The data goes on to reveal that whilst individuals are blaming their slow progress on those around them, some have accepted that they have the power to bring about change.
According to the survey, some employees believe that they have been overlooked for promotion or a pay-rise in the last year because their employer doesn’t have the funds available to pay for them to progress.
Others go further, claiming that their boss is not fighting their corner enough. However, 15 per cent of respondents admit that they need to get more experience, and that they do not have the right training or qualifications to advance.
The survey highlights employees’ recognition that they need to do more to get ahead in their careers, with nearly half saying that working overtime on a regular basis, or taking on additional responsibility for no extra money and studying in their spare time for a professional qualification. However, just 3 per cent admit they would claim a colleagues’ work as their own.
However, despite the fact that nearly a third of those surveyed believe that a professional qualification helps an individual’s ability to lead people, teams and projects just 4 per cent of those surveyed are currently studying for a professional qualification and only just about 10 per cent plan to do so “in the near future”.
Narinder Uppal, director of the Awarding Body at CMI said of the findings: “It’s clear that we all recognise the importance of professional qualifications in our career development – but at the same time, it’s disappointing that more people aren’t helping themselves.
It’s too easy to blame others for your own lack of progress, but in a time of tighter budgets and increasing competitiveness in the job market, those people that are prepared to make an effort to improve their skills will be the ones that employers turn to first.”
These findings come in the wake of analysis revealing that the estimated lifetime economic benefit associated with holding professional qualifications amounts to £81,000, a figure which compares favourably to the cost of undertaking a degree-level equivalent qualification in management and leadership.
This survey also shows that each week the UK’s employees are spending an average of five hours watching television, four hours shopping online or using social media, and two hours playing computer games – yet completing a degree equivalent qualification in management and leadership would only amount to three hours a week of study throughout the year.
Philippa Williamson, chief executive at the Serious Fraud Office and CMI Companion added: “Good managers need to be a bit like a sponge. They absorb issues, distil and contextualise them to try and keep external pressure at a distance from staff focused on delivery.
But their skills have to remain current – how a leader dealt with something five years ago may no longer be applicable in today’s working environment, and people who are responsible for the development of others must bear this in mind, first taking responsibility for themselves.
“I like qualifications because they demonstrate personal commitment. Although I work with lots of professionals, very few of them have been adequately prepared for the management and leadership challenges they face.
Don’t assume people always understand the risks they are taking. That, however, isn’t an excuse to let them run wild. It’s a reason to ensure your employees are clued up and qualified to do the jobs you ask of them.”
