Senior Execs Planning to Move, but not Move Up

May 11, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The BlueSteps 2011 Executive Mobility Report shows that 73% of employed senior executives are actively seeking new job opportunities this year, but the majority expects it to be a lateral move.

According to a press release, in marked contrast to the 2009 Executive Mobility Report, where 53% of executives expected to stay at their level for just one to two years before progressing upwards, 65% of executives are now saying they plan to stay at their current level for the next three to five years. 

The survey found the global job market for senior executives, while picking up dramatically since the global recession of 2008, varies greatly by region. Executives in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and Asia Pacific report having more opportunities than they had five years ago while respondents in the Americas said they now have fewer.   

Poor company values remains the number one reason cited for the decision to leave a current role, with dissatisfaction with senior management ranking second. This response is consistent with 2009 results, but differs from the 2007 report when lack of career advancement opportunities was the number one cause of executive resignations.   

“Senior executives around the world are eager to make career moves after waiting out the unstable economy of the last few years. That said, trends in the senior executive job market are making it more difficult to move up the ladder quickly, especially in the West where many executives have put off retirement. With the growth of multi-nationals in the Emerging Markets, executives in those regions have more opportunity than ever, and can therefore progress their careers faster,” said Peter Felix, President of the Association of Executive Search Consultants and BlueSteps.com, in the press release.

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