Four in five UK workers have hit a ‘career slump’, survey finds

More than four in five British employees have hit a “career slump” at some point in their working lives, according to a new report looking at job satisfaction in the UK.

A study by Course Library found that 81 per cent of workers have experienced a slump, with 31 per cent putting this down to a lack of career progression.

Meanwhile, 17 per cent felt that a lack of training and development held them back, while 12 per cent were tired of doing repetitive tasks within their roles.

The report also looked at what employees did when they hit these periods, with 41 per cent throwing the towel in and leaving their roles as a result.

In fact, 42 per cent of those surveyed said the best way to overcome problems like boredom, lack of motivation and lack of enthusiasm was to find a new job.

In contrast, just 28 per cent thought it was best to turn to online courses to learn new skills.

“It’s clear from our findings that many employees in the UK are hitting roadblocks in their careers,” said Lee Biggins, co-founder of Course Library.

“Not only is this disheartening for the worker themselves, but it can also present problems for smaller businesses when it comes to talent retention.

“Employees need to feel as if they are moving forward in their careers and this can only be achieved if SMEs are offering the right opportunities and helping members of staff to expand their skill sets, develop and grow alongside the business.”

Course Library’s founder Jazz Gandhum said that many small businesses overlook the opportunities for online development, which avoids workers taking time out of the office.

“Traditionally, many smaller businesses fail to offer regular training and development, with cost and time out of the office being key factors,” he said.

“By enhancing your employees’ skill sets through online courses, SMEs will benefit from lower training costs, a stronger workforce and the likelihood of a higher staff retention rate.”

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