Nearly half (49%) of UK employees want to change their career but don’t know which path to take, with one in five spending time each week considering their career plans.

That’s according to integrated talent solutions provider LHH’s Global Workforce of the Future Report 2024, which also found that 54% feel like external factors such as the economy, company strategy and performance have more control over their career than they do.

The report found that UK employees are also optimistic about upskilling, with over half (58%) feeling that the prospect of a different or new profession or career inspires them to learn skills outside of their day job.

Nearly half (47%) of more than 2,000 UK respondents want to move into management but feel that a lack of leadership development holds them back.

UK workers were the most likely of the 10 countries the research focused on to say that “fear of the unknown” was holding them back from a career change. Fifty-nine per cent of UK workers cited fear of the unknown compared to just 43% in Japan. The global average was 51%.

The research found that UK employees are keen to be developed, with 68% of respondents saying that companies should train, upskill and/or develop existing employees for different roles across the organisation before hiring external candidates.

JC Townend, LHH chief executive said: “Companies are finding it more and more important to invest in their employees. Their best employees will often be among their most ambitious, and ensuring they have development and support for their advancing career goals will be important to retaining them in the company.

“In addition, the rapid change in jobs with new technology, regulations, and expanded responsibilities for workers means existing employees need to be re-skilled to continue to do their jobs well. In order to enable UK workers to thrive, we need to ensure that they have opportunities to progress and develop their careers, throughout their careers.”

Among HR leaders, leadership development is also a big priority. LHH’s International Centre for Executive Options 2024 research found that HR senior leaders in the UK are investing in leaders with 69% stating their organisation has a formal executive development programme in place.

There are still barriers however, with 20% seeing underrepresentation of women and other diverse groups in the executive ranks as a challenge within their organisation’s senior executive ranks. That said, 36% feel like they have the necessary support to overcome the current challenges of leadership.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Adecco Group in collaboration with LHH, surveyed more than 30,000 workers from 23 countries and 25 industries to present a global view of critical workforce trends. There were 2,017 UK respondents.

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