Bangkok--6 Oct--Kelly Services
Acquiring new skills is less important than promotion for a majority of employees in Thailand, according to the latest results from the Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI).
When given the choice between advancing to a higher level in their organization or acquiring new skills, only 37% of Thai respondents opt for new skills. This is close to the APAC average of 40% yet significantly lower than the 67% average for Europe. Among APAC countries, Australia leads at 70% followed by India (59%), Singapore (51%), Malaysia (43%), China (35%) and Indonesia (30%).
“Climbing the corporate ladder is clearly more important to many than developing the skills that will give them the capability and confidence for the longer term,” said Wanna Assavakarint, Managing Director of Kelly Services Thailand.
The KGWI canvassed responses from approximately 230,000 people across 31 countries. The survey on the topic of Career Development looks at what employees are thinking about their careers and what employers can do to help workers meet their career goals and stay motivated and engaged with work.
Results of the survey also show:
- 50% of Thai employees see career advancement opportunities with their current employers. This is higher than the 40% average for APAC. The best prospect is in Indonesia (60%) whilst Australia is at 27%.
- Surprisingly, 64% of Thai respondents intend to look for new jobs within the next year. This shows that the level of commitment and engagement is low. Employees are ready to explore opportunities elsewhere if they are dissatisfied with the current career prospect.
- 57% in Thailand say they have had a career development discussion with their employer in the past year. This is higher than the 50% APAC average, and 38% global average.
- 67% of those that have had a career development discussion felt it had been helpful in terms of the opportunity to acquire new skills, and 64% in terms of potential/future advancement.
- When preparing for career development/advancement opportunities, outsourced training (47%), employer-provided training (43%), and mentoring (33%) are the most popular resources in Thailand.
The findings highlight that relative to many APAC peers, employees in Thailand take a shorter-term view in focusing more on career advancement as opposed to skills development. “With this in mind, employers can engage employees more effectively with opportunities for advancement and a clear career plan. Focusing on training and professional development alone may not be adequate to motivate or retain the employees in this growing economy where there’s a shortage of talent.” said Wanna Assavakarint.