Thanks to all who participated in my latest Weekend Poll. This weekend’s question:

What would happen if you left for greener pastures?

This latest Weekend Poll marks the third consecutive year I’ve posed questions around succession planning for assistants.

Once again, responses suggest that formalised planning for such roles isn’t a priority for employers. Formalised succession plans are in place for only 5% of respondents. The good news is that this is up from 3% last year.

To put this into perspective, though, it’s entirely likely that statistics could be similar for your other non-executive colleagues.

8% of respondents were hired into their current roles as a result of succession planning. It’s unsurprising that this is a higher percentage than those of you who have formalised succession plans; some of this planning is done informally.

Less than a third of your principals know your career plans

Ouch! What happened to employers striving for employee engagement? Wouldn’t this be an appropriate topic of conversation? On the other hand, is this a conversation assistants should initiate? Or could that create some unwanted challenges for you? I’m full of questions today, aren’t I?

In 2018, 32% of respondents were able to report that you and your principals/executives have a shared understanding of your goals and plans. That’s down from 38% in 2017.

Another 25% of you have had such discussions, but haven’t disclosed all your goals or plans to your principal. That’s also up from the previous year. For 41% of you, it was a flat “No“. In fact, a couple of readers commented that their employers aren’t interested in their assistants’ career plans.

38% of respondents (up from 18% in 2017) reported that they have had discussions of their long term career plans with their principals/executives. Another 18% of respondents have discussed their long term career plans with their executives, but have not disclosed all their goals or plans. A whopping 41%, on the other hand, have not had any such discussions at all.

Does this partially reflect assumptions of loyalty?

Could it be that people see assistants as being without aspirations, or simply loyal? 30% of respondents to this 2018 poll reported having been with their organisations for 11 years or longer. That’s down from 43% in 2017; I didn’t pose the question in 2016.

Last year, 14% of respondents had been with your organisations more than two decades, so it’s not unreasonable that some executives wouldn’t necessarily anticipate change. Here in 2018, though, only 10% of respondents had been with their employers for more than 20 years.

One in five assistants is currently exploring other opportunities

29% of respondents plan to stay put for the foreseeable future; these readers are where they want to be. On the other hand, 20% are actively looking and another 14% said that it depends on what other opportunities are available. I know of more than a couple of my Real Careers interviewees who have made career changes in the last couple of years because they were headhunted.

Do you and your employer have things in place for a successor? 

First things first. Less than half this year’s respondents reported that their job descriptions are current. More than half of you anticipated that your employers would need to revise your job descriptions (and enhance compensation levels) in order to recruit for the required skills. More than a third of you anticipate that, should you leave, some elements of your job would be assigned to another position.

Almost half of respondents have developed process/procedural manuals for your roles, but some of those readers’ acknowledge that the information needs updating. Others have this on their radar, but 32% of the 2018 respondents don’t have such documentation in place.

Want to know more? Check out the data below.

THE DATA

How would colleagues cope if you wrote a letter of resignation?

These results reflect the percentage of respondents who selected the indicated responses.

How long have you worked for your current employer?

• less than one year: 12% (2017: 11%; I didn’t pose the question in the 2016 iteration of this poll)
• one – five years: 35% (2017: 23%)
• six – 10 years: 23% (2017: 23%)
• 11 – 15 years: 10% (2017: 20%)
• 16 – 20 years: 11% (2017: 8.5%)
• 21 – 25 years: 5% (2017: 8.5%)
• 26- 30 years: 4% (2017: 3%)
• more than 30 years: 0% (2017: 3%)

Were you hired into your current role as the result of succession planning rather than recruitment that commenced solely with a vacancy?

• Yes: 8% (2017: 6% / 2016: 12%)
• Not applicable; this was a newly created role: 20% (2017: also 20% / 2016: I didn’t include this response as an option)
• No: 71% (2017: 68% / 2016: 76%)
• 1% of respondents selected “Other”, compared to 6% in 2017. Comments included the following.
  • left previous role with my manager to start his own company
  • Moved due to change in manager

Is there any succession planning in place for your role?

• No: 82% ( 2017: 69%; I didn’t pose this question in 2016)
• No, although I have my eye on one or more good candidates: 6% (2017: 11%)
• Yes, we have a formal succession plan in place: 5% (2017: 3%)
• Yes, although it is informal and based on assumptions rather than actual planning: 6% (2017: 11%)
• 1% selected “Other”, compared to 6% in 2017.  One person commented, “One of my jobs is to create succession planning”.

Have you documented processes and procedures, or otherwise created a manual in case someone should be required to step into your role?

• Yes: 24% (2017:  42% / 2016: 38%)
• Yes, but this information needs updating: 25% (this is the first year I included this response as an option)
• I’ve documented workflow/processes for core responsibilities, but nothing further: 14% (2017: 28% / 2016: 19%)
• No: 32% (2017: 28% / 2016: 38%)
• 5% selected “Other”, compared to 3% in 2017 and 5% in 2016. Readers’ 2018 comments were as follows.
  • Minimal
  • In process of creating a procedures manual
  • Working on a department procedure manual
  • Work in progress
  • In process now
  • But it is something I intend to do soon
  • No, but I will be – again, one of my jobs to do

Is your job description current?

• No: 52%  (2017: 32% / 2016: 485)
• Yes: 44% (2017: 68%  / 2016: 43%)
• 4% of respondents selected “Other”, compared to 0% in 2017 and 9% in 2016. Readers’ 2018 comments were as follows.
  • In the process of being updated
  • Work in progress
  • Core aspects (are) correct; some new (aspects) to be added
  • Yes, because it is so general
  • I don’t have a job description

If you left your role, would your organisation need to revise your job description to recruit for the skills required?

• Yes: 63% (2017:  57% / 2016: also 57%)
• No: 34% (2017:  40% / 2016: 38%)
• 3%  of respondents selected “Other”, compared to 3% in 2017. Readers’ 2018 comments were as follows.
  • Possibly – I do more HTML than what I would consider normal to an admin role
  • See above
  • Not sure
  • It is a very unique role which is still evolving, so needs revisiting once settle(d)

If your left and your job description needed revision to reflect actual responsibilities, do you anticipate that would impact recruitment requirements?

• 40% anticipated that elements of the job would be assigned to another position (2017: 29% / 2016: also 29%)
• 20%: Yes; a successor would likely require broader skill sets (2017: 21% / 2016: 19%)
• 18%: No (2017: 24% / 2016: 14%)
• 15%: Yes; a successor would likely require more specialised skill sets (2017: 16% / 2016: 19%)
• 7%: anticipate that a successor would be required to have more formal education (2017: 8% / 2016: 14%)
• 1% of respondents selected “Other”, compared to 2% in 2017 and 5% in 2016. One person commented this year, as follows: “on-the-job training”.

If your job description reflected actual responsibilities, do you anticipate that would impact a successor’s compensation package? 

• 57% of respondents said they anticipated that compensation would likely be enhanced (2017: 61% / 2016: 55%)
• 30% of respondents said “No”; they did not anticipate compensation would be enhanced (2017: 24% / 2016: 25%)
• 13.5% of respondents said they anticipated that compensation would likely be downgraded (2017: 12% /  2016: 15%)
• .5% of respondents selected “Other”, compared to 3% in 2017 and 5% in 2016.  The 2018 comment? “It’s civil service. You are paid for the grade.”

If you were to suddenly vacate you role, would you be comfortable with the state of your office/desk/files?

• 76% of respondents said yes; they’re organised (2017: 74% / 2016: 90%)
• 21% of respondents said no; if they were to suddenly leave, they’d be embarrassed to turn things over as is (2017: 20% /  2016: 10%)
• 3% selected “Other”, compared to 6% in 2017. Readers’ 2018 comments were as follows.
  • It could be better, but then I inherited a much worse desk.
  • Somewhere in between
  • 50/50
  • Yes, but thanks only to a PC failure this week!

Have you and your principal/executive had discussion about your long term career plans?

• 25%: Yes, but I haven’t disclosed all my goals/plan (2017: 18% / 2016: 24%)
• 32%: Yes, and we have a shared understanding of my goals/plans (2017: 38% / 2016: 18.5%)
• 41%: No (2017: 41% / 2016: 48%)
• 2% of respondents selected “Other”, compared to 3% in 2017 and 9.5% in 2016. Readers’ 2018 comments were as follows.
  • My manager left the company.
  • No interest from employer(‘s) side
  • They are not interested.

How long do you anticipate remaining in your current position?

• 29% for the foreseeable future; I’m where I want to be (2017: 27% / 2016: 22%)
• 14%: it all depends on what other opportunities are available (2017: 21% / 2016: 48%)
• 20%: currently exploring other opportunities (2017: 16% / 2016: I didn’t present this option)
• 13%: one to five years (2017: 14% / 2016: I didn’t present this option)
• 13%: for the foreseeable future; I need the security (2017: 9% / 2016: 8.5%)
• 7%: less than a year (2017: 0% / 2016: I didn’t present this option)
• 2%: six to 10 years (2017: 5% / 2016: I didn’t present this option)
• 1%: 11 – 15 years (2017: 0% / 2016: I didn’t present this option)
• 0%: 16 – 20 years (2017: 2% / 2016: I didn’t present this option)
• 1% selected “Other”, compared to 4% in 2017 and 8.5% in 2017. One reader commented this year, “I don’t know”.

Do you think your employer would be surprised to learn how long you’re anticipating staying in your current position? This was a new question in 2018, so the following results will represent the benchmark for this data.

• No: 73%, including one reader who commented, “We have discussed and shared plans.”
• Yes: 27.5%