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 wide experience as possible to fast-track their careers.
The survey of 732 HR
practitioners shows that a substantial majority believe that experience and
performance, particularly if this is gained in different countries, different
business units and at different organisations, will become even more important
than qualifications over time.
The survey also reveals a
gap between worker expectations and what HR practitioners believe will hinder
career progression.
For instance, HR
practitioners identify working flexible hours or reduced hours as one of the
factors most likely to impede career progression. And three times as many
HR practitioners felt that working long hours is positive for your career (32
per cent) as those who thought it was 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 a similarly large majority of HR
practitioners report that ‘the career expectations of young people now entering
the workforce offer a huge challenge for organisations going forward’.
Jessica Rolph, CIPD Adviser
on Learning and Development said: “Organisations need to adapt their career
management practices to the twenty-first century and reflect the changing and
diverse needs of their workforces. As the main findings show, carers,
part-time workers and those who take career breaks are penalised under the
current structure. Given that women dominate these groups of workers, it is
easy to see why over two-thirds of respondents agree that ‘the glass ceiling
for women is still very evident in the majority of organisations’.”
Rolph continued: “As with all good practice, senior
management needs to set an example and allow good practice to filter down. Lack
of resources and time are undoubtedly barriers for many, but these need to be
overcome since any half-hearted attempt at career management is likely to fail.
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.”
By Ben Willmott
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