/ 27 March 2012

Unhappy workers plan to stay put

New global research from consulting company Accenture has found that despite being dissatisfied with their jobs, the majority of professionals plan to stay with their current employers.

The research, The Path Forward, found that more than half of both the women and men surveyed, 57% and 59% respectively, were dissatisfied with their jobs.

Despite their current job dissatisfaction, more than two-thirds (69%) of all respondents said they did not plan to leave their current employers, with nearly the same number (64%) citing flexible work arrangements as the reason for staying put.

When asked about the greatest barrier to their career advancement, respondents cited a lack of opportunity or a clear career path twice as often as they cited family responsibilities (42% vs 20%), while almost one-third (32%) cited no barriers to their advancement.

Accenture said that at the same time, most respondents said they were taking a variety of steps to actively manage their careers, including accepting a different role or responsibility (cited by 58% of respondents), receiving more education or training (46%), and working longer hours (36%).

“Despite current challenges, employees are still striving for success and energised, engaged employees remain a competitive advantage,” said Monica Rubombora, Accenture South Africa’s executive director and chair of the company’s women’s forum.

She added that since the majority of today’s professionals were not job hunting, leading companies should capitalise on this moment in time to equip their people with clearly defined career paths that included innovative training, leadership development and opportunities for advancement. — I-Net Bridge