Fewer Opportunities for Upward Growth as Executives Seek Lateral Moves

Fewer Opportunities for Upward Growth as Executives Seek Lateral Moves

73% of Senior Executives Considering New Career Opportunities, But Not Expecting a Promotion

The BlueSteps 2011 Executive Mobility Report shows that 73% of employed senior executives are actively seeking new job opportunities this year, but the majority expects it to be a lateral move. In marked contrast to the 2009 Executive Mobility Report, where 34% of executives expected to stay at their level for just one year before progressing upwards, 65% of executives are now saying they plan to stay at their current level for the next three to five years.

The global job market for senior executives, while picking up dramatically since the global recession of 2008, varies greatly by region. Executives in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions report having more opportunities than they had 5 years ago (40% and 46% respectively) whilst respondents in the Americas said they have fewer opportunities (45%).

Peter Felix, President of the Association of Executive Search Consultants and BlueSteps.com, commented “Senior executives around the world are eager and ready to make career moves after waiting out the recession and the unstable economy of the last few years. That said, trends in the senior executive job market are making it more difficult to move up the ladder quickly, especially in the West where many executives have put off retirement. Trends in the Emerging Markets are slightly different - with the growth of multi-nationals in these regions, executives have more opportunity than ever, and can therefore progress their careers faster.”

The report shows that 58% of executives around the world believe there is now more competition for executive level jobs compared with 5 years ago, with the competition changing to include younger and out of work executives. A large percent of female respondents (46%) feel they now have fewer opportunities for senior level positions than 5 years ago.