Dive Brief:
- Employers and workers agree that career advancement is a reason for leaving or remaining at a company, says Willis Towers Watson. But they disagree on whether career management at their company is effective, a TWT research study shows.
- The Willis Towers Watson 2016 Global Workforce Study found that only 41% of respondents think their organization adequately provides opportunities for advancement and promotions, only 32% think their managers help them with career decisions, and 47% think they'll have to leave to move up in their careers.
- The 2016 Global Talent Management and Rewards Study, which surveyed more than 2,000 companies globally, found that while 42% of employers believed career advancement opportunities for most workers improved during the last year, only 28% of employees agreed.
Dive Insight:
These studies show an age-old dilemma: Employers and employees see the workplace differently. Employers think they're providing employees with career opportunities and challenging assignments, while employees think employers are coming up short in these and other areas.
The gap may not be too wide to bridge. Renée Smith, director of Talent and Rewards at Willis Towers Watson, explains that workers seek career advancement, a chance to improve their skills, competitive pay and job security. Employers are delivering on part of the equation, but are struggling to deliver career management programs that satisfy worker needs. As a result, talent walks out the door.
Some employers have had success with internal surveys to find out what employees want in career development and advancement opportunities. The most successful ones also conduct periodic follow-up surveys to measure the effectiveness of these programs and ask employees for their input on how to improve the outcomes.