Employees think that working longer hours is the best way to gain a promotion despite only being considered important by one in 10 employers – according to the Open University.
A study by the Milton Keynes-based educational institution revealed that eight out of 10 Britons were overworked, with almost a third “very overworked” or “burnt out”.
The research also found that nearly two thirds of workers regularly worked overtime, with one in 10 working at least an extra 40 hours a month – a full working week.
However, while a quarter of employers who took part in the study said they valued staff who met deadlines and targets, just under half cited work-related qualifications gained through additional education as a reason to offer a pay rise or promotion.
What is more, going on work-related training courses and gaining work-related knowledge through free online courses or by reading relevant books and/or articles were considered as key points when offering a pay rise or promotion by 33 per cent and 26 per cent of company chiefs respectively.
Keith Zimmerman, director of Students at The Open University, said: “The survey shows that people in the UK work very hard, but some overlook the more effective means of achieving career goals.”
He added: “We also hear from employers how our students are able to take the knowledge they have learned on their course and apply it directly in the workplace.
“With higher-level skills more important to our national economy than ever, now is the perfect time to think about whether you’ve got the right ones.”
Thirty-seven per cent of workers in the sample believed that meeting deadlines and targets were key factors in career progression.
Interestingly, only 12 per cent thought that working more efficiently was more important.
The study also outlined the top 10 qualities employers looked for in their staff.
Honesty and self-motivation and having the right experience were key skills to have, according to more than a third of employers.
Dependability and intelligent lay at the bottom of the list, with only a quarter of employers citing the importance of the two qualities.
Responding to a question about how they felt about their careers in general, a fifth of workers felt they were “stuck in a rut,” 18 per cent said they were bored and demotivated, while only 15 per cent claimed they were happy in their current role.
Research of 1,000 UK adults and 1,000 employers was commissioned by the Open University in November last year.
Georgina Partridge, founding partner and head of marketing and communications at Plutus Wealth Management, based in London, said: “I think that being efficient, helpful and going above and beyond what it is expected from you is a sure way of securing a promotion.”
“In the advisory industry the requirements are slightly different – you are judged by results. So having the relevant qualification and having demonstrable experience and being able to carry out a service in a professional manner is key.”
