Post-recession Employees Want Long-term Job Commitment

 On-the-job advancement now takes a back seat to a growing desire for workplace security and stability. Fifty-one percent of those polled said there are no career advancement opportunities in their current roles, and another 43% believe they must leave their organization and join another in order to advance to a higher-level job.       

 Yet, according to a press release, despite these obstacles to advancement, 81% of respondents said they are not actively looking for other positions.       

 In addition, while the average worker around the world anticipates retirement at age 62, that number rises to 67 in the U.S, the survey found. Almost one-third (30%) of those polled in the U.S. plan to work to age 70 or beyond. Employees acknowledge that they are responsible for planning for and managing their retirement needs, but roughly half don’t feel prepared to actually do so.      

 Survey results also confirm a move from the “free agent nation” concept to the old the traditional “deal” that once existed between employees and employers. A startling eight out of 10 respondents want to settle into a job, with roughly half saying they want to work for a single company their entire career and the rest wanting to work for no more than two to three companies.       

 More than half (56%) of the U.S. workforce expects little change in the job market over the next year, and over a quarter (28%) anticipate continued deterioration in the employment picture.      

 The survey also found that employees increasingly value leaders who connect with the workforce on an emotional level. When asked what attributes they most wanted in senior leaders, respondents noted a desire for a senior leader who:  

•  Is trustworthy: 79%  
•  Cares about the well being of others: 67%  
•  Encourages the development of talent in the organization: 56%  
•  Is highly visible to employees: 42%  
•  Manages financial performance successfully: 42%  

 The Towers Watson Global Workforce Study 2010 is a survey of more than 20,000 employees in 22 markets around the world.