Jobs and the Future of Work

Why managers are missing an important opportunity

James Kosur
C-Suite editor, Business Insider

Employees want feedback about their career paths, but their managers aren’t giving it to them.

A new study from Robert Half Finance & Accounting finds that 40% of managers never discuss an employee’s career path, even when a review has been requested.

The survey finds a lack of constructive communication between managers and employees, despite 37% of workers saying they would like to discuss their career paths at least quarterly.

Another 45% of employees want to review their performance annually to ensure they are moving in the right direction to secure promotions with the company.

The survey asked, “How often would you like your manager to discuss your career path with you?” and “How often does your manager discuss your career path with you?”

151028-career management employees BI

“Supervisors who are not discussing career progression with their staff are missing an opportunity to engage and retain their team,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half.

“Employees who don’t know when they’ll earn a promotion or raise, or understand how they fit into a company’s long-term strategy aren’t likely to stick around long,” he added.

This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum. 

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Author: James Kosur is the C-suite editor at Business Insider.

Image: Man answers questions during a simulated job interview. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir.

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