LinkedIn knows when its users are looking to switch jobs. Now the company believes it's identified why.

A new LinkedIn survey asked more than 7,500 users what sparked their recent job switch. Some of the results were to be expected: the number one reason was "greater opportunities for advancement," followed by "better leadership" and "better compensation/benefits."

What wasn't expected was this finding: 42% of those who left their jobs would have stayed had their company offered a role that "matched their skills and interests.” In others words, “people quit their jobs, not their company," says Parker Barrile, VP of Product at LinkedIn.

Beginning Thursday, LinkedIn says it will start surfacing jobs openings from a user's current company. For example, an Apple employee seeking new work on LinkedIn will also see job openings within Apple.

It's a way for companies to retain talent — and should help employees who like their company, but maybe not their job, explains Barrile.

Users will now see internal job openings on the “Jobs You May Be Interested In" section of the site, and LinkedIn is using its algorithm to surface relevant jobs outside a user's current department. For example, a public relations employee may see job openings in marketing.

The algorithm works to identify "transition patterns," or common jumps between industries that would make sense for employees, says Barrile.

According to the company's survey, few employees know whether or not their company even has an internal mobility program. In the U.S., only 25% of employees said they were aware of their company's internal mobility program. In Canada, that number drops to 20%.

Image: LinkedIn

Employee retention is important for company culture, says Barrile, but it can also benefit the bottom line. LinkedIn found that replacing an employee costs 1.5 times as much on average, compared with what it would take to retain an employee.

Those numbers add up, particularly considering LinkedIn found that 85% of current employees are "either actively looking for a job or open to talking to recruiters about relevant opportunities."

LinkedIn will start surfacing these internal job postings for companies with 100 or more job openings on the platform. Smaller companies may be able to surface their job postings to existing employees in the future — but for now, only larger firms will be able to take advantage of the change.

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