One Third of Professionals Say Covid Set Back Their Career; Gen Z Hit Hardest

According to new research from global staffing firm Robert Half, 38% of professionals said their career has stalled since the start of the pandemic — and that number jumps to 66% for those ages 18 to 24. In a separate poll, 59% of senior managers revealed that they postponed promoting top performers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 78% of those respondents worry about staff retention as a result.

Click for larger infographic of the research highlights.

How Careers Have Taken a Hit Workers experiencing a stalled career reported feeling stuck when it comes to:

Salary growth: 54%
Career advancement: 47%
Ability to grow their professional network: 47%
Skills development: 44%

And some professionals shared that they’re ready for a career move: Nearly 1 in 3 respondents said they had a shift in perspective due to the pandemic and want to pursue a more meaningful or fulfilling job.

“As the job market continues to rebound, employers need to be concerned about retention,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director at Robert Half. “Younger professionals, especially, want to be challenged and may leave if they’re unsatisfied. Now is the time for managers to invest in upskilling, review performance goals and develop mentoring programs that benefit all employees.”

For additional tips on retaining valued staff, visit the Robert Half blog.

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