New research has shown personal development is an increasingly important factor in where people work, and for job satisfaction.
A recent survey highlighted that 65% of UK employees consider lack of personal development opportunities as a reason to look for a new employer.
The survey of 1,039 UK employees, 12,576 employees from the wider EU and 2,500 European Learning & Development decision makers were asked about their experiences.
- 70% feel they would be happier in their current role if they had further opportunities to develop themselves
- Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) do not feel their personal development opportunities are good enough at work
- 67% of UK employers stated personal development is important in order to achieve adequate job satisfaction.
The survey highlights that unfortunately not all UK companies offer enough opportunity for employees to development themselves. The UK average (17%) was only slightly higher than the European average of 16%. It should serve as a clear signal to employers that lack of personal development programmes will increase the risk of losing their people. Another way of looking at this, is if 65% of British employees feel lack of personal development is a reason to switch jobs, then 1 in 5 employers may be at risk.
The importance of communication
The survey highlights another contradiction between employer and employees. 9% of UK employers said employees have access to offline courses, with 29% offering online courses and 55% offering a blended approach to learning. Only 7% of UK employers mention they don’t offer learning opportunities. Yet, 24% of employees indicated this is the case in their work situation. This has unveiled a bigger problem –employees don’t know how to find or access the learning opportunities on offer. Ensuring employees understand the development opportunities available, no matter their role. This will help to change the learning behaviours, so employees can feel confident about their personal development.
Original article here.