London Business School sees signs
of unprecedented mobility
Women
are more likely than men to opt for a total career change – and a
majority now expect to have to do this at least four times during
their working lives.
They
are also willing to move continents in order to move up the career
ladder – at least once.
For
the first time, London Business School’s annual Women in
Business Conference asked women how often they expected to switch
careers. A startling 59% of almost 2,000 respondents said they would
have four or more careers, with two-fifths of those expecting to
shift at least seven times.
Experts
in organisational behaviour and executive education at London
Business School suggest a range of reasons. These include later
retirement – affecting men and women equally - to a gender
difference in how people view work. There are also dwindling benefits
for loyalty to one company.
London
Business School’s Director of Learning Solutions, Adam Kingl said:
“As employers find it harder to offer a proposition that adds
value, due to the dwindling power of pensions and the lack of a clear
promotion or development plan in many cases, the high number of
employers in a lifetime is set only to increase.
“We
are looking at a future where top talent fully expects the number of
employers they will have to enter double figures. Is this a wake-up
call to reimagine the employer's value proposition? Have we crossed a
meridian? There is scant evidence to suggest otherwise.”
Nigel
Nicholson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business
School, said: “Men change rapidly and then settle down to career
stability; women are more liable to keep moving throughout their
careers.
“Different
attitudes to careers accompany this pattern. Men are goal-seeking,
women are value-driven. Hence men find, invent and sometimes move
targets, to ensure they are always thrusting forward towards an end
purpose. Women are more apt to consider at any point, how does this
fit with who I am and how I feel? Hence they are more liable to
switch.”
Employers
have become more flexible about career breaks – for men and for
women – yet the survey suggests that there is a high degree of
nervousness about the impact that these can have. Of the women who
responded to the survey – ranging from business executives to MBA
students at the start of their working lives – 70% admitted they
would feel anxious about taking a career break.
They
are confident, though, about crossing continents: 72% said they would
relocate for a year or more to improve their promotion prospects. Of
those willing to travel, 40% would aim for Europe, 28% for North
America and for 14%, Asia is the goal.
