CAREER PROGRESSION
Two-fifths of workers disappointed with their career progression
A new survey by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has found that 42% of respondents feel they are further behind in their careers than they would like to be at this stage of their lives. The data goes on to reveal that whilst individuals are blaming their slow progress on those around them, some have accepted that they have the power to bring about change.
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Key survey results
Some employees believe that they have been overlooked for promotion or a pay rise in the last year because their employer does not have the funds available to pay for them to progress (22%).
Others go further, claiming that their boss is not fighting their corner enough (9%).
However, many respondents admit that they need to get more experience (13%), and that they do not have the right training or qualifications (6%) to advance.
The survey highlights employees’ recognition that they need to do more to get ahead in their careers, including working overtime on a regular basis (44%), taking on additional responsibility for no extra money (37%) and studying in their spare time for a professional qualification (45%).
Professional qualifications
Despite the fact that nearly three in ten of those surveyed (29%) believe that a professional qualification helps an individual’s ability to lead people, teams and projects, just 4% of those surveyed are currently studying for a professional qualification and only 12% plan to do so “in the near future”.
Asked why they haven’t done anything to help themselves, the top reasons cited were the cost of qualifications (39%), the length of time they would take to complete (30%) and “not knowing which qualification would be best for my career development” (13%).
Yet these findings come in the wake of analysis revealing that the estimated lifetime economic benefit associated with holding professional qualifications amounts to £81,000 [Labour Force Survey, analysed by the Consultative Committee for Professional Management Organisations]. This figure compares favourably to the cost of undertaking a degree-level equivalent qualification in management and leadership.
A final word
“It’s clear that we all recognise the importance of professional qualifications in our career development – but at the same time, it’s disappointing that more people aren’t helping themselves. It’s too easy to blame others for your own lack of progress, but in a time of tighter budgets and increasing competitiveness in the job market, those people that are prepared to make an effort to improve their skills will be the ones that employers turn to first.” - Narinder Uppal, director of the Awarding Body at CMI.
Want to know more?
The survey of 2,000 UK employees was conducted by OnePoll in August 2011.
Chartered Management Institute is the “only chartered professional body dedicated to raising standards of management and leadership across all sectors of UK commerce and industry”. For more information visit www.managers.org.uk.