Career change? You're in charge, according to a study of nearly 1,000 workers in 33 countries
by BlessingWhite, a global consulting firm based in Princeton. At least half of employees today are actively managing
their own careers, the study showed.
Asked if they actively manage their career based on clear, personal goals, 51 percent agreed or strongly agreed.
Moreover, 57 percent of participants do not expect their employer to provide a career path for them.
"This research demonstrates conclusively that today's employees are taking charge of their own careers," said
BlessingWhite CEO Christopher Rice. "After two decades of corporate cutbacks, downsizings and restructurings
the employer-employee contract has been redefined. Our study confirms that more employees fully realize
their own career is their own responsibility."
Among the study's other findings:
- Four out of five employees do not think there is anything wrong with staying in the same job if they are able to try new
things or develop their skills.
- A majority of the participants (52 percent) indicated that they are looking for work that is satisfying when they make a job change.
- While 45 percent of study participants reported that that they know what they want their next job to be, only 22 percent
think that they know what their employer wants their next job to be.
- Half of respondents (48 percent) believe they have decent career opportunities with their current employer, while more than
a third (39 percent) expect their next career move to take them elsewhere.
"Employee careers are being driven by pursuit of personal growth and work that is personally interesting or meaningful," said Rice.
"If individuals understand what matters to them, what they offer, and where they can make a positive difference, then there's a
greater likelihood of increased employee engagement and contribution to the bottom line."
The BlessingWhite "State of the Career Report 2007" is based on the participation of 976 employees in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific.
Of these, 57 percent have leadership responsibilities and 30 percent work in organizations employing more than 10,000 people. Thirty-three
countries were represented in the study, with 75 percent U.S.-based.
If you are considering changing careers, what might be the reasons to stay or go? Nearly eight out of 10 employees report overall satisfaction
with their current positions, says the 2007 Job Satisfaction Survey Report released by the Society for Human Resource Management
(SHRM). Compensation/pay, benefits, job security, flexibility to balance work/life issues and communication between employees
and senior management are the top five contributors to job satisfaction, according to employees. In fact, over the past four years, survey
respondents ranked benefits and compensation/pay as the top two aspects most important to their job satisfaction. In 2007, 59 percent
of employees each reported that benefits and compensation/pay were very important to their job satisfaction. Furthermore, employees aged
35 and younger and 36 to 55 consider compensation/pay rate the most important job-satisfaction factor. Employees aged 56 and older indicated
that feeling safe in their work environment was their top priority.
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Another reason to change jobs/careers is poor fit with your employer. Everyone wants a job that suits his or her work style
and personality, but a recent survey shows it's no easy task -- for job-seekers or employers. Nearly half (46 percent) of administrative
professionals said they have, at one time or another, misread a work environment. Similarly, 59 percent of human resource (HR)
managers polled admitted having misjudged someone's fit for a role. The vast majority (85 percent) of these managers also said their
companies have lost an employee because he or she was not suited to the firm's work environment.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in placing highly skilled administrative professionals,
in collaboration with the International Association of Administrative Professionals and HR.com. More than 300 administrative professionals
and 400 HR managers took part in the study.
To help job applicants and hiring managers make the right match, OfficeTeam suggests asking the following questions
during the employment interview.
Job Seekers
What is it like to work at your company?
What skills and attributes are needed to be successful in this role?
What characteristics does your company value most in its employees?
How do you define success at your company?
How is good performance measured and rewarded?
Hiring Managers
What type of work environment brings out your best performance?
What type of work environment are you least likely to thrive in?
What did you like best/least about your last job and why?
Considering your greatest accomplishments in previous roles, what were the factors that allowed you to be successful?
Review all our Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips.
