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July 13, 2012

Job surveys suggest staff dissatisfaction

Two new surveys suggest British workers feel pessimistic about their job prospects and their current positions.

The Towers Watson’s Global Workforce Study has found that more than three quarters of British workers said that their ability to advance their career has either got worse or stayed the same compared to 12 months ago. The UK part of the global study polled 2,628 employees.

Dubbing the situation “standstill Britain,” Yves Duhaldeborde, head of organisational surveys and insights at Towers Watson, claims the UK has hit a “productivity wall”.  He said: “The research suggests that both workers and UK Plc are stuck in a rut, without the tools, inclination or support they need to progress. The post-recession reality is that many people have swapped ambition for stability and are choosing a steady income from their current role over aiming for promotion or looking for a new job entirely.”

The survey found that 40% of respondents said they would have to change companies in order to move up the career ladder. And 26% blamed employees in senior positions who were choosing not to retire as one of the barriers to promotion. The survey also found that only a third of UK workers think their organisation is good at promoting the most qualified employees.

Another new poll — conducted by AAT, the professional body for accounting technicians — has found that one in four Brits are bored of their job and want to leave. The study into the job satisfaction of 2,000 people reveals that three quarters have ended up in a career they hadn’t intended on and most are planning to leave their current job within five years.

It shows that more than a third of Brits feel spending just eighteen months in the job warrants a promotion and that the typical adult begins looking for other opportunities after just one year and five months in the same position. Six in ten people are constantly keeping their eye out for new jobs.

Jane Scott Paul, chief executive at ATT, said: “Even in a tough jobs climate, people are always going to hold on to their ambitions and it’s clear the mind-set has changed when it comes to trying to achieve those goals.

“It’s surprising people are quite as willing to leave their current company, but the trend is very much moving away from a long-term commitment to a workplace and seems geared far more towards personal progression.”