New research from the CV Library has found that Scotland’s workers are not as ambitious in their careers as originally predicted, with 49.4% willing to stay at a company for five years or more, without a promotion. The study, which asked 1,200 UK workers about their attitudes towards promotions and job titles, found that employees in Glasgow were the most likely to wait this long (60.6%), followed by Aberdeen (43.8%) and Edinburgh (39.3%). Alongside this, 88% expect to get promoted at random points during their employment, depending on their performance. Other key findings include:

  • One quarter (26.5%) have moved companies in order to secure a promotion elsewhere, rising to 30.3% amongst Glaswegians
  • 3% would be more likely to take a job if had the word ‘manager’ in the title, increasing to 39.3% for those working in Edinburgh
  • 4% believe that job titles are important, jumping to 66.7% amongst people working in Aberdeen

Lee Biggins from CV Library comments: “It’s clear that many workers in the UK are happy to move forward in their employment without a promotion and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Working hard doesn’t always have to result in a change in your job title, but as long as you’re being rewarded for your hard work in other ways, such as pay rises, extra perks or more holiday days, then that’s the most important factor.”

When asked what was most important to them when looking for a job, workers stated that salary was the number one factor (30.1%), followed by daily responsibilities (28.9%), the company they’re working for (25.3%) and the location of the job (14.5%). Less important, but still a factor that they consider was workplace perks (1.2%).

Interestingly, money was most important to those working Glasgow (42.4%) and least so for employees in Edinburgh. In fact, Edinburgh’s workers were most concerned with their daily responsibilities (39.3%), followed closely by the company they’re working for. Those working in Aberdeen also favoured their responsibilities (43.8%).

Biggins continues: “We all have different priorities in the workplace and a promotion isn’t always one of them! Money continues to be a key driver for workers and can often be a deciding factor in whether to move jobs or not. What’s more, the actual job in question is extremely important and you do actually have to like what you’re doing! If you’re looking to move forward in your career, try and note down your priorities – both in terms of financials and your own development.”