To hang on to your best employees, supporting their career development is essential, a new survey by the American Psychological Association suggests. More than half of those who do not get that support distrust their employers and plan on leaving within the year.
“Employee growth and development is a key element of a psychologically healthy workplace, but it’s often overlooked in employers’ workplace well-being efforts,” said David Ballard, PsyD, MBA, head of APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence.
Automation, artificial intelligence and skills retraining have many Americans worried about the changing nature of work, according to the survey. As a result, 56 percent of those who do not think their employer supports their career development are more likely to distrust them and 53 percent plan on leaving within the next year.
Career development support also leads to more motivated employees. Eighty-eight percent of workers who have their boss’ support say they have the incentive to do their best work, compared to only 48 percent without support. The results are similar when it comes to job satisfaction, (86 percent to 39 percent) and attitude toward the workplace as a good place to work (79 percent to 22 percent).