A recent survey was welcomed by many after it revealed employees often value professional development over pay – however, one industry head has pointed out some of the less positive findings and warned HR to be wary.
Released earlier this month, the
ADP Sentiment Survey found that 39 per cent of Canadian employees would take a pay cut at another organization if it offered them better professional development opportunities than their current employer.
“This is actually good news because it signals that a good number of workers value the opportunity to learn and grow,” says Sooky Lee, GM of HR business process outsourcing at ADP Canada.
“This is a sign of a workforce that is seeking more than a paycheque, and that’s good news for employers and the Canadian economy.”
However, while Lee acknowledged the positive aspects uncovered in the survey, she also told HRM that industry professionals should pay particular attention to other findings.
“HR managers should note the almost one-fifth of people saying they haven’t asked for professional development, and the 14 per cent who feel they aren’t senior enough,” urges Lee.
“This can be a signal that some workers are feeling left out of the programs that are offered, and it may also indicate they don’t realize how important it is to take ownership of their career planning.”
Lee also said she was “concerned” at the number of workers who say they are resigned to never receiving development opportunities with their employers.
“Again this is indicating a group of passive and possibly disengaged people who might be flight risks,” she told HRM.
When asked why employees may not be getting the professional development they crave for, Lee said the reasons varied between organizations.
“For small businesses, it may be a perception that training and development are too expensive and I would counter that it’s never been more affordable to offer skills training to your employees,” she said.
“In larger companies, it may be that HR teams are just stretched too thin to promote existing programs and evaluate new ones. We’re certainly hearing that HR managers are struggling to find the time to spend one-on-one with workers to help them do proactive career management. “
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