Nearly half of workers disappointed with their career progression

A new survey of 2,000 employees* released today by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has found that almost half (42%) of those questioned feel they are further behind in their careers than they would like to be at this stage of their lives. The data goes on to reveal that whilst individuals are blaming their slow progress on those around them, some have accepted that they have the power to bring about change.

According to the survey, some employees believe that they have been overlooked for promotion or a pay-rise in the last year because their employer doesn’t have the funds available to pay for them to progress (22%).  Others go further, claiming that their boss is not fighting their corner enough (9%).  However, many respondents admit that they need to get more experience (13%), and that they do not have the right training or qualifications (6%) to advance.

The survey highlights employees’ recognition that they need to do more to get ahead in their careers, including working overtime on a regular basis (44%), taking on additional responsibility for no extra money (37%) and studying in their spare time for a professional qualification (45%). Thankfully, just 3% admit they would claim a colleagues’ work as their own.

However, despite the fact that nearly a third of those surveyed (29%) believe that a professional qualification helps an individual’s ability to lead people, teams and projects just 4% of those surveyed are currently studying for a professional qualification and only 12% plan to do so “in the near future”.

Narinder Uppal, director of the Awarding Body at CMI said of the findings: “It’s clear that we all recognise the importance of professional qualifications in our career development – but at the same time, it’s disappointing that more people aren’t helping themselves. It’s too easy to blame others for your own lack of progress, but in a time of tighter budgets and increasing competitiveness in the job market, those people that are prepared to make an effort to improve their skills will be the ones that employers turn to first.”

Asked why they haven’t done anything to help themselves, the top reasons cited were the cost of qualifications (39%), the length of time they would take to complete (30%) and “not knowing which qualification would be best for my career development” (13%).

Yet these findings come in the wake of analysis revealing that the estimated lifetime economic benefit associated with holding professional qualifications amounts to £81,000**, a figure which compares favourably to the cost of undertaking a degree-level equivalent qualification in management and leadership.  CMI’s latest survey also shows that each week the UK’s employees are spending an average of five hours watching television, four hours shopping online or using social media, and two hours playing computer games - yet completing a degree equivalent qualification in management and leadership would only amount to three hours a week of study throughout the year***.

Des Benjamin, chief executive of Simplyhealth, says: “It is increasingly difficult to chart a secure future in the world of employment. I believe the best guarantee of employability is to keep learning and studying to gain new qualifications and skills which will indicate to future potential employers a desire to think and work in new ways and that is very attractive from an employer’s point of view. I would encourage equal attention to be paid to learning both the science and art of management.”

Philippa Williamson, chief executive at the Serious Fraud Office and CMI Companion added: “Good managers need to be a bit like a sponge. They absorb issues, distil and contextualise them to try and keep external pressure at a distance from staff focused on delivery. But their skills have to remain current – how a leader dealt with something five years ago may no longer be applicable in today’s working environment, and people who are responsible for the development of others must bear this in mind, first taking responsibility for themselves.

“I like qualifications because they demonstrate personal commitment. Although I work with lots of professionals, very few of them have been adequately prepared for the management and leadership challenges they face.

Don’t assume people always understand the risks they are taking. That, however, isn’t an excuse to let them run wild. It’s a reason to ensure your employees are clued up and qualified to do the jobs you ask of them.”  

To help individuals find the best professional qualification for them, CMI has developed a free-to-access set of online resources giving people advice on where to study and what to study as well as career guidance scenarios and checklists. It can be found via www.managers.org.uk/get-ahead

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Further information:

Harriet Fitzgerald/Lucy Dormandy

Telephone: 0207 010 0828 / 0207 010 0829

Email: Harriet.Fitzgerald@kindredagency.com / Lucy.Dormandy@kindredagency.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

*     Survey of 2,000 UK employees was conducted by OnePoll, August 2011

**    Labour Force survey, analysed by the Consultative Committee for Professional Management Organisations

***   Based on CMI guided learning hours for qualifications

• CMI is the only chartered professional body dedicated to raising standards of management and leadership across all sectors of UK commerce and industry. CMI is the founder of the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership and sets the standards that others follow.

• By setting minimum professional standards – built into our qualifications, membership criteria and learning resources – we recognise individual capability and give employers confidence in their managers’ performance.

• As a membership organisation, CMI has also been providing forward-thinking advice and support to individuals and businesses, for more than 50 years. As the only organisation to offer qualifications from Level 2 (GCSE) to Level 8 (PhD), CMI is committed to equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge to be exceptional managers and leaders.

• Qualifications and accreditations such as Chartered Manager, combined with products such as CMI’s Continuous Professional Development scheme and the online support resource, ManagementKnow, support the development of management and leadership excellence across the UK.