Right Management survey results reveal a disconnect between leaders and employees when it comes to defining career success. // Stock photo
A new survey of leaders and employees from leading North American companies across industries finds that while most leaders believe they are giving their employees the tools to grow and succeed, their employees often feel lost and stuck in their careers.
Survey results from Southfield-based Right Management, released by Right Management Great Lakes, found a disconnect between leaders and employees when it comes to defining career success.
Leaders often overestimate the importance of promotions and believe it’s in their employees’ best interest, when in reality, employees value long-term professional growth more.
As a result, leaders often focus their career support efforts on the wrong solutions: They often emphasize the traditional career path of “climbing the ladder” rather than a more tailored mix of opportunities that match employees’ individual skills and interests.
When asked how they view their career, 32 percent of leaders see it as a “promotion” compared to just 16 percent of employees. 12 percent of leaders define it as a professional “long-term commitment or goal” compared to 33 percent of employees.
The survey also found that many employees aren’t aware of the efforts their leaders make to support their careers: while nearly half of leaders believe their organization fosters a culture of career support, only about a third of employees say their manager initiates effective, personalized career conversations.
Additionally, most employees feel that their managers don’t evaluate them on how well they support their career development.
When it comes to career planning, the disconnect between leaders and employees persists, with employees navigating an uncharted career landscape with little direction: 69% of leaders believe their employees have a career plan, while only 27% of employees report actually having one.
Right Management believes the research should serve as a wake-up call for employers.
“A clear career plan is essential to employee engagement and ultimately the success of a company,” says John Bourbeau Jr., president of Right Management Great Lakes. “Employees with a clear career plan are more likely to seek training or internal job openings, helping to alleviate the employee retention issues that companies struggle to solve.”
By sharing its findings with its clients, Right Management is encouraging employers to change their approach to career stages in order to improve employee retention through more tailored and individually focused career guidance.
“To help employees who feel lost and stuck, companies need to broaden their definition of career growth,” says Bourbeau. “Many workers feel they lack the tools they need to navigate their careers, so employers need to fill the gap and equip employees to lead meaningful, successful careers that align with the needs of their organizations.”
The survey involved 401 leaders and 1,002 employees from 1,403 companies with more than 1,000 employees, with 75 percent based in the U.S. and 25 percent in Canada. Industries surveyed included IT, financial and business services, and manufacturing.
