Why your employees are walking out the door

The lack of career progression in an employee's career is one of the biggest reasons behind why he is highly likely to leave an organisation.

This is according to the "Using Career Progression To Recruit The Best Professionals" whitepaper by Robert Walters, which surveyed over 1,300 professionals and employers in countries across Asia, including Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

Findings revealed the negative impact of the lack of career progression; up to 87% of professionals plan to leave an organisation, and 80% of them have vacated a role because of it.

Additionally, more than half (54%) of respondents said they would leave after a duration of one to two years if they felt there was no more progression available.

More than a third (36%) of respondents, however, said a pay increment would entice them to stay despite the lack of progression.

"The results reveal that a clearly defined career path is a strong advantage in attracting and retaining the industry's best professionals," Mark Ellwood, managing director for Robert Walters SEA, said.

The survey also found a majority (85%) of professionals enquired specifically about career progression during their job interview, while 74% of them considered it a "very important" factor when considering job opportunities.

As career progression can come in many forms, the study reported most hiring managers (32%) would offer an expanded portfolio and work experience.

Other forms of progression included internal mobility, which was offered by 29% of them, while 26% offered education and 13% offered a set pathway to promotion.

"From the moment a potential employee reads a job advertisement through to when they sign their employment contract and subsequently while being employed by the company, they should feel that their future career progression is a priority for your organisation," the report said.