Theo Garrun

There is a “new normal” in the world of work and this shows in the attitude people have to their careers, particularly in these difficult economic times.

Accenture human resources director Nicky Moses says this is borne out by research the organisation conducted ahead of International Womens Day, which showed that the majority of workers were sticking to their jobs despite declaring that they were not particularly happy in them.

“The research, which forms part of our ‘The path forward’ survey of workplace trends, reveals that more than half of both the women and men surveyed (57 percent and 59 percent, respectively) are dissatisfied with their jobs.

“However, despite their current job dissatisfaction, more than two-thirds (69 percent) of all respondents said they do not plan to leave their current employers.”

The most common reason given for staying put (64 percent) was the existence of some sort of flexible work arrangements.

“This is significant because it shows that monetary issues are not always the most important ones in the decision to change jobs,” Moses says.

“That flexibility is part of a trend of managing their own careers which is evident from the research.”

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 percent of respondents), receiving more education or training (46 percent) and working longer hours (36 percent).

What that shows, according to Moses, is that although many respondents feel there are barriers to career advancement in their organisations they are countering this by proactively managing their own careers and taking on different responsibilities within the organisation.

Respondents cited a lack of opportunity or a clear career path twice as often as they cited family responsibilities (42 percent against 20 percent) as the main barrier to their advancement.

The three thing most commonly cited as the important ones in managing your own career and getting ahead, according to Moses, are self confidence, soft skills and hard work.

It is also important to identify a mentor and to seek advice from him or her. The gender of such a mentor was not seen as important by the majority of respondents.

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

“Since the majority of today’s professionals are not job hunting, leading companies must capitalise on this moment in time to equip their people with clearly defined career paths that include innovative training, leadership development and opportunities for advancement.”

Another finding of the research is that women are slightly more satisfied, on the whole, with their prospects at work.

“This shows that the greater flexibility that is now in the workplace appeals to women,” Moses believes.

“Men are still more vocal and more driven and frustrated by the lack of opportunities that the economic downturn has brought. But there is not a big gap between men and women on any of those scores.”

Moses believes that there is still a war for talent and executive search companies will still lure people away from their current jobs.

“This will no doubt increase when the economy recovers,” she says, “but it will not be based solely on monetary offers. The whole employer proposition will come into play.”

The Accenture research covers a wide range of employment-related topics. Some other findings include:

l Flexible work schedules – The majority (59 percent) of respondents reported having some type of flexible work schedule, and 44 percent of this group said they had used flexible work options for more than three years.

l Slowed careers – When asked about factors that had slowed their careers, 44 percent of respondents cited the economic downturn, which started in 2008, and 40 percent cited parenthood.

l Work-life balance – While more than two-thirds (71 percent) of respondents reported having work-life balance most or all of the time, 42 percent said they often sacrificed time with family in order to succeed, and 41 percent said career demands had a negative impact on their family life.

“We’re looking at a new normal in the workplace,” says Moses. “Employees are defining success in a variety of ways, customising their own approaches and balancing personal demands with their desire to succeed. The challenge for employers is to help employees fully integrate the whole spectrum of work and life needs over the course of their careers.”

A full report on the research, “The Path Forward,” is available at http://www.accenture.com.

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