When I entered the world of work my father gave me advice to find a secure employer, whilst well-intended the advice was incorrect. What we have seen in the last 30 years is the rapid rise and fall of companies, even large employers no longer guarantee a job for life. Employability is about having the skills and knowledge the workplace needs and employees taking those skills to the highest bidder.
There was a time when workers entered an occupation or profession almost sure that they would be able to pursue the same line of work until they retired. Times have changed; we expect to change jobs, perhaps even change careers, and what we expect from an employer and what we seek as employees have adjusted too.
UK insurer, Admiral, found a significant generational shift in attitudes to work as high proportion of younger workers seek more secure, longer-term tenures than has been the norm in recent years.
Stability and security
It seems that these young workers prioritise finding stability with a single employer who can provide financial security and a sense of community and belonging. Their preference is to stay at a company over a long period to grow and progress their career.
An employer for life, means a place where you can move around within the business to develop and take on many roles within throughout your career. They don’t want to learn and leave, they want to invest in themselves and their workplace.
Admiral think that the swing in attitude back towards longer term employers is being fuelled by a search for stability during economic and political uncertainty, and a cultural shift towards better work-life balance.
Tapping your talent
We know that employees want to be valued and have access to opportunities for progression, growth and development as part of their employment. In the past, working for one employer meant one role for life but what we see now is workers who want to stay with an employer but to have the chance to upskill, move within the business, and experience different roles – internal mobility is a big draw.
10Eighty have been championing this approach for a while. In essence, clear career pathways, robust support, line of sight to internal vacancies and opportunities alongside fair reward are key for top talent. They are more likely to stay with an employer long term where the offer is a supportive workplace, with not just financial security but also a sense of purpose and belonging.
We believe that smart employers should seek to establish a new ‘psychological contract’ which emphasises employability, transferable skills and strategic ‘tours of duty’. I have for some time been a big advocate of Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn. In his book The Alliance he maintains employees should have a founder’s mindset and employers have a responsibility to ensure employees have employability.
Flex and opportunities
Organisations who are able to develop and implement such flexible strategies around career development and transformation will be at an advantage as they compete for top talent in a very competitive labour market. All employees, young and old, welcome growth opportunities that enhance their employability.
Career paths are increasingly personal to the individual, who may work in a range of roles, functions, sectors and careers. The career ladder is no longer the dominant model as increasingly we see lateral moves and tours of duty as desirable in a world where the ‘career’ is a fluid and subjective concept.
This is about the employee centred workplace, jobs are sculpted to suit the needs of employees – a dynamic environment where the organisation designs career paths to engage and motivate their people. Employees are energised when they have clarity around the opportunities open to them and a leader who is concerned to coach and develop them.
