Approximately 97,000 people from 30 countries in the Americas, APAC, and EMEA regions responded to a workplace survey developed by Kelly Services®. The Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI) revealed opinions about work and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. This report highlights responses to questions regarding Career Choice and Career Progression. The questions focused on: - The relative importance of job experience and formal education in career development - The importance of skills development - The likelihood and causes of career change - The impact of career “breaks” - The desire to advance to an executive position - The best indicators of talent among job seekers

1. Drivers of Career Choice
and Career Progression
t h e e v o lv i n g w o r k f o r c e

2. : The Evolving Workforce
contents
3 CAREER CHOICE AND CAREER PROGRESSION INFOGRAPHIC
4 INTRODUCTION
5 IMPACT OF JOB EXPERIENCE AND FORMAL EDUCATION ON CAREERS
7 IMPORTANCE OF UPGRADING QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
8 LIKELIHOOD OF CAREER CHANGE
9 CAUSES OF CAREER CHANGE
11 RESUMING CAREER AFTER A BREAK
12 ADVANCING TO AN EXECUTIVE POSITION
13 REASONS FOR AVOIDING EXECUTIVE ROLES
15 BEST INDICATOR OF TALENT
17 CONCLUSION
21 ABOUT THIS REPORT
2

3. : The Evolving Workforce
t h e e v o lv i n g w o r k f o r c e : D r i v e r s o f C a r e e r C h o i c e a n d C a r e e r P r o g r e s s i o n
BEST INDICATORS OF the career for life is vanishing.
talent
more than half of all employees
expect to switch careers in the next
work experience: 61%
5 years main reasons:
job interview: 23% 27%: need for higher income
references: 9% 24%: better work-life balance
education: 7% 23%: changing personal interests
who wants to
97%
believe qualification and skill
be an executive?
72% do. 20% don’t.
significantly More men
upgrades are overwhelmingly
aim higher than women
80
important when it comes to
%
career progression
78 % 66%
experience vs education reasons for not
wanting the top job
74 26
practical job experience is more important
% % when deciding career success pressure/stress: 25%
believe it have their work-life balance: 25%
will be OK doubts lack of ambition: 17%
more people believe they will be able to other: 9%
Resume their careers after taking a break
for events such as maternal/paternal leave, 18 %
lack of skills/education: 20%
illness, or an extended holiday
3

4. : The Evolving Workforce
introduction
APPROXIMATELY 97,000 PEOPLE FROM 30 COUNTRIES ACROSS THE AMERICAS, APAC,
AND EMEA REGIONS RESPONDED TO A WORKPLACE SURVEY DEVELOPED BY KELLY
SERVICES®. THE KELLY GLOBAL WORKFORCE INDEX (KGWI) REVEALED OPINIONS
ABOUT WORK AND THE WORKPLACE FROM A GENERATIONAL VIEWPOINT.
Survey respondents ranged in age from 18 to 65 and This report highlights responses to questions regarding
comprised the following generational groups: Career Choice and Career Progression. The questions
focused on:
Generation Y (age 18 – 29), Generation X (age 30 – 47),
and the Baby Boomer generation (age 48 – 65). • The relative importance of job experience and formal
education in career development
The global survey was open to everyone, with no • The importance of skills development
restrictions. To that end, respondents were either
• The likelihood and causes of career change
employed within a variety of industries, ranging from
information technology to finance, or were unemployed • The impact of career “breaks”
and searching for future work opportunities. • The desire to advance to an executive position
• The best indicators of talent among job seekers
Each respondent revealed their viewpoints on the
following four topics:
• Talent Mobility
• Social Media/Networking
• Drivers of Career Choice and Career Progression
• Effective Employers/Employer of Choice
4

5. : The Evolving Workforce
IMPACT OF JOB EXPERIENCE AND FORMAL
EDUCATION ON CAREERS
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR CAREER,
WHAT HAS BEEN MOST IMPORTANT—
01
EXPERIENCE
ONLINE JOB BOARD
EXPERIENCE OR FORMAL EDUCATION? 26%
(BY GENERATION) 80%
31%
Baby Boomers
24%
76%
19%
According to the Kelly Global Workforce Index,
when it comes to the most important elements in a 82%
SOCIAL MEDIA SITE
person’s career—experience or formal education— 1%
83%
1% Generation X
the vast majority (80 percent) nominates experience, 1%
while 18 percent cite formal education and 2 percent 1%
are undecided.
WORD-OF-MOUTH
FORMAL EDUCATION
22% all generations
Across all generations, job experience is considered 23%
18% Generation Y
the predominant factor in shaping a person’s career. 22% Generation Y
22%
21%
It is most apparent among older age groups, with Generation X
83 percent of Baby Boomers and 82 percent of Gen PRINT ADVERTISEMENT
16% Baby boomers
X citing it as the most important factor in career 7%
development, higher than Gen Y (76 percent).
4%
15%
8%
All Generations
10%
DIRECT APPROACH FROM EMPLOYER
DON’T KNOW
17%
16%
2%
18%
19%
3%
RECRUITMENT/STAFFING COMPANY
2%
17%
16%
2%
18%
17%
OTHER
10%
8%
10%
13%
5

6. : The Evolving Workforce
IMPACT OF JOB EXPERIENCE AND FORMAL
EDUCATION ON CAREERS
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR CAREER,
WHAT HAS BEEN MOST IMPORTANT—
02
EXPERIENCE
ONLINE JOB BOARD
EXPERIENCE OR FORMAL EDUCATION? 26%
(BY region) 80%
33% Americas
25%
84%
24%
The emphasis on experience as a career decider is 77%
SOCIAL MEDIA SITE
more pronounced in APAC, with 84 percent citing
1%
81%
it as the predominant influence on their careers, 1% EMEA
higher than in both the Americas (81 percent) and 1%
1%
EMEA (77 percent).
WORD-OF-MOUTH
FORMAL EDUCATION
22% all countries
22%
18% APAC
20% APAC
27%
15% EMEA
PRINT ADVERTISEMENT
20% Americas
7%
5%
17%
7% All Countries
7%
DIRECT APPROACH FROM EMPLOYER
DON’T KNOW
17%
14%
2%
20%
15%
1%
RECRUITMENT/STAFFING COMPANY
3%
17%
20%
2%
17%
14%
OTHER
10%
5%
11%
12%
6

7. : The Evolving Workforce
IMPORTANCE OF UPGRADING QUALIFICATIONS
AND SKILLS
IN ORDER TO PROGRESS YOUR CAREER,
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT YOU UPGRADE
03
YES
AMERICAS Baby Boomers
YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND/OR SKILLS?
66%
24%
29%
(BY GENERATION and region)
71%
23%
36%
69%
Well over half of all respondents (61 percent) say it is 24% Generation X
22%
extremely important that their qualifications and skills 56%
24%
be upgraded in order to advance their careers.
APAC
The need to upgrade skills is most important to Gen Generation Y
68%
Y, with 64 percent saying it is extremely important for NO
their career development. By contrast, 60 percent of 73%
75%
Gen X and 55 percent of Baby Boomers describe skills 64%
all generations
76%
upgrading as extremely important. 51% All Generations
Generation Y
74%
Generation X
Across the globe, there is a considerably higher priority
75%
on upgrading skills in APAC and the Americas than EMEA Baby boomers
in EMEA. In APAC, 68 percent say that doing so is 54%
extremely important, compared with 66 percent in the 55%
Americas and 54 percent in EMEA. DON'T KNOW
53%
1%
54%
1%
1%
ALL COUNTRIES
61%
1%
64%
60%
55%
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8. : The Evolving Workforce
LIKELIHOOD OF CAREER CHANGE
DO YOU ANTICIPATE HAVING TO CHANGE
YOUR CAREER OR FIELD OF WORK WITHIN
THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
04
AMERICAS
(BY GENERATION and region)
48%
29%
More than half of all respondents (57 percent) say they 46%
36%
expect to have to change their career or field of work 50%
within the next five years. 22%
46%
Fifty-eight percent of both Gen Y and Gen X believe
they will have to change their careers, which is higher APAC
than Baby Boomers (50 percent). 63%
66%
There are some distinct regional differences, with
more respondents from APAC (63 percent) anticipating 63%
all generations
a career change than in EMEA (59 percent) or the 51%
Generation Y
Americas (48 percent).
Generation X
Within APAC, Gen Y is feeling the greatest pressure, EMEA Baby boomers
with two-thirds anticipating a career change within the 59%
next five years, higher than any group across the survey. 57%
61%
In EMEA, Gen X is the group most impacted, with 61
56%
percent anticipating a career change.
In the Americas, less than half of all respondents are
ALL COUNTRIES
looking to change careers, but the most likely group to
57%
do so is Gen X.
58%
58%
50%
8

9. : The Evolving Workforce
CAUSES OF CAREER CHANGE
WHAT WOULD CAUSE YOU TO CHANGE
YOUR CAREER OR FIELD OF WORK?
(BY GENERATION)
05
FACEBOOK HIGHER INCOME
NEED FOR
33%
27%
The main driver of likely career change is need for 40%
30%
30%
Baby Boomers
higher income (27 percent), followed by better work- 27%
22%
20%
life balance (24 percent), changing personal interests
(23 percent), concern that the industry is in decline TWITTERWORK-LIFE BALANCE
BETTER
(14 percent), other issues (8 percent), and current 24% 3% Generation X
management issues (4 percent). 23% 4%
24% 2%
The need for higher income is most pronounced among 22% 2%
Gen Y, and to a slightly lesser degree, Gen X. For Baby PERSONAL INTERESTS CHANGING Generation Y
Boomers, income is much less of a concern, and ranks LINKEDIN
23%
32%
virtually equally with the state of the industry, changing 26%
23% all generations
personal interests, and improved work-life balance. 22%
36% Generation Y
20%
39% All Generations
Generation X
CONCERN THAT INDUSTRY IS IN DECLINE
BLOGS Baby boomers
14%
10%
11%
12%
14%
9%
20%
9%
OTHER ISSUES
OTHER
8%
23%
6%
21%
7%
22%
13%
27%
CURRENT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
4%
4%
5%
5%
9

10. : The Evolving Workforce
CAUSES OF CAREER CHANGE
WHAT WOULD CAUSE YOU TO CHANGE
YOUR CAREER OR FIELD OF WORK?
(BY REGION)
06
FACEBOOK HIGHER INCOME
NEED FOR
FACEBOOK
33%
27% Americas
Across the globe, the main reasons for considering a 40%
32%
28%
30%
Baby Boomers
career change differ; in the Americas it’s concern about 35%
26%
22%
28%
28%
income, in APAC it’s to improve work-life balance, and
in EMEA it’s changing personal interests. EMEA
TWITTERWORK-LIFE BALANCE
BETTER
TWITTER
24%
3% 3% Generation X
The Americas has a significantly larger share of people 30%
5% 4%
concerned that their industries are in decline. 21%2% 2%
3%
22% 2% APAC
In APAC, concern about income and the need for PERSONAL INTERESTS CHANGING Generation Y
LINKEDIN
LINKEDIN
improved work-life balance account for more than 23%
32%
half of all the issues driving career change. APAC 17%
23%
24% all countries
also has significantly more individuals worried about 28% All countries
36%
30% APAC
organizational management issues than elsewhere 20%
39%
40% All Generations
EMEA
around the globe. CONCERN THAT INDUSTRY IS IN DECLINE
BLOGS
BLOGS Americas
14%
10%
10%
12%
17%
13%
9%
18%
9%
6%
OTHER ISSUES
OTHER
8%
OTHER
23%
6%
21%
7%
22%
23%
9%
27%
23%
CURRENT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
4%
9%
4%
2%
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11. : The Evolving Workforce
RESUMING CAREER AFTER A BREAK
IF YOU HAD A BREAK IN YOUR EMPLOYMENT
(MATERNAL/PATERNAL LEAVE, ILLNESS,
EXTENDED HOLIDAY), DO YOU THINK YOU
07
AMERICAS
YES Baby Boomers
WOULD BE ABLE TO RESUME YOUR CAREER
77%
26%
29%
AT THE SAME LEVEL?
(BY GENERATION AND REGION) 86%
28%
36%
78%
26%
22% Generation X
67%
The prospect of taking time out from a person’s career
22%
can have far-reaching employment consequences.
Approximately three-quarters (74 percent) believe they APAC
would be able to resume their careers at the same 76% Generation Y
level after taking a break for such reasons as maternal/ NO
75%
paternal leave, illness, or an extended holiday. 62%
79%
all generations
63%
Younger workers, notably Gen Y (76 percent) and Gen 72% All Generations
Generation Y
X (74 percent) are most confident about their ability to 62%
Generation X
resume their careers after a break, but only 67 percent
62%
EMEA Baby boomers
of Baby Boomers believe they could do so.
71%
Respondents in the Americas (77 percent) and APAC 72%
(76 percent) are somewhat more confident than those in DON'T KNOW
70%
EMEA (71 percent). 11%
67%
9%
11%
ALL COUNTRIES
74%
16%
76%
74%
67%
11

12. : The Evolving Workforce
ADVANCING TO AN EXECUTIVE POSITION
DO YOU HAVE ASPIRATIONS TO ADVANCE
TO AN EXECUTIVE POSITION?
(BY GENERATION AND REGION)
08
AMERICAS
YES Baby Boomers
71%
26%
29%
Almost three-quarters of respondents (72 percent) say
82%
28%
they aspire to an executive position. 36%
76%
26%
22% Generation X
Gen Y is more ambitious than their older colleagues. 53%
22%
Some 80 percent of Gen Y aspire to an executive role,
significantly higher than Gen X (72 percent) and Baby
APAC
Boomers (54 percent). Generation Y
84%
NO
Globally, respondents in APAC (84 percent) are 90%
62%
significantly more enthusiastic about an executive 82%
all generations
63%
position than those in the Americas (71 percent) and 57% All Generations
Generation Y
EMEA (67 percent). 62%
Generation X
62%
EMEA Baby boomers
67%
72%
DON'T KNOW
66%
11%
54%
9%
11%
ALL COUNTRIES
72%
16%
80%
72%
54%
12

13. : The Evolving Workforce
REASONS FOR AVOIDING EXECUTIVE ROLES
IF YOU DO NOT ASPIRE TO AN EXECUTIVE
ROLE, WHY NOT?
(BY GENERATION)
09
don’t want the pressure/stress
25%
Lifestyle factors are the main reasons people give as to 23%
why they wouldn’t want to take on an executive role. 23%
30%
When asked to rank the reasons, 25 percent of would impact work-life balance
respondents say they don’t want the pressure or stress; 25%
a further 25 percent say it would impact their work-life 22%
balance; 20 percent say they don’t have the skills or 28%
education; 17 percent don’t have the ambition; and 9 24%
percent cite other reasons. inadequate skills/education
20%
The lifestyle factors (pressure/stress and work-life 23% all generations
balance) are more pronounced among Baby Boomers, 21%
Generation Y
where 54 percent cite them for avoiding an executive 17%
role. By contrast they are named by 51 percent of Gen Generation X
don’t have the ambition
X and 45 percent of Gen Y. Baby boomers
17%
21%
The issues of pressure and stress are most acute among
18%
Baby Boomers, while work-life balance is felt most by 13%
Gen X.
other
9%
Concern about inadequate skills or education is most
8%
pronounced among Gen Y, as is the view that they lack
8%
the ambition for an executive role.
12%
no response
2%
2%
2%
3%
13

14. : The Evolving Workforce
REASONS FOR AVOIDING EXECUTIVE ROLES
IF YOU DO NOT ASPIRE TO AN EXECUTIVE
ROLE, WHY NOT?
(BY REGION)
10
don’t want the pressure/stress
25%
Lifestyle issues are the main reasons for shunning 29%
executive roles in both APAC and the Americas, but in 21%
EMEA the main reason is lack of ambition. 34%
would impact work-life balance
In both the Americas and APAC, a total of 64 percent 25%
cite pressure/stress and the impact on work-life 35%
balance as the reasons for avoiding executive 19%
positions. By contrast, in EMEA, just 40 percent cite 30%
these lifestyle factors. inadequate skills/education
20%
A total of 27 percent of EMEA respondents say 17% all countries
they don’t have the ambition for an executive role, 24%
APAC
compared with just 9 percent in APAC and 5 percent 18%
EMEA
in the Americas. don’t have the ambition
Americas
17%
Also in EMEA, almost one-quarter (24 percent) say 9%
they don’t have the education or skills to perform an 27%
executive function—higher than in both the Americas 5%
(18 percent) and APAC (17 percent). other
9%
8%
7%
11%
no response
2%
2%
2%
2%
14

15. : The Evolving Workforce
BEST INDICATOR OF TALENT
IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHEN
LOOKING FOR A JOB, WHAT IS THE
BEST INDICATOR OF YOUR TALENT TO
11
WORK EXPERIENCE
A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER?
61%
29%
(BY GENERATION)
52%
36%
66%
The majority of respondents (61 percent) say 22%
69%
that when looking for a job, the best indicator
of a person’s talent is their work experience,
followed by their performance in a job interview
INTERVIEW
(23 percent), job references (9 percent), and
23%
education (7 percent).
28%
The pattern is generally consistent across 20%
all generations
all generations, but the relevance of work 19%
Generation Y
experience as an indicator of talent is greater
Generation X
with older workers. Younger workers place
REFERENCES Baby boomers
slightly greater emphasis on education.
9%
10%
9%
8%
EDUCATION
7%
10%
5%
4%
15

16. : The Evolving Workforce
BEST INDICATOR OF TALENT
IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHEN LOOKING
FOR A JOB, WHAT IS THE BEST
INDICATOR OF YOUR TALENT TO A
12
WORK EXPERIENCE
PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER?
61%
29%
(BY REGION)
64%
36%
59%
Across all regions, work experience is considered 22%
63%
the best indicator of talent in the eyes of those
seeking work.
INTERVIEW
There is greater emphasis on work experience as
23%
an indicator of talent in APAC (64 percent) and the
21%
Americas (63 percent), than in EMEA (59 percent).
24%
all countries
Respondents in EMEA tend to place slightly greater 22%
APAC
importance on job interviews and references than
EMEA
those in other parts of the world.
REFERENCES AMERICAS
9%
8%
10%
8%
EDUCATION
7%
6%
7%
7%
16

17. : The Evolving Workforce
conclusion
Generation Y
The evolution of the modern workforce into a more do not foresee an executive role, there are a range of
dynamic and flexible entity is being embodied in the factors cited: lack of education or skills, impact on work-
attitudes of Gen Y workers who are uniquely adapting life balance, concerns about pressure and stress, and
to the changing world of work and careers. lack of ambition.
No less than 58 percent of Gen Y plan to switch When it comes to career progression, all generations
careers within the next five years. The reasons are indicate that experience has been more important than
both to boost their income and to align their work with education. However, it is interesting to note that for
changing personal interests. Gen Y, education is both more recent and somewhat
more important.
There is a high degree of confidence in their ability to
change careers or take a break from work and return at Like older generations, they share the view that
a similar level of pay and seniority. experience is the best indicator of talent in a
prospective employee.
When looking to the future, Gen Y is notably ambitious
about moving into executive roles. Some 80 percent Of all the generations, Gen Y places the highest
aspire to senior management positions—a higher rate priority on developing and enhancing skills, with 64
than for both Gen X and Baby Boomers. For those who percent saying it is extremely important for their career
progression.
17

18. : The Evolving Workforce
conclusion
Generation x
As they settle into the mid-term of their careers, Gen
X is experiencing something of an awakening. In line
with their younger counterparts, 58 percent of Gen X
anticipates being required to change their career or
field of work within five years. For Gen X, it’s not just
the need for more income, but also a broader range of
lifestyle issues that will drive this career shift.
They also predominantly hold a belief that they can
change their careers and take a break for maternal/
paternal leave, or even for an extended holiday, and
return to their jobs without significant setback.
Some 72 percent are aiming for executive roles—
slightly less than Gen Y, but greater than Baby
Boomers. For those Gen X members who don’t want an
executive position, the main reason cited is the adverse
impact on work-life balance.
For Gen X, experience has been a more dominating
factor over career progression than education,
and Gen X believes more strongly than Gen Y that
job experience is the best indicator of talent in a
prospective employee.
18

19. : The Evolving Workforce
conclusion
baby boomers
Although they are in the twilight of their careers,
a significant share of Baby Boomers (50 percent)
anticipate having to change careers within the next
five years.
The difference with Baby Boomers is the reasons
given—concerns about income are relatively lower,
lifestyle factors weigh heavily, and there are also
concerns that their industries are in decline.
Far fewer Baby Boomers aspire to executive positions,
and the reasons predominantly relate to how such
roles would impinge on lifestyle.
Baby Boomers overwhelmingly believe that their
experience—rather than education—has shaped
their careers, and they have no doubt that job
experience remains the best guide to talent in
prospective employees.
And even with retirement looming for many Baby
Boomers, more than half say that ongoing skills
development is essential to their careers.
19

20. : The Evolving Workforce
conclusion
DRIVERS OF CAREER CHOICE AND CAREER
PROGRESSION WRAP UP
The latest Kelly Global Workforce Index demonstrates a It’s clear that there are fundamental generational
degree of instability that characterizes many sectors of differences toward issues such as work, career, and
the global workforce. the way individual talent is measured and assessed
by organizations.
Significant numbers of individuals are actively preparing
for the likelihood that they will be forced—by economic The findings underline the degree of volatility that
circumstances or personal life choices—to change their prevails in the global workplace, where structural
entire career focus within a relatively short time frame. shifts in the world economy and changing generational
dynamics are combining to reshape the way that
Such a wholesale career shift represents a dramatic
individuals view their work and careers.
response to changing demographic, cultural, and
structural changes in the global economy.
The forces that are driving these shifts are having the
greatest impact on younger Gen Y and Gen X workers,
and presumably on the emergent Gen Z, which is only
now entering the workforce.
20

21. About the Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work
and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. Approximately 97,000 people from
the Americas, APAC and EMEA responded to the 2011 survey with results published
on a quarterly basis. Kelly Services was the recipient of a MarCom Platinum Award
in 2010 and a Gold Award in 2009 for the Kelly Global Workforce Index in the
Research/Study category.
About Kelly Services®
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions.
Kelly® offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as
world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire basis. Serving
clients around the globe, Kelly provides employment to more than 530,000 employees
annually. Revenue in 2010 was $5 billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with
us on Facebook®, LinkedIn®, and Twitter®.
A Kelly Services Report
All trademarks are property of their respective owners. An Equal Opportunity Employer © 2011 Kelly Services, Inc. W1110
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