Post on 01-Nov-2014
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FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS 4ninA M. RAMSEy & bRAd bORlAnd
inTROduCTiOn
2 | FOuR FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS
It is said that we are sum of our choices. But what factors influence the choices we make? How might they change over time? We spoke to 97,000 employees across the globe about the choices they’ve made in their careers and
why they’ve made them. The results provide some fascinating insights into employee attitudes—what
motivates them, where they see their careers going and the value they place on education, promotion
and work-life balance.
The reality is, employee choices and preferences follow strong demographic patterns. Our age,
experience level, culture and location have a measurable impact on the choices we make about the
types of roles we take on, and how we apply ourselves to our work. So, if you’re managing a global,
multi-generational workforce, it’s highly likely you’ll see many of the patterns outlined in this e-book
emerging in your own organization.
With more than half of your workforce expecting to change their career in the next five years, either
by choice or necessity, this report will provide some simple, effective insights to help you manage
employee expectations, retain talent regardless of location or career level, and engage an increasingly
diverse workforce.
ninA M. RAMSEy | bRAd bORlAnd
HOME inTROduCTiOn 01 THE AGE OF CHOiCE
02 THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE
03 THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE
04 THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE
COnCluSiOn GET THE Full REPORT
ninA M. RAMSEy bRAd bORlAnd
While most people aspire to move
up the organizational hierarchy
and advance their careers, it’s clear
that traditional ambition decreases
with age.
Although eight in ten Gen Y’s aspire
to become executives, less than
three-quarters of Gen X’ers and a
little more than half of Baby Boomers
feel the same desire to climb the
corporate ladder.
Juggling competing priorities, as well
as gaining a better understanding of
what is required to secure and maintain
senior positions, are undoubtedly
factors that contribute to this decrease
as we age. Yet, it seems age could also
be encouraging people to think more
holistically about their careers.
Two-thirds of Baby Boomers are
confident they could take a break from
work and resume their career at the
same level when they return, and half
are considering a change in career
within the next five years. Not only are
older workers embracing change, they
are doing so for different reasons than
younger workers. For Baby Boomers,
an improved work-life balance is the
key driver for career change, while
for younger generations it’s to earn a
higher income.
It seems that the most ambitious sector
of most workforces also happens to
be the least experienced—and therein
lies the challenge for HR managers. If
younger workers are looking for more
opportunity and a greater sense of
career progression, yet are less likely to
have all the experience required, how
do you keep them engaged? And how
do you fill demanding roles requiring
experience if older workers are more
focused on work-life balance and
personal interests?
Understanding how career choices
differ across the generations is critical
for effective talent management, and
these issues are likely to become even
more complex as Generation Z enters
the workforce in larger numbers.
01THE AGE OF CHOiCE
3 | FOuR FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS
HOME inTROduCTiOn 01 THE AGE OF CHOiCE
02 THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE
03 THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE
04 THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE
COnCluSiOn GET THE Full REPORT
Worker attitudes, particularly those
related to career progression, differ
significantly between EMEA, APAC
and the Americas.
Those in the APAC region are by far
the most focused on climbing the
corporate ladder—84% aspire to
an executive position at some point
throughout their career. Generation Y’s
in APAC lead the pack with aspirational
career plans—an overwhelming 90%
have an executive position as a career
goal, compared with 82% in the
Americas and just 72% in EMEA.
The culture gap does seem to narrow
as workers age—Baby Boomers across
the world have a virtually uniform
attitude toward obtaining executive
positions—only around half are aiming
for senior management in the latter
stages of their careers.
For those who do not wish to
reach senior management levels
in their organization, their motives
differ depending on which region
they work in.
Just 5% of people in the Americas
and 9% in APAC say they lack the
ambition to reach the executive level
of management—for most people
in these regions the lack of work-life
balance and extra stress that comes
with promotion is their main reason for
deliberately avoiding a senior position.
This is in contrast to those in EMEA,
where more than one-quarter say they
lack the ambition for an executive
role. Ambition clearly has a cultural
context and this is a significant
challenge for companies applying a
uniform talent management approach
across multiple markets.
The other key reason for avoiding
executive positions in EMEA is a lack
of skills and education required to
reach senior levels in an organization.
One-quarter of people in EMEA
believe their education and skills
would not be sufficient to take on a
senior management role—another
critical consideration for companies
expanding in the emerging markets
of Eastern Europe, the Middle East
and Africa.
02THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE
4 | FOuR FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS
HOME inTROduCTiOn 01 THE AGE OF CHOiCE
02 THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE
03 THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE
04 THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE
COnCluSiOn GET THE Full REPORT
Work-life balance and stress factors
are of considerable concern to people
in the APAC region and the Americas,
and are the main reason for avoiding
promotion to senior positions.
In both the Americas and APAC,
two-thirds cite pressure/stress and
the impact on work-life balance as
the reasons for avoiding executive
positions. By contrast, in EMEA, just
40% cite these lifestyle factors.
With typically longer working hours in
APAC and the Americas, it’s perhaps
not surprising that those who say they
are not seeking executive positions are
doing so for lifestyle reasons.
However, the reality that some
organizations and roles simply will not
allow the flexibility and balance that
employees are aiming for is hitting
home. Of the people who expect to
change their career within the next five
years, one-quarter say this is driven
mainly by the need to achieve better
work-life balance. And this figure is
highest in APAC—some 30% cite the
need for improved work-life balance as
the main driver for career change.
Many people are not only receptive
to career change, they’re confident it
will not harm their career prospects.
For those considering a change in
career or a break from the workforce,
approximately three-quarters (74%)
believe they would be able to resume
their careers at the same level if and
when they return.
Younger workers are most confident
about their ability to resume their
careers after a break and are also the
most likely to be considering career
change within the next five years.
03THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE
5 | FOuR FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS
HOME inTROduCTiOn 01 THE AGE OF CHOiCE
02 THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE
03 THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE
04 THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE
COnCluSiOn GET THE Full REPORT
6 | FOuR FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS
Most people not only accept,
but actively seek, career change
as a way of amassing skills and
remaining competitive. But for
workers in emerging markets, large-
scale investment and development
is bringing with it a raft of new
opportunities and choices.
Thanks to full-tilt development in Asia,
almost two-thirds of people in APAC
(63%) believe they will change careers
in the next five years—significantly
higher than the 48% in the Americas.
When we examine the reasons why
people consider career changes, we
see the knock-on effect of economic
development on worker attitudes.
In the Americas, the main reason
for considering a new career is to
increase income. There is also a larger
proportion of people in the Americas
who are concerned that their industries
are in decline.
Conversely, in APAC where the job
market is more buoyant, career change
decisions are driven mainly by the
desire to improve work-life balance.
In EMEA, the prospect of a different
career is driven mainly by changing
personal interests.
The other major indicator that people
are changing their career approach
and planning for ongoing change is
the strong focus across the globe on
continuously upgrading skills. Those
in APAC and the Americas place the
highest priority on skill development
and are somewhat more likely to
believe it is necessary for career
advancement than those in EMEA. In
APAC, 68 percent say that upgrading
skills is extremely important, compared
with 66 percent in the Americas and 54
percent in EMEA.
Despite the focus on ongoing
education, most people (80%) believe
that experience is the most important
factor in progressing careers, and
they also believe experience is by
far the most important indicator
of competence to a prospective
employer. It seems that people are
now approaching their careers with
ongoing change at the center. Rather
than focusing on loyalty and tenure, the
key ingredients for success are seen as
broad experience and a solid, current
skill base.
04THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE
HOME inTROduCTiOn 01 THE AGE OF CHOiCE
02 THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE
03 THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE
04 THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE
COnCluSiOn GET THE Full REPORT
7 | FOuR FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS
COnCluSiOn There is no template, no cookie cutter for the post-millennial career. The evolution of the modern
workforce into a more dynamic and flexible entity is rapidly taking shape, and workers across all
generations and regions are embracing the change.
While aspirations to reach senior levels of management is very high among younger workers, the
concept of career choice and progression has shifted significantly since the Baby Boomers entered the
workforce—and young people won’t attain their goals the same way their parents did.
Work-life balance and personal interests are now key aspects of how people manage their careers, and
this is only likely to increase as traditional job security and structures respond to continued economic
and social shifts.
Across all generations and regions, people are confident they can change careers or take a break from
work and return at a similar level of pay and seniority. And many are preparing for ongoing change in
their circumstances, their industries and their careers, throughout their lives.
The vast majority of workers are looking for more experience, want to continually upgrade their skills
and are keen to build alternative career paths to fulfill their individual needs throughout their careers.
Ambition of the traditional kind may wane with age, but the desire to contribute and extend one’s
skills does not—and this could be the insight that organizations may increasingly need to turn to
their advantage.
Career choice and progression is a multi-layered, shifting dynamic. And in this increasingly diverse,
globalized context, managing for individual career choice and increased flexibility will be key to
maintaining productivity across entire workforces.
HOME inTROduCTiOn 01 THE AGE OF CHOiCE
02 THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE
03 THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE
04 THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE
COnCluSiOn GET THE Full REPORT
About Kelly
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KelyA, Kelyb) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly®
offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing
on a temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the globe, Kelly
provides employment to more than 530,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2010 was $5 billion.
Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook®, linkedIn®, and twitter®.
EXiT
About the Kelly GlobAl WoRKFoRce INDex™
the Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the
workplace from a generational viewpoint. Approximately 97,000 people from the Americas, APAc
and eMeA responded to the 2011 survey with results published on a quarterly basis. Kelly Services
was the recipient of a Marcom Platinum Award in 2010 and a Gold Award in 2009 for the Kelly
Global Workforce Index in the Research/Study category.
About the AuthoRS
NINA M. RAMSey is Senior Vice President, Global human Resources, for Kelly
Services. Nina holds a master’s of education degree in instructional technology
from Wayne State university in Detroit and a bachelor’s degree in human resource
management from oakland university in Rochester, Michigan. She is a member of the
hR Planning Society and the Society of human Resources Management (ShRM).
bRAD boRlAND is Senior Director of Global talent Management-leadership
Development at Kelly Services. he earned a bachelor of science from ohio Northern
university and a master of arts from bowling Green State university in ohio.
This ebook is extracted from What really shapes careers?
The influence of age and culture on career progression.
DoWNloAD youR FREE coPy toDAy.