Money and lifestyle issues driving wave of career change for Hungarian workers  

− Career stability may be history, Kelly Global Workforce Index™ finds −

The career-for-life is vanishing, with almost two-thirds of all Hungarian respondents saying they expect to switch careers within the next five years, according to the latest survey results from global workforce solutions leader, Kelly Services®.

The main cause, cited by 35 percent, is the need for higher income, followed by changing personal interests (25 percent), and the need for improved work-life balance (19 percent).  

The findings about career choice and career progression are part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which obtained the views of approximately 97,000 people in 30 countries, including more than 7,300 in Hungary.

“We are seeing a surprisingly large number of people who are actively considering the critical issue of whether they should change their careers and make a fresh start,” said Anikó Jónás, Managing Director of Kelly Services Hungary Ltd.

“For an earlier generation, a change of career would have been something of a crisis, however today, it is seen as a reflection of shifts in demand for different skills and occupations, as well as changing personal interests on the part of employees.”

One sign of the shifting attitude to career interruption is that more than two-thirds (70 percent) of those surveyed believe they could resume their career at the same level after taking a break for such things as maternity or paternity leave, illness or an extended holiday.

Results of the survey in Hungary show: 

• The industry sectors in which employees will face the greatest likelihood of career change are Retail, Hospitality, and Contact Centre/Customer Service.

• In determining the most important elements in a person’s career – experience or formal education – the vast majority (77 percent) nominate experience, while 18 percent cite formal education and 5 percent are undecided.
• Most respondents (57 percent) say that when looking for a job, the best indicator of a person’s talent is their work experience, followed by performance in the job interview (26 percent), job references (9 percent) and education (8 percent).
• More than half of respondents (56 percent) say they aspire to an executive position, while 38 percent do not, and 6 percent are undecided.
• The main reasons for avoiding executive positions are a lack of ambition, cited by 33 percent, followed by concern about pressure and stress (29 percent), the impact on work-life balance (17 percent), and inadequate skills or education (13 percent).
• 94 percent say that it is either “extremely important” or “important” that qualifications and skills be upgraded in order to progress their career.

“As individuals take greater control of their careers, there is a likelihood of employees moving in and out of the workforce for both professional and lifestyle reasons. Employers and employees will both need to adapt to this new workplace reality, where the smooth career pathway will be the exception rather than the rule,” Anikó Jónás concludes.

For more information about these survey results and other key global findings, please visit the Kelly Global Workforce Index.  

The Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. Approximately 97,000 people from the Americas, APAC and EMEA responded to the 2011 survey with results published on a quarterly basis. Kelly Services was the recipient of a MarCom Platinum Award in 2010 and a Gold Award in 2009 for the Kelly Global Workforce Index in the Research/Study category.

About Kelly Services^®  

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:  KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions.  Kelly^® offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire basis.  Serving clients around the globe, Kelly provides employment to more than 530,000 employees annually.  Revenue in 2010 was $5 billion.  Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

Anikó Jónás
Tel: 1/354-2770

E-mail: ajonas@kellyservices.hu