4 factors that shape careers

FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS 4ninA M. RAMSEy & bRAd bORlAnd

inTROduCTiOn

2 | FOuR FACTORS THAT SHAPE CAREERS

It is said that we are sum of our choices. But what factors influence the choices we make? How might they change over time? We spoke to 97,000 employees across the globe about the choices they’ve made in their careers and

why they’ve made them. The results provide some fascinating insights into employee attitudes—what

motivates them, where they see their careers going and the value they place on education, promotion

and work-life balance.

The reality is, employee choices and preferences follow strong demographic patterns. Our age,

experience level, culture and location have a measurable impact on the choices we make about the

types of roles we take on, and how we apply ourselves to our work. So, if you’re managing a global,

multi-generational workforce, it’s highly likely you’ll see many of the patterns outlined in this e-book

emerging in your own organization.

With more than half of your workforce expecting to change their career in the next five years, either

by choice or necessity, this report will provide some simple, effective insights to help you manage

employee expectations, retain talent regardless of location or career level, and engage an increasingly

diverse workforce.

ninA M. RAMSEy | bRAd bORlAnd

HOME inTROduCTiOn 01 THE AGE OF CHOiCE

02 THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE

03 THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE

04 THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE

COnCluSiOn GET THE Full REPORT

ninA M. RAMSEy bRAd bORlAnd

While most people aspire to move

up the organizational hierarchy

and advance their careers, it’s clear

that traditional ambition decreases

with age.

Although eight in ten Gen Y’s aspire

to become executives, less than

three-quarters of Gen X’ers and a

little more than half of Baby Boomers

feel the same desire to climb the

corporate ladder.

Juggling competing priorities, as well

as gaining a better understanding of

what is required to secure and maintain

senior positions, are undoubtedly

factors that contribute to this decrease

as we age. Yet, it seems age could also

be encouraging people to think more

holistically about their careers.

Two-thirds of Baby Boomers are

confident they could take a break from

work and resume their career at the

same level when they return, and half

are considering a change in career

within the next five years. Not only are

older workers embracing change, they

are doing so for different reasons than

younger workers. For Baby Boomers,

an improved work-life balance is the

key driver for career change, while

for younger generations it’s to earn a

higher income.

It seems that the most ambitious sector

of most workforces also happens to

be the least experienced—and therein

lies the challenge for HR managers. If

younger workers are looking for more

opportunity and a greater sense of

career progression, yet are less likely to

have all the experience required, how

do you keep them engaged? And how

do you fill demanding roles requiring

experience if older workers are more

focused on work-life balance and

personal interests?

Understanding how career choices

differ across the generations is critical

for effective talent management, and

these issues are likely to become even

more complex as Generation Z enters

the workforce in larger numbers.

01THE AGE OF CHOiCE







Worker attitudes, particularly those

related to career progression, differ

significantly between EMEA, APAC

and the Americas.

Those in the APAC region are by far

the most focused on climbing the

corporate ladder—84% aspire to

an executive position at some point

throughout their career. Generation Y’s

in APAC lead the pack with aspirational

career plans—an overwhelming 90%

have an executive position as a career

goal, compared with 82% in the

Americas and just 72% in EMEA.

The culture gap does seem to narrow

as workers age—Baby Boomers across

the world have a virtually uniform

attitude toward obtaining executive

positions—only around half are aiming

for senior management in the latter

stages of their careers.

For those who do not wish to

reach senior management levels

in their organization, their motives

differ depending on which region

they work in.

Just 5% of people in the Americas

and 9% in APAC say they lack the

ambition to reach the executive level

of management—for most people

in these regions the lack of work-life

balance and extra stress that comes

with promotion is their main reason for

deliberately avoiding a senior position.

This is in contrast to those in EMEA,

where more than one-quarter say they

lack the ambition for an executive

role. Ambition clearly has a cultural

context and this is a significant

challenge for companies applying a

uniform talent management approach

across multiple markets.

The other key reason for avoiding

executive positions in EMEA is a lack

of skills and education required to

reach senior levels in an organization.

One-quarter of people in EMEA

believe their education and skills

would not be sufficient to take on a

senior management role—another

critical consideration for companies

expanding in the emerging markets

of Eastern Europe, the Middle East

and Africa.

02THE CulTuRE OF CHOiCE







Work-life balance and stress factors

are of considerable concern to people

in the APAC region and the Americas,

and are the main reason for avoiding

promotion to senior positions.

In both the Americas and APAC,

two-thirds cite pressure/stress and

the impact on work-life balance as

the reasons for avoiding executive

positions. By contrast, in EMEA, just

40% cite these lifestyle factors.

With typically longer working hours in

APAC and the Americas, it’s perhaps

not surprising that those who say they

are not seeking executive positions are

doing so for lifestyle reasons.

However, the reality that some

organizations and roles simply will not

allow the flexibility and balance that

employees are aiming for is hitting

home. Of the people who expect to

change their career within the next five

years, one-quarter say this is driven

mainly by the need to achieve better

work-life balance. And this figure is

highest in APAC—some 30% cite the

need for improved work-life balance as

the main driver for career change.

Many people are not only receptive

to career change, they’re confident it

will not harm their career prospects.

For those considering a change in

career or a break from the workforce,

approximately three-quarters (74%)

believe they would be able to resume

their careers at the same level if and

when they return.

Younger workers are most confident

about their ability to resume their

careers after a break and are also the

most likely to be considering career

change within the next five years.

03THE WORK- liFE CHOiCE








Most people not only accept,

but actively seek, career change

as a way of amassing skills and

remaining competitive. But for

workers in emerging markets, large-

scale investment and development

is bringing with it a raft of new

opportunities and choices.

Thanks to full-tilt development in Asia,

almost two-thirds of people in APAC

(63%) believe they will change careers

in the next five years—significantly

higher than the 48% in the Americas.

When we examine the reasons why

people consider career changes, we

see the knock-on effect of economic

development on worker attitudes.

In the Americas, the main reason

for considering a new career is to

increase income. There is also a larger

proportion of people in the Americas

who are concerned that their industries

are in decline.

Conversely, in APAC where the job

market is more buoyant, career change

decisions are driven mainly by the

desire to improve work-life balance.

In EMEA, the prospect of a different

career is driven mainly by changing

personal interests.

The other major indicator that people

are changing their career approach

and planning for ongoing change is

the strong focus across the globe on

continuously upgrading skills. Those

in APAC and the Americas place the

highest priority on skill development

and are somewhat more likely to

believe it is necessary for career

advancement than those in EMEA. In

APAC, 68 percent say that upgrading

skills is extremely important, compared

with 66 percent in the Americas and 54

percent in EMEA.

Despite the focus on ongoing

education, most people (80%) believe

that experience is the most important

factor in progressing careers, and

they also believe experience is by

far the most important indicator

of competence to a prospective

employer. It seems that people are

now approaching their careers with

ongoing change at the center. Rather

than focusing on loyalty and tenure, the

key ingredients for success are seen as

broad experience and a solid, current

skill base.

04THE CHOiCE TO CHAnGE







COnCluSiOn There is no template, no cookie cutter for the post-millennial career. The evolution of the modern

workforce into a more dynamic and flexible entity is rapidly taking shape, and workers across all

generations and regions are embracing the change.

While aspirations to reach senior levels of management is very high among younger workers, the

concept of career choice and progression has shifted significantly since the Baby Boomers entered the

workforce—and young people won’t attain their goals the same way their parents did.

Work-life balance and personal interests are now key aspects of how people manage their careers, and

this is only likely to increase as traditional job security and structures respond to continued economic

and social shifts.

Across all generations and regions, people are confident they can change careers or take a break from

work and return at a similar level of pay and seniority. And many are preparing for ongoing change in

their circumstances, their industries and their careers, throughout their lives.

The vast majority of workers are looking for more experience, want to continually upgrade their skills

and are keen to build alternative career paths to fulfill their individual needs throughout their careers.

Ambition of the traditional kind may wane with age, but the desire to contribute and extend one’s

skills does not—and this could be the insight that organizations may increasingly need to turn to

their advantage.

Career choice and progression is a multi-layered, shifting dynamic. And in this increasingly diverse,

globalized context, managing for individual career choice and increased flexibility will be key to

maintaining productivity across entire workforces.






About Kelly

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KelyA, Kelyb) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly®

offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing

on a temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the globe, Kelly

provides employment to more than 530,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2010 was $5 billion.

Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook®, linkedIn®, and twitter®.

EXiT

About the Kelly GlobAl WoRKFoRce INDex™

the Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the

workplace from a generational viewpoint. Approximately 97,000 people from the Americas, APAc

and eMeA responded to the 2011 survey with results published on a quarterly basis. Kelly Services

was the recipient of a Marcom Platinum Award in 2010 and a Gold Award in 2009 for the Kelly

Global Workforce Index in the Research/Study category.

About the AuthoRS

NINA M. RAMSey is Senior Vice President, Global human Resources, for Kelly

Services. Nina holds a master’s of education degree in instructional technology

from Wayne State university in Detroit and a bachelor’s degree in human resource

management from oakland university in Rochester, Michigan. She is a member of the

hR Planning Society and the Society of human Resources Management (ShRM).

bRAD boRlAND is Senior Director of Global talent Management-leadership

Development at Kelly Services. he earned a bachelor of science from ohio Northern

university and a master of arts from bowling Green State university in ohio.

This ebook is extracted from What really shapes careers?

The influence of age and culture on career progression.

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