Employees Believe Their Professional Growth Has Halted: Peakon Report

North America saw the largest drop globally in response to the statement, “I feel that I’m growing professionally,” falling 3% overall.

In pre-COVID-19 times, organizations worked hard to create career paths that could ensure top talent retention. There were detailed models to ensure that employees received developmental opportunities based on their career aspirations and the company goals.

But the pandemic has disrupted the entire process, and companies have no clear roadmap on how to proceed. While online learning tools are becoming more prevalent, are they enough?

A new report by employee engagement and success platform Peakon, titled The Impact of COVID-19 on Employee EngagementOpens a new window , has found that during the pandemic, employees have seen the largest decline in their “professional growth” perception. This perception is defined as employees’ perspective on how many opportunities they have to grow in terms of personal and career development.

While many were happy to experience remote working, there was a significant change in their professional growth view. There has been a 0.5% decline globally between January and July 2020 in this perception, but in North America, the drop was the highest at 3%.

The report also revealed a rise in global employee engagement levels at 0.5% globally.

Difference by Generation

When this data was assessed by generation, there was a different trend. Gen Z and millennials are more concerned about their professional growth, while Gen X and Baby Boomers felt more optimistic about their professional development.

Peakon’s CEO and co-founder, Phil Chambers, said, “As the pandemic hit, employees globally looked to their organizations for support, reassurance and guidance. … Even while the US saw diminished growth prospects, it still saw an unexpected increase in engagement, and a further increase of 9% around remote work and autonomy. Not only do these responses validate the need for employee feedback but they show us the real time impact of an unprecedented event on the global workforce.”

The results are a mixed bag for employers – while engagement and autonomy to work remotely have been largely accepted as a positive change, some employees feel that they are not getting the professional development or growth based on their personal goals.

Companies will have to be able to leverage the first trend while mitigating the second one.

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How Can Employers Enable Employees’ Professional Growth?

What can companies do to make their employees understand how professional growth continues to be an essential part of their people strategy, regardless of the crisis?

Alternative options for development

Companies must evaluate options for development that employees can access. Virtual learning modules and courses are the norm now. But this seems like a normal process for employees. To create an enhanced experience, adding elements such as live virtual coaching can ensure a more comprehensive approach. It also allows employees to see that companies are investing money and their leaders’ time to guide their workforce.

Gallup researchOpens a new window finds that organizations that have invested in employee development have 11% greater profitability and are twice as likely to retain their employees. Despite this, as per new Doodle research, a significant number of employees are not receiving the coaching support they need from their managers.

Reverse mentoring by millennials and Gen Zers

Apart from coaching, to specifically support the generations who believe their professional development has come to a halt, companies can initiate virtual reverse mentoring programs.

Companies can get Gen Z and millennial employees involved in mentoring older generations with a range of skills –some digital skills, for example. This will allow employees in these age segments to see their roles evolving with lesser stagnation.

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Data is showing how professional growth, even in a virtual scenario, needs to go beyond online training programs. There must be some degree of human interactions done remotely, but which are an integral part of the employee’s growth journey.

Note: Peakon analyzed a sample of 10 million survey responses for this report. Employees were asked the same set of questions in Peakon surveys in January and July, and their responses were scored and compared to arrive at the results.