This document discusses findings from the 2014 Kelly Global Workforce Index survey regarding career development in the natural resources sector. Some key findings include:
- Employee commitment and loyalty remain relatively low, with only around 30% feeling totally committed or more loyal compared to the previous year. Intention to switch jobs within a year is high at 63% globally.
- Most employees prioritize acquiring new skills over career advancement. However, there are regional differences, with those in APAC placing more importance on advancement.
- Less than half of employees report having career development discussions with their employers in the past year. These discussions do not consistently provide benefits in terms of new skills or advancement opportunities.
- Confidence in career prospects and
2. CONTENTS
3 Introduction
4 Employee sentiment
remains at low levels
8 Balancing skills with
advancement
10 Engaging employees
about their careers
14 Employee views on their
career prospects
17 Resourcing careers
20 Conclusion
THE KELLY GLOBAL
WORKFORCE INDEX 2014
The Kelly Global Workforce Index
(KGWI) is an annual global survey
revealing opinions about work and
the workplace. Almost 230,000
people from 31 countries across the
Americas, Europe, Middle-East and
Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC)
regions responded to the 2014 survey.
The topics covered in the 2014
KGWI survey include:
• Engaging Active and
Passive Job Seekers
• Career Development
• The Candidate Experience
from Hiring to On-boarding
• Worker Preferences and
Workplace Agility
This second installment, on the topic
of Career Development, looks across
the EMEA and APAC regions in the
Natural Resources sector to learn what
employees are thinking about their
careers and the skills that underpin them.
The report takes an in-depth look at
employee career aspirations, including
the drivers of career goals and the
factors that matter most in keeping
employees engaged and productive.
It also provides a glimpse into the world
of career management, with insights on
what the best employers are doing to
invest in personnel, and the particular
importance that workers attach to career
development activities such as training,
mentoring and skills development.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 2
3. INTRODUCTION
Harnessing skills for success
Natural Resources employees are
engaged in a vast range of activities
involved in the extraction and processing
of resources including oil and gas, iron
ore, coal and other commodities.
They occupy a special place, not only in
terms of their economic significance, but
for the unique operational and workplace
challenges that characterize the sector.
Harnessing the skills and capabilities of the
workforce is a key strategic imperative.
This topic seeks to unravel some of the big
questions that are occupying the minds of
employees as they think about the ongoing
process of managing life, learning and work.
What do employees really want from
their employers? Where do they want to
be in the next 5–10 years? Will the skills
they currently have be sufficient to get
them there? What are the best employers
doing to help advance their careers?
The findings reveal how Natural Resources
employees are thinking and the forces
that are shaping their career decisions.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 3
4. Employee sentiment
remains at low levels
Measures of engagement and loyalty have a direct bearing
on issues such as employee attraction, retention, morale and
business performance, so they are an important reflection on
the state of health of the Natural Resources workforce.
The mood of the labor market remains
a difficult one for many employers, with
job creation slow, economic recovery
uneven, and a restless sentiment
among much of the workforce.
In this environment, firms that are able to
harness the skills and capabilities of their
workforce will be in a better position to
weather these conditions and prosper.
As will become clear in the following
pages, there is a desire among many
employees for skills enhancement, and
an opportunity for employers to invest
in personnel in a way that will benefit
both enterprises and individuals.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 4
5. EMPLOYEE
COMMITMENT
The latest Kelly Global Workforce
Index (KGWI) shows that employers
are continuing to confront a challenging
workplace, characterized by relatively
weak levels of employee engagement
and commitment with work.
Respondents in the Natural Resources
sector were asked the question: How
committed or “engaged” do you
feel with your current employer?
Less than a third (32%) of respondents,
globally, say they are “totally
committed” to their current employers.
Just 27% of workers in EMEA say
they are totally committed, and a
slightly higher 30% in APAC.
How committed or “engaged” do you feel with your current employer?
(% “totally committed,” by region)
27%
EMEA
30%
APAC
32%
GLOBAL
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 5
6. EMPLOYEE
LOYALTY
It is a similar picture with regard to the
question of employee loyalty. Globally,
just 30% of employees say that they
feel “more loyal” to their employers
in 2014 than they did a year ago.
In EMEA, only 23% report feeling
more loyal in 2014, while in APAC
it is a somewhat higher 33%.
Compared with a year ago, do you feel more or less loyal to your employer?
(% “more loyal,” by region)
23%
EMEA
33%
APAC
30%
GLOBAL
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 6
7. Italy Portugal Australia India France UK Switzerland Poland Hungary Indonesia Singapore Malaysia Norway Russia China Germany Global
Do you intend to look for a job with another organization within the next year?
(% “yes,” by country)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
EMEA AVERAGE: 69%
APAC AVERAGE: 65%
GLOBAL AVERAGE: 63%
ITALY
PORTUGAL
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
FRANCE
THE UNITED KINGDOM
SWITZERLAND
POLAND
HUNGARY
INDONESIA
SINGAPORE
NORWAY
MALAYSIA
RUSSIA
CHINA
GERMANY
Italy Portugal Australia India France UK Switzerland Poland Hungary Indonesia Singapore Malaysia Norway Russia China Germany Global
INTENTION TO
SWITCH JOBS
Another sign of the volatility
that still characterizes much
of the labor market relates to
employee plans to switch jobs.
Globally, 63% say they intend to look
for a job with another organization
within the next year, with both EMEA
and APAC sitting close to this global
average at 69% and 65% respectively.
However, there are wide variations
across the survey area, ranging from
more than three-quarters in Italy,
Portugal, Australia, India and France, to
a low of 50% in Germany and China.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 7
8. Balancing skills with
advancement
The challenge of attracting, nurturing and retaining quality
staff is common to all employers. Natural Resources industries
often have the additional challenges of workforces operating
in geographically difficult and remote locations.
Getting the most out of employees across
multiple locations and with unorthodox
rosters is an ongoing challenge.
Providing opportunities for employee
promotion is obviously an important
part of this, but so too is skills
development at the individual level.
In fact, many survey respondents
firmly believe that acquiring skills
is more important than advancing
up the corporate hierarchy.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 8
9. IMMEDIATE
CAREER GOALS
When considering what is best
for their career development,
a majority of Natural Resources
employees, globally, say they are more
interested in skills development than
advancing up the corporate ladder.
Globally, 60% are more interested in
acquiring new skills than in reaching a
higher level in their organization (40%).
But there is a strong regional element
to this finding. In EMEA, there is a
resounding focus on skills development
(62%) ahead of advancement (38%).
It is a different picture in APAC, where
respondents are inclined to place
a priority on advancement (53%)
ahead of acquiring new skills (47%).
When considering career advancement opportunities, which statement best describes your immediate career goal?
(%, by region)
GLOBAL
EMEA
APAC
I am more interested in acquiring new skills
I am more interested in advancing to a higher level
60% 40%
62% 38%
47% 53%
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 9
10. Engaging employees
about their careers
A key element in talent development lies in ensuring
that the people in the organization are being assisted
to manage and develop their skills and careers.
The idea of structured career discussions
between employers and employees
is one that is central to effective
talent management.
Career discussions tap into a desire for new
capabilities, and are an important avenue
for employer–employee engagement.
However, while the career interactions that
take place are well-intentioned, they are
often not meeting the needs of employees.
Career development interactions need to
be carefully thought out so that they are
structured and targeted and so that there
is a productive exchange about individual
career opportunities and limitations.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 10
11. Indonesia China Malaysia Russia Germany India France Norway UK Singapore Italy Switzerland Portugal Australia Poland Hungary Global
Within the last year, have you had a career development discussion with your employer?
(% “yes,” by country)
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
APAC AVERAGE: 54%
EMEA AVERAGE: 47%
GLOBAL AVERAGE: 45%
SWITZERLAND
POLAND
HUNGARY
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
CHINA
MALAYSIA
RUSSIA
GERMANY
INDIA
FRANCE
NORWAY
THE UNITED KINGDOM
ITALY
PORTUGAL
AUSTRALIA
CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
DISCUSSIONS
Career discussions should be
an integral and routine part
of sound career management, but
they are frequently not occurring.
Globally, 45% of Natural Resources
employees say they have had a career
development discussion in the past year.
Both EMEA and APAC are somewhat
ahead of the global average at
47% and 54% respectively. (The
global result is dragged down
by just 41% in the Americas.)
The highest rates are in Indonesia (63%)
and China and Malaysia (both 62%),
while the lowest are in Hungary (19%),
and in Poland and Australia (both 35%).
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 11
12. BENEFIT OF CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
DISCUSSIONS ON
NEW SKILLS
The intention behind any career
development discussion should
be to assist employees to acquire
the skills and capabilities necessary
to advance in their careers.
But not all career development
discussions produce these outcomes.
Globally, 54% felt that their career
development discussions had
benefited them in terms of new skills.
Significantly more workers in APAC
(61%) obtained a direct benefit
in terms of new skills, compared
to those in EMEA (48%).
Among those who had a career development discussion in the last year, to what degree do you agree or disagree
that the career development discussion was beneficial to you in terms of the opportunity to acquire new skills?
(% “strongly agree” and “agree,” by region)
48%
EMEA
61%
APAC
54%
GLOBAL
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 12
13. Among those who had a career development discussion in the last year, to what degree do you agree or disagree that
the career development discussion was beneficial to you in terms of potential/future advancement opportunities?
(% “strongly agree” and “agree,” by region)
36%
EMEA
58%
APAC
45%
GLOBAL
BENEFIT OF CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
DISCUSSIONS ON
ADVANCEMENT
There is also some doubt among
employees about the value of
these career development discussions
in terms of career advancement.
Among those who had experienced
career development discussions with
their employers, less than half (45%)
agreed that they were beneficial in terms
of future advancement opportunities.
But the results vary considerably across
the regions. There were significantly
more workers in APAC (58%) who
derived a benefit from these discussions,
compared to just 36% in EMEA.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 13
14. Employee views on
their career prospects
Some of the earlier survey findings in relation to employee
commitment and loyalty come into sharper focus when looking
at employees’ views about their immediate career prospects.
What is clear is that employees attach
considerable value to their career prospects
and career trajectory, since it is their
guarantee of job security and prosperity.
Employees also look to their employers
to help advance their careers, and
they will look elsewhere if they see
their careers hitting a roadblock.
Currently, confidence among many
employees is low in regard to their career
prospects with their current employers.
Employers who take active steps to build
careers will reap the benefits of both a
more engaged and committed workforce,
as well as a more productive workplace.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 14
15. Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Russia China Poland India Portugal Norway Italy Switzerland Germany UK Australia Hungary France Global
To what degree do you agree or disagree that you have opportunities to grow/advance your career with your current employer?
(% “strongly agree” and “agree,” by country)
APAC AVERAGE: 44%
GLOBAL AVERAGE: 36%
EMEA AVERAGE: 29%
HUNGARY
THE UNITED KINGDOM
AUSTRALIA
INDONESIA
SINGAPORE
MALAYSIA
RUSSIA
CHINA
POLAND
INDIA
PORTUGAL
NORWAY
ITALY
SWITZERLAND
GERMANY
FRANCE
Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Russia China Poland India Portugal Norway Italy Switzerland Germany UK Australia Hungary France Global
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
OPPORTUNITIES TO
ADVANCE OR GROW
WITH CURRENT
EMPLOYER
Globally in the Natural Resources
sector, just over a third (36%)
of employees believe that they will
have the opportunity to advance their
careers with their current employers.
Significantly more workers in APAC
(44%) are confident about their
advancement opportunities than
those in EMEA at just 29%.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 15
16. 30%
GLOBAL
PATHWAYS
WITH CURRENT
EMPLOYER
A key element in career advancement
in any given position is the
availability of a defined pathway along
which employees can progress.
Globally, 30% of Natural Resources
respondents say that their employers
provide a career pathway that would
afford career advancement.
Significantly more workers in
APAC (40%) say their employers
provide clear career path options,
compared with just 23% in EMEA.
To what degree do you have clear career path options available with your current employer?
(% “very clear” and “clear” path options, by region)
23%
EMEA
40%
APAC
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 16
17. Resourcing careers
As part of the process of developing their careers,
employees will utilize a range of different resources such
as training, mentoring, coaching and assessments.
With a new wave of empowered employees
taking greater control over their careers,
there is a fresh focus on the effectiveness
of the tools and resources that they use.
Employees identify both the good
and the bad in terms of money spent
on developing their careers.
What this shows is that some of the
investment in career development
resources by well-intentioned
employers is being wasted.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 17
18. RESOURCES
USED IN CAREER
ADVANCEMENT
The most commonly used tool, or
resource, in the career development
area is employer-provided training,
utilised by 47% globally, but with higher
rates in APAC (54%) than in EMEA (40%).
The second most used resource is
training that is sought out or paid for by
the employee, utilized by 32% globally,
by 33% in EMEA and 32% in APAC.
Other commonly used resources
are mentoring (26% globally),
career tests (23%) and professional
career coaching (19%).
When preparing for career development/advancement opportunities, which of the following resources have
you utilized within the last year to realize your strengths? (%, by region, multiple responses allowed)
60%
40%
20%
0%
Professional
career coaching
Training sought out/ Mentoring Career tests
paid for myself
Employer-provided
training
EMEA
APAC
Global
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 18
19. Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Russia India Norway China UK Poland Portugal Germany Switzerland Australia France Hungary Italy Global
What is your overall level of satisfaction with the career development resources offered by your current employer?
(% “very satisfied” and “satisfied,” by country)
AUSTRALIA
FRANCE
APAC AVERAGE: 32%
GLOBAL AVERAGE: 29%
EMEA AVERAGE: 22%
ITALY
PORTUGAL
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
CHINA
GERMANY
HUNGARY
INDIA
INDONESIA
MALAYSIA
NORWAY
POLAND
RUSSIA
SINGAPORE
SWITZERLAND
THE UNITED KINGDOM
SATISFACTION
WITH CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
RESOURCES
For employers, there is an important
question of the right mix of career
development resources, and the extent
to which these are meeting the needs
of employees and the business.
Less than a third of Natural Resources
employees globally (29%) are
satisfied with their employer-provided
career development resources.
Significantly more workers in APAC
(32%) feel satisfied with their
employers’ resource offerings,
compared to 22% in EMEA.
The satisfaction rates point to a
mismatch between employers and
employees in some markets, suggesting
that the employer investment is not
always being put to best use.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 19
20. CONCLUSION
Making career development a “win-win”
A generation of more empowered
employees is looking to take charge
of their careers, and with that, utilize
the full suite of tools and resources
that will help them to prosper.
Natural Resources employees are
in strong demand in many markets.
They are at the forefront of a host of
technological developments and new
approaches to workforce organization.
The importance of skills formation and
skills development is more important
than ever for these employees.
The findings of the survey show that
promotion at the expense of skills
may meet a short-term goal but may
not necessarily meet the longer-term
needs of highly skilled workers.
Maintaining and renewing technical
expertise is a core requirement of
this group.
Career discussions with employees
meet a real need. They help forge
career direction and structure, and
they are an important avenue for
employer–employee engagement.
Empowered and autonomous workers
build their strengths primarily through
employer-provided training. They also
seek out and pay for their own training
to continue to build their toolkit so they
are best positioned for the future.
There are a few steps employers can take:
• Fully evaluate existing career
development initiatives to test their
suitability to employees’ needs
and their fit with the organization’s
human capital needs.
• Approach career development
in a structured way as part of
regular performance reviews.
• Consider a career “future-proofing”
exercise to encourage employees to
consider how their industry and their jobs
will evolve, and the skills, qualifications
or training that will be required.
• Develop a knowledge capture program
to harness the skills and expertise
of gifted, expert and longstanding
employees so that this intellectual
property can be retained and harnessed.
Kelly Global Workforce Index™ 20