15Five’s 2022 Workplace Report

Disparities Persist in How Companies Invest in Career Growth and Development

For our most recent Workplace Report, we surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults employed full time to understand how people feel about their potential for career advancement within their workplace, their access to professional development resources, and the significant role managers play in employee retention.

Four main issues emerged:

1. There are dramatic generational differences in how employers approach career pathing. Companies are coming up short with resources and career guidance for the highly ‘life experienced’ segment of the workforce.
2. Unsupportive management is a top reason U.S. workers are leaving their jobs. 
3. Retaining employees isn’t just about providing compensation and benefits, but career growth and professional development. 
4. DEI initiatives need to embrace our most senior workers, who are often not considered as valuable as the younger cohorts. 

For older Americans – those 55 years and older – this latest data is both revealing and unsettling. It also offers a window into why so many resigned during the pandemic. Our research shows ageism is prevalent in the workplace, with a lack of managerial support and career guidance for the Gen X  demographic and above. Given the labor shortage and difficulty in finding workers to fill the 11 million open job slots, it’s an ideal time for companies to re-examine how their organization treats Baby Boomers in comparison to other cohorts.

Table of Contents:

I. Generational differences in career pathing
II. Managers are your front-line ambassadors
​​III. Career growth and professional development are essential to employee retention
IV. Ageism and the DEI imperative
V. Strategies for ensuring career and professional development are available to everyone in your organization
VI. A comprehensive approach to leadership development for managers