Half of employees frustrated by lack of opportunities

By Richard Jenkins, 72Point

Half of employees are frustrated they have 'nowhere to go' at their current workplace - as there are so few opportunities for progression.

A survey of 2,000 employed UK adults saw a fifth (19 percent) claim their job offers zero training that would help them get out of the role they're in.

As a result, workers are lobbying their bosses for more training and taking up evening courses off their own back.

Yet 30 percent actively hold back ‘secret skills’ part of the job description of their current job.

And 53 percent are now inclined to look for new opportunities that are more fitting to their skills since returning to the office following lockdowns.

Professor Adam Boddison, Chief Executive of APM - the Association for Project Management - which conducted the research as part of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, said: “This research has given us much insight into the restrictions workers feel in their jobs.

“However, it’s great to see many have felt a boost to look further afield in a bid to better utilize their skills in other roles.

“So many people clearly feel they are not being used to their full potential and would relish the opportunity to maximize their communication, organizational, planning, and project management skills.”

The study also found 67 percent of men have raised issues with management about their current job role, and seven in 10 have successfully gained a promotion by asking for one.

Comparatively, only 50 percent of women have been promoted after taking it upon themselves to ask management.

Of all the adults polled, 21 percent feel ‘uncomfortable’ when asking for a promotion or pay rise, and 11 percent believe their bosses are unapproachable for the topic.

But one in 10 who have taken up evening courses off their own back already feel very confident in leaving their current position and applying for a different role with a better salary.

As many as four in 10 believe they have leadership skills hidden below the surface of what they present in the workplace.

While 38 percent believe they’re skilled in project management and time management - which they’re holding back in their current role.

It also emerged 46 percent feel less confident asking for training to expand their skillsets if it isn’t offered to them by those higher up.

But this feeling diminishes with age, as 22 percent of those aged 24-34 strongly feel that way, compared to just 10 percent of those between 55-64.

More workers, polled via OnePoll, also claimed they’d rather stay at their current company and work their way up - compared to switching careers completely (38 percent compared to 22 percent).

Prof Boddison added: “It can be easier to try and stay within your own company and move up if that network is available.

“But our research found, for many, they’ve hit a roadblock in how far their current company can take them.

“There is a risk that people may end up becoming indispensable to their department, so management is reluctant to let them move on and spread their wings.

“Managers who understand that what’s best for the employee overall is best for the company, are what you hope to find in the workplace.”