Survey: Low number of American workers invested in leadership roles
Most American workers are not looking to fill leadership roles, according to a new CareerBuilder survey. Aspirations of workers reveals that only one third (34 percent) of workers aspire to leadership positions, with only 7 percent aiming for senior or C-level management.
Men (40 percent) are more likely than women (29 percent) to desire a leadership role. African Americans (39 percent) and LGBT (44 percent) of workers are more likely to aspire to a leadership role than the national average. Thirty-two percent of workers with disabilities aspire to leadership positions, as well as 35 percent of Hispanics – both near the national average.
The low ranked results of those looking for leadership roles is defended by the majority (52 percent) saying they are simply satisfied in their current roles, and a third (34 percent) don’t want to sacrifice work life balance. Seventeen percent say they do not have the necessary education.
The American worker’s perception of the glass ceiling could be at play here, with one in five workers (20 percent) feeling that his or her organization has a glass ceiling, or an unseen barrier preventing women and minorities from reaching higher job levels, though only 9 percent of non-diverse males think there is a glass ceiling for women and minorities at their organization.
Some companies choose to address the issue directly. Twenty-seven percent of employers have initiatives to support females pursuing leadership roles and 26 percent have initiatives to support minorities. Thirteen percent of employees at these companies think there is a glass ceiling.
