UK workers are not as ambitious in their careers as originally predicted, with 31.4 per cent willing to stay at a company for five years or more, without a promotion, according to new research from CV-Library.
The study, which asked 1,200 UK workers about their attitudes towards promotions and job titles, found that 85.1 per cent of Brits state they expect to get promoted at random points during their employment, depending on their performance.
Just under a third (32.4 per cent) have moved companies in order to secure a promotion elsewhere, while 37 per cent would be more likely to take a job if it had the word ‘manager’ in the title, rising to 54.8 per cent amongst 18-24 year olds. But two thirds (64.5 per cent) do believe that job titles are important
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments, ‘It’s clear that many workers in the UK are happy to move forward in their employment without a promotion and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Working hard doesn’t always have to result in a change in your job title, but as long as they’re being rewarding for their hard work in other ways, such as pay rises, extra perks or more holiday days, then that’s the most important factor.’
When asked what was most important to them when looking for a job, workers state that salary was the number one factor (32 per cent), followed by daily responsibilities (27.4 per cent), the company they’re working for (23.7 per cent) and the location of the job (12.7 per cent). Less important, but still factors that they consider were the job title (2.6 per cent) and the added perks that the company offers (1.5 per cent).
Interestingly, money was most important to those aged 35-44, while 45-54 year olds were most concerned with the company that they would be working for. Those aged under 18 were the most likely to prioritise workplace perks, with one in ten (11.1 per cent) stating that this was most important.
Biggins continues, ‘We all have different priorities in the workplace and a promotion isn’t always one of them! Money continues to be a key driver for workers and can often be a deciding factor in whether to move jobs or not. What’s more, the actual job in question is extremely important and you do actually have to like what you’re doing! It’s important to talk through priorities with employees and potential candidates– both in terms of financials and their own development.’
Further reading on promotion
