Playing a role instead of developing potential
Swiss employees often feel they have to play a role at work. Especially in large companies, professionals find it difficult to be themselves on the job. Yet this would be an important prerequisite for the development of personal potential.
As part of an online survey on the topic of "Developing potential in the world of work", the Marketagent market research institute surveyed 500 employed people aged between 18 and 65 from German-speaking Switzerland on behalf of XING in February 2021. The random sample is representative of the working population in German-speaking Switzerland. The most important result: every third person (32 percent) has to play a role in their job. Only one in four (26 percent) can be completely themselves on the job. 34 percent also have the impression that they are not perceived by their employer as an individual, but rather as a mere worker. The demand would be different: 92 percent of men and 96 percent of women find it important to be able to be themselves on the job.
Have a role to play: Especially in large companies
Living out one's own individuality tends to work better in smaller companies. In companies with up to 10 employees, just under 40 percent say they can be themselves at work. At the other end of the scale, in large companies with more than 10,000 employees, just 21 percent feel this way.
Often the framework conditions for individual potential development are lacking
73 percent of respondents say that they can only fully develop their potential if they can be themselves on the job. However, the necessary framework conditions are often not in place: More than one in four (28 percent) say that the current corporate culture or working environment does not allow individual potential to develop, and another quarter (23 percent) find that their own employer only focuses on employees' weaknesses instead of their strengths.
Desire for more dialog with superiors about own potential development
Around one in two (52 percent) regularly talk to their manager about promoting their own talents and potential. 37 percent of respondents would like to have more such discussions. While 35 percent state that their potential and talents are promoted by their employer through training and further education, one in four (24 percent) believe that the development of personal potential is not even wanted by their own manager. XING Switzerland CEO Robert Bertschinger says: "Employees who can be themselves at work and develop their potential are more motivated, more satisfied and ultimately make a greater contribution to the success of a company. Companies that lack the necessary framework conditions are driving with the handbrake on. From both the employer's and the employees' point of view, it pays to establish a culture in which one's own abilities can be brought to bear and no one has to play a role."
One in three has to refrain from expressing their own opinion on the job
Just under a third of respondents (32 percent) say they are not always allowed to express their own opinions in their current job. And 28 percent of employees cannot always be open about their sexual orientation at work. Only around half of respondents (54 percent) say they are allowed to dress and style themselves as they wish at work.
At least there is room for positive emotions in most cases. 85 percent say they can openly show joy and fun on the job. Negative emotions are more sensitive: Only slightly more than half (54 percent) feel they are allowed to express feelings such as sadness or anger at work. And one in three (33 percent) say they must not let on when they are stressed.
Source: XING and New Work SE
