Ceridian has released results from its 2023 Pulse of Talent report revealing that workers don’t only want flexibility in where and how they work – but in their careers, too.
Nine in 10 surveyed employees say they’ve felt stuck in their role over the past year, with one-third (34 per cent) feeling that way often or always. However, employers offering clearly defined career paths – aligning to employee aspirations – can win big in retaining talent: 85 per cent of employee respondents who have a clear career path say it makes them more committed to their employers.
The report, which surveyed 1,587 workers across the UK in companies with at least 100 employees, also showed:
• Less than half (43 per cent) of respondents said their employer understands their career aspirations.
• One-third of surveyed employees (33 per cent) find a change in career paths within their company appealing.
• Among flight-risk employees, just over half of employee respondents (51 per cent) would consider staying if their employer provided opportunities to change career paths within their company.
• More than four-in-ten surveyed employees (43 per cent) are interested in moving into a new role in a different department or team, and 46 per cent said they want to contribute skills to new projects from within their current role.
The report underscores the need for employers to respond to employee needs and aspirations. This is critical as only half of today’s surveyed workforce (50 per cent) feel committed to staying with their current employer for at least three to five years.
“What’s clear from our research is that employees have commitment issues with their employers,” said Susan Tohyama, CHRO, Ceridian. “There is an opportunity for employers to counter this trend, with their own long-term commitment to employee work/life, career flexibility, and engagement. This includes opening up opportunities for employees across an organisation, while giving them greater control about where, when, and how their job gets done to truly meet the needs of a modern workforce.”
When asked what employees value most in a job, 52 per cent of UK workers cited flexibility/work-life balance as the most important factor (rising from 35 per cent the previous year), followed closely by compensation at 49 per cent (up from 38 per cent from the 2022 study). The top two UK factors invert the top two results from employees globally, in which 55 per cent of respondents valued compensation over any other factor, followed by flexibility/work-life balance at 49 per cent. Back in the UK, job security was considered third most important, with 39 per cent of UK workers valuing this most.
Download the 2023 Pulse of Talent report: The Rise of the Flexible Career Experience: www.ceridian.com/resources/2023-pulse-of-talent.
