Employees should switch jobs regularly if they want to fast-track their
careers.
The first investigation into the current and future state of career
management practices from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
(CIPD) finds that workers should focus on gaining as much diverse experience as
possible if they want to progress quickly.
The survey of 732 HR practitioners shows the majority believe experience and
performance – particularly if gained in different countries, business units and
organisations – will become even more important than qualifications over time.
The survey also reveals a gap between workers’ expectations, and what HR
practitioners believe will hinder career progression.
HR practitioners identify working flexible or reduced hours as one of the
factors most likely to impede career progression. Three times as many HR
practitioners believe that working long hours is positive for your career (32
per cent) than those who believe it is negative (11 per cent).
Yet, 90 per cent of respondents say that work-life balance is a high
priority for their workforces. This may explain why the majority of HR
professionals report that ‘the career expectations of young people now entering
the workforce offer a huge challenge for organisations going forward’.
Two-thirds of respondents agree that ‘the glass ceiling for women is still
very evident in the majority of organisations’.
Jessica Rolph, CIPD adviser on learning and development, said, organisations
need to adapt their career management practices to the 21st century.
"With a vast majority of organisations relying on career management to
produce a high proportion of their future leaders, and only a third of senior
management being committed to career management activities, the UK will be
faced with a dearth of competent leaders if senior management does not take this
more seriously," Rolph warned.
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By Ben Willmott
