Is career growth in limbo?

Once the dust settles and the pandemic ends, workers are eager to start over in their career. And this entails moving to a new job, according to one in four employees surveyed by insurance group Prudential Financial.

After switching to survival mode and avoiding risk in the past year, 26% of employees are now waking up to the fact that COVID has slowed their career growth. Employees therefore plan to explore opportunities in other organisations as soon as the crisis is over.

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Analysts noted how career progress has been in limbo during the pandemic. Of the employees planning to go on a job hunt, four in five (80%) on average feel “concerned about their career growth – compared to only 49% of all workers”.

Even before socio-economic conditions improve, however, job seekers are already “priming” their skills: 59% of workers have turned to skills training outside of their current employers’ initiatives as a matter of preparing for their next career move, the survey found.

A culture of growth and team spirit in the face of crisis also influences the pattern of job moves. For workers eager to apply for a job elsewhere, culture is a factor that pushes them to leave. In fact, the impact of a poor work culture is statistically relevant. “More than four in 10 (42%) would grade their employer’s efforts to maintain company culture during the pandemic a ‘C’  or lower,” analysts said.

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Moments of difficulty and disruption can become shining moments for employees. When change is managed well, they feel empowered. Sudden changes can either trigger more staff departures or help team members find their niche at work.

“One in five workers changed their line of work entirely over the past year – half say those changes are permanent,” the study said. “The top reasons for these changes include work/life balance, better compensation, and trying something new.”