Employees leave jobs because of lack of opportunities

12 per cent of employees say employer gives them a career path: Study

Growth opportunities are very important to employees but they feel the current performance review process is outdated and unproductive, according to a new survey.

The survey of 2,416 people by Taleo, a provider of online talent management solutions, shows that extremely/very motivated respondents who have voluntarily left a job cited a lack of growth potential as the most important factor in their decision to leave, while only 12 per cent of full and part-time workers feel their employer offers them a career path plan.

The study also shows that extremely/very motivated respondents are more likely to want to be challenged and receive more professional development (training, internal mobility, mentoring, career planning, and performance reviews) from their employer, than unmotivated respondents.

“A company’s most valuable asset is its employees. If you want to attract and retain motivated people, you need to align your performance management strategy with the demands of this talent pool,” said Alice Snell, vice president of Taleo Research.

Other key findings include:

• 41 per cent of motivated respondents who have voluntarily left a job cited lack of growth potential as a deciding factor;

• 43 per cent of full- and part-time employees said opportunities for advancement are a key motivator;

• 12 per cent of full- and part-time workers say that their employers give them a career path plan;

• 57 per cent of full and part-time employees have either never had a performance review or said it was neutral or not useful;

• 79 per cent of employees don’t currently receive career mentoring from their employer; and

• 84 per cent of motivated respondents receive professional development (training, internal mobility, mentoring, career planning, and/or performance reviews) from their employer, compared to only 65 per cent of unmotivated people.

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