Career Ambitions writes:
The report focused on employee views on working life, exploring key areas including: over-qualification, training and career development, why people work, career expectations and reasons for career satisfaction/dissatisfaction.
This report also highlights the current issues with the UK job market – and the growing shortfalls between opportunities and ambitions. More attention needs to be given to recruiting in order to match candidates with roles that suit their motivations and values, ultimately increasing staff satisfaction and retention rates.
In the report, it identified that almost a third of employees (31%) believe they are over-qualified for their current role. An increasing proportion of the UK workforce now has a University degree, however a study by the ONS found that 47% of University graduates were working in non-graduate roles (and this is increasing). Many employers require their candidates to hold a degree, yet why should someone with a degree automatically be a better candidate than someone without? Lindsey Reed from Career Ambitions says “A degree does not guarantee that a candidate can do the job, wants to do the job and will fit the culture of the organisation.”
The CIPD report highlighted a lack of training and career development within the workplace, with more than half of employees (56%) reporting feeling dissatisfied with the level of training they are being offered. In a fluid job market, it’s vital to increase staff retention rates. The job market has changed and the skills shortage is at a critical level. Employers need to look beyond degrees, technical skills and job titles and focus on transferable skills and motivations instead. Ensuring staff are content in their roles and can see potential for growth and career development will go a long way to retain staff. It will also increase productivity and reduce workplace stress.
When exploring reasons for career dissatisfaction, the CIPD report highlighted that the top two factors that employees blame for failing to meet their career expectations (apart from bad luck) are: ending up in a career that does not allow them to show their strengths (29%) and poor career advice and guidance (26%).
It is interesting to read that 27% of 35-55+ year olds state that poor quality career advice at school prevents them from progressing, whereas 47% of 19-34 year olds state that they are in the wrong career.
Once a professional has been in the workplace for a few years, minimal career advice and guidance is offered, leading to them to feel forgotten or abandoned. Yet these are the employees with the most knowledge and experience who are very difficult to replace.
Katherine Wiid of Career Ambitions commented “The key for anyone’s career is to understand their values and motivations – rather than just looking at their knowledge and subject expertise. Using a strengths-based approach can help employees to understand their career attributes and how they can use them in the work they are already doing. When coaching our clients, many of them discover that they are not in the wrong career after all. By changing their perception about their work and helping them realise that they have the ability to craft their careers is all it may take to achieve career satisfaction.”
Career Ambitions are Career Management Coaches based in Cambridge who offer impartial professional perspectives for staff throughout their career cycle, ensuring they achieve career satisfaction and perform at their best.
______________________________________