UK employees looking for career development in 2022

UK employees are taking control of their careers with almost a quarter planning to leave their jobs in the new year according to new research from Right Management.

The research reveals that 55% of UK employers offer career development tools, however less than half of employees make use of them.

One of the main problems UK employees cite as a struggle in their roles is their neglected career development goals, as 73% of employees believe their employers don’t carry any responsibility for development. Surprisingly, 81% of UK employees have no written career plan in place with their employer, however according to Right Management, to thrive in their new place of employment, the UK workforce must tell their managers how they want to progress in their role.

The onus falls on both parties: employers must do all they can to retain the best talent as recent data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed that unemployment has fallen, yet job vacancies for August to October ‘21 had a record high in 15 of the 18 industry sectors recorded.

The ONS data also revealed that job-to-job moves were at a record high as the average total pay has increased by 5.8% to meet the growth in demand. Employees must also reach out and have open conversations with line managers to discover internal career development benefits that may have otherwise been unknowingly hidden.

Amy Smyth, Head of Career Management at Right Management Europe said: “Nearly a third of people never discuss their career plans with their manager – and it’s time that changed. The best way to succeed in a new role is to know the progression paths available at that company. Employees and employers need to work together to understand where employee strengths and goals match with the business’s needs, contributing to both organisational growth and individual fulfilment.

“We predict that 2022 will be the year of career development, as 24% of people plan to start the New Year with a new career. It’s important that as people start new jobs, employees empower themselves to step forward and dedicate time to their career development. Managing your career is an ongoing process: if an individual has already dedicated time and energy on career development to achieve a new job, why stop there? Why settle when skills needs and job roles are constantly evolving?

“Too many employers have missed opportunities to develop and retain talented workers at a time when the global skills shortage is presenting huge challenges for businesses – so it’s important that new roles provide the UK workforce the support they need. And what’s the best way to get that support? By asking for it.”

Right Management’s findings also revealed that businesses in London spend the most amount of time on career development, with 39% spending 1-3 hours a month working on their professional goals. Northern Ireland spends the least amount of time, with 68% admitting to doing no career development at all. Employees in London also came out top for having a written career plan in place with their current employer (35%), showing the capital as the place most dedicated to career development.