As found in our 2025 State of Careers research, a meaningful career with opportunities for development and mobility is the 2nd biggest driver of employee engagement (behind cultural fit). But with traditional career ladders fading and being replaced by lateral opportunities and skill pivots, understanding how to navigate and construct a career has become far more complex.
Younger individuals at the beginning of their career are still trying to understand how they fit within the world of work and what a career might look like for them:
- 27% of Gen Z employees currently supplement their primary income with part-time or gig work,
- More than half of younger employees worry automation will replace their roles in the next two years.
Meanwhile, those in the middle stages of their career, having perhaps found some sense of stability and direction are now seeing the ground shift beneath their feet with the evolution of AI:
- 39% of the core skills needed to succeed in the world of work will change by 2030,
- 1 in 3 Millennials are now interested in expanding their skills over the next two years to meet the demands of a changing world of work.
And then there’s individuals at the latter stage of their career wanting to futureproof themselves and demonstrate their desire to continue challenging themselves:
- By 2030, more than 1 in 4 employees will be over the age of 55,
- 37% of older employees believe they have unused skills that could be applied in more demanding roles.
In order to build an agile and resilient workforce capable of driving long-term success, organisational leaders must recognise the importance of investing in the careers of their people – irrespective of age and experience. Unfortunately, research tells us that many businesses are missing the mark.
Employee desire for growth amidst a lack of investment:
The 2026 Global Talent Barometer found that most employees (62%) actively want to pursue their career goals with their current employer; and yet Right Management research revealed that the vast majority of employees (71%) say they aren’t receiving career development support at work to help grow their careers.
This is further compounded by the fact that just 10% of business leaders we surveyed said they provide access to coaching to support the career paths of their people; all of which has led to almost half (46%) of employees becoming disillusioned and believing their employer has total control over their future career.
The desire from employees to construct a career is there, but they cannot do it alone, and organisations need to step up.
The importance of career support delivered the right way:
All that said, employees aren’t necessarily alone in their acknowledgement of the importance of career support – 91% of L&D professionals agree that continuous learning is more important than ever for career success.
But in a world so irrevocably changed, what does effective support look like?
While good technology is in-demand and the majority of employees (59%) want a blended approach to learning – integrating technology with human-led development; when asked what would enhance the impact of their career support, the resounding winner was “more human touch”.
In order to grow personally and professionally, there’s a clear preference from people to work with other people – not to rely solely on a tech-driven experience. And it’s this desire for human connection that makes coaching such a popular and effective choice for professional development at all stages of an employee’s career.
Five ways in which coaching supports meaningful careers:
Coaching has long been recognised as a key enabler of career mobility and development, providing employees with a psychologically safe space to build confidence and discuss their career ambitions:
- 1 in 3 employees agree coaching programmes would help them overcome feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome
- 57% of employees report coaching as a direct enabler of them progressing and growing in their current role, while 51% say it helped them gain a promotion
And with the working landscape having changed so drastically in recent years, we spoke with more than 100 of our coaching participants to hear exactly how coaching support has helped them in their careers:
- Clarity on career direction & next steps – Participants consistently reported an improved ability to identify long-term career paths; understanding whether they should pursue promotions, lateral moves or explore external opportunities.
- Increased self-awareness into strengths and core values – Many individuals cited insights into their strengths, values and development areas, allowing them to make highly informed career decisions that aligned with their individual wants and needs.
- Enhanced personal brand & visibility – A large percentage of our coachees said their support helped them communicate their impact more clearly and present themselves to senior stakeholders with more confidence – building stronger professional presence.
- Creating structured development plans – Particularly prevalent among those at the early and later stages of their careers, participants mentioned how coaching enabled them to build concrete development plans and take a targeted approach to upskilling.
- Improved confidence and self-belief – A strong theme that came out of our conversations was how coaching consistently helps people build confidence and belief in their own readiness to achieve success in new roles and responsibilities.
These are of course just a handful of ways in which coaching support has and can help people build successful careers that facilitate the fulfilment of their potential.
To find out more about how we can support your organisation in creating and embedding a culture of career mobility and development, get in touch with us today.
