38% Of Workers Say Pandemic Contributed To A Career Setback, Robert Half Survey Finds

Gen Z Professionals Most Likely to Feel Stuck

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May 03, 2021, 08:07 ET

MENLO PARK, Calif., May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

View an infographic of the research highlights.

Research from Robert Half shows how employees' careers and employers' promotion plans have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

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.

About the Research
The online surveys were developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. They include responses from more than 2,800 workers 18 years of age or older (collected from March 26 to April 15, 2021) and more than 2,800 senior managers (collected from November 19 to December 18, 2020) at companies with 20 or more employees in the U.S.

About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half (NYSE symbol: RHI) is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. The company has more than 300 staffing locations worldwide and offers hiring and job search services at roberthalf.com.

SOURCE Robert Half