burning cultural and management issues, it instead poses a new set of challenges.

Find out more and download this new free report: Acquisition and Retention in the War for Talent.