Dive Brief:
- As workforce hiring increases, concerns about engaging employees and retaining critical talent are top of mind for organizations, according to a recent survey of 1,520 employed workers in the United States and Canada.
- According to Mercer’s latest survey on employee perspectives, Employee Views on Moving Up vs. Moving On, one-third (32%) of employees consider their employment to be a job, not a career.
- Moreover, more than three-quarters (78%) of employees report they would stay with their current employer if they knew their career path. More than half (51%) of employees report they receive “no input” or “input only once in a while” from superiors on how to perform better in their roles. More than one-quarter (28%) of employees have considered leaving their employer and moving to a competitor within the last 12 months.
Dive Insight:
The dynamic interplay of multiple trends – a disenchanted workforce that is multi-generational, skill shortages, global expansion, and gender inequality – is creating real challenges for managing talent, said Ilene Siscovick, partner and North America Talent and Career Leader at Mercer.
“By outlining specific skill sets for career paths, organizations can help employees better understand growth potential within the company and improve overall efforts to retain and motivate their existing workforce," Siscovick said.
Siscovick points to a lack of communication from managers along with lack of transparency about career progression within the organization as affecting employee loyalty and hampering retention efforts.
By defining advancement opportunities and conveying related competencies, companies can equip employees with the necessary information to grow professionally and financially while improving engagement efforts and optimizing a workforce that effectively contributes to business success, she said.
