If the answer is yes then you probably are one the UK’s most fulfilled IT workers
- IT workers who are very professionally fulfilled are most likely to be well-educated men
- Confidence, positivity, and determination are all characteristics shared by the UK’s most fulfilled IT workers
- £39,040 is the average salary of a very fulfilled IT worker in the UK
- Take the test to measure your degree of fulfilment
Almost one fifth of IT workers (18%) in the UK describe themselves as very fulfilled, but what does a very fulfilled IT worker look like?
As part of their research into Fulfilment@Work, Randstad analysed the characteristics and views of over 2,000 UK workers to better understand professional fulfilment and profile the UK’s most fulfilled staff.
The technology sector findings show that it is ambitious, well educated men who are getting the most from work. UK IT workers who describe themselves as very fulfilled in their professional lives are most likely to be confident and have a positive personality. They are also likely to have a strong sense of determination and the conviction to continue with something until it turns into a success.
Mike Beresford, managing director of Randstad Technologies, said: “As the digital world continues to expand, making the IT sector one of the UK’s most thriving industries, it’s easy to see why IT workers have come out strong in terms of fulfilment. It’s a growing industry and attracts determined, go-getters that strive to be pioneers. Clearly, not all IT workers in the UK can be well-educated, ambitious men. But you don’t have to fit the typical profile of a very fulfilled IT worker in order to reach your full potential and feel more fulfilled in your career.
“Our research has shown that the majority of UK professionals who describe themselves as fulfilled feel the key to achieving it is firmly in their own hands. It’s up to us to determine how engaged we are in our day-to-day work. Naturally, employers play their part, but adaptability in employees is key as is the ability to remain positive in challenging situations. Passion is an essential ingredient to a successful career and the desire to proactively make changes to boost our fulfilment.”
The findings also showed how the profile of the average IT worker in the UK compares to their most fulfilled peers. A typical member of the UK IT sector is likely to be male, earn £39,000 per year. They are also confident, optimistic and believe that the individual holds the key to achieving potential.
How Fulfilled at work are you?
Randstad has launched an interactive quiz to allow people find out how fulfilled they are in their work and see how they compare to the UK average.
Each person completing the quiz will be asked a series of questions to reveal where they sit on the fulfilment scale. To find out how fulfilled you are and what that means for your career now and in the future, visit the Randstad website to take the quiz.
Fulfilment by industry
The research also explored levels of fulfilment by industry sector and found that the industry with the highest proportion of very fulfilled workers is construction, property and engineering. Over a third (34%) of those working in the sector say they are very fulfilled in their jobs, more than twice the UK average of 16%.
Those working in Telecoms (7%) were less fulfilled than their IT peers (18%). See table 1 below.
Mike Beresford said: “We know Tech staff receive some of the highest salaries compared to other sectors in the UK, but the results also show the importance of ambition and determination when it comes to professional fulfilment. Many of those who work in the Tech sector are self-starters with a strong sense of personal responsibility, who can adapt quickly to suit the changing demands of a tech career.
“To stay at the top of their game, IT professionals need to keep abreast of the ever-changing array of computer systems, platforms and languages to make their skills as transferable as possible to keep up with the changing environment. The IT sector opens many doors and provides intellectual challenges which result in a high proportion of very fulfilled staff within the industry.”
Table 1. Industries with the highest proportion of very fulfilled workers
Randstad recently launched the How I Became platform, inspired by the real stories of real people who are fulfilled at work. The platform contains films from people who work in a range of business sectors, from education to finance providing key pieces of advice designed to help future candidates on their path to professional fulfilment.