73% of workers scout for internal growth opportunities: Report

NEW DELHI: About 73 per cent of employees want to know about career opportunities inside their organisation, and employees, who are provided with access to self-service technology for career mobility exploration, are half as likely to have plans to quit their job, a new report showed on Monday.

According to the 2023 global research report focused on talent mobility trends by Cornerstone, about 51 per cent of employees say that the best way their company can support their skill development is by giving them opportunities to pivot, stretch, and grow.

The report measured the views of 1,060 employers and 1,000 learners across Europe, North America and Asia about the importance of career mobility and internal growth opportunities.

“As the talent landscape continues to evolve, employers will need to adopt a system which adequately attracts, engages and retains high-performing talent,” said Ben Eubanks, Principal Analyst and Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory.

When it comes to high-performing organisations, they prioritise employee growth.

High-belonging employees, described as employees who feel a strong sense of belonging within their organisation, are more interested in all aspects of learning, while low- belonging employees are twice as likely to say they wouldn’t consider other career opportunities inside the business.

The report showed high belonging employees are 190 per cent more likely to say their manager would support their career growth, while employees who score low on workplace belonging are six times more likely to say they don’t know if their manager or employer tracks their skills.

Moreover, the report findings revealed that employee interest in exploring new projects and strengthening existing skills is not limited.

Women were roughly (33 per cent more likely than men) to say they would like to look into projects that would allow them to learn new or different skills.

People under the age of 45 were about 50 per cent more likely than those over 45 to say they would like to explore projects that develop new connections and mentors.

Employees in larger organisations (1,000+ employees) prioritise projects that let them explore other internal opportunities without risking their current position, according to the report.

Further, the report revealed that employees prefer using technology to explore career options rather than speaking directly with managers.

Nearly 80 per cent of employees are more likely to prefer a self-service technology option over a manager conversation when it comes to understanding what internal career opportunities exist.

Additionally, employees who have access to self-service technology for career mobility exploration are 50 per cent less likely to have plans to quit their job compared to those with no visibility.

“Based on the findings of our 2023 research study, there’s no doubt that employees are hungry for growth and development opportunities, and require increased career transparency. As technology and tools become smarter and more interconnected, the manager’s role in employee growth is changing and AI has the power to align individual career ambitions with company objectives, delivering real impact to the bottom line,” said Vincent Belliveau, Chief International Officer at Cornerstone.