The results of a survey using large-scale data to visualize the state of career self-direction and organizational support for employee growth as human capital management challenges have been released. The survey points to high levels of psychological safety in the workplace, while the ability to envision a future career and take proactive action remains low.
A large-scale AI analysis of career development assessment data provided by 一般社団法人プロティアン・キャリア協会 and 4designs株式会社, based on 19,154 valid responses, has revealed the state of career self-direction and organizational environments in Japanese companies. The survey analyzed both career self-direction and the organizational environment supporting growth, highlighting the challenges organizations face in fostering career goals and proactive action.
1) The findings point to a distinctly Japanese pattern of career stagnation, in which high satisfaction with workplace relationships does not readily translate into proactive challenges. Although satisfaction with workplace relationships is high, career goals for the future are low, and differences were observed in scores for proactive action. While workplaces are becoming more comfortable, the findings indicate that employees are not doing enough to develop concrete plans for the future.
2) Engagement with current work is high, but the ability to envision the future is failing to improve. Engagement was high at 76.4 pts, while career goals stood at 60.7 pts, leaving a substantial gap. The analysis confirmed a tendency for many employees to be satisfied with their organizational environment without that satisfaction leading to proactive action.
3) Although self-understanding deepens with age, career goals are low across all generations, making the ability to envision the future a shared challenge. Self-direction increases with age, while satisfaction with the organizational environment tends to be higher among younger employees and decline gradually with age.
The findings suggest that companies need to create environments where employees feel secure discussing the future while also supporting them in forming concrete career goals. Further investment could foster employee self-direction in an era of change, not only by developing individual capabilities but also by strengthening organizational functions that support growth.