Two-thirds of US and UK workers believe they need to leave their employer to advance their careers, despite widespread interest in developing and moving internally, according to SHL’s Talent Mobility at Work in 2026 research.
Key takeaways
- Make internal roles visible and connect opportunities to demonstrated skills.
- Look beyond current job titles and formal credentials when assessing potential.
- Review whether managers are helping people progress or holding on to talent.
The research, which surveyed more than 2,000 working adults across the two countries, suggests employers may be overlooking an existing talent pool while investing in external recruitment.
Some 89% of workers said they would take a formal skills assessment to demonstrate what they can do. The appetite to retrain and prove capability sits alongside a perception that opportunities often go elsewhere.
Skills are visible only in part
Although 83% said their manager understands skills they possess beyond their current role, only 42% said those skills are fully understood. Among workers whose skills were underused, one in five said their manager did not know those skills existed.
That gap matters for workforce planning: an organisation cannot readily redeploy capabilities it has not identified. A conversation about current performance may also fail to capture experience, transferable skills or interests that could support a different role.
The biggest missed opportunity for leaders and businesses today is overlooking the talent they have.
External hiring preferences create friction
Some 59% of US workers and 49% of UK workers said their employer favours external hires over internal talent. Across the research, 31% said managers do not want to lose good people.
Formal credentials can also shape access. Some 54% said they had been passed over for a role because they lacked a particular degree or credential, while a further 21% suspected this had happened. Meanwhile, 61% said employers should drop degree requirements for most jobs.
These are workers’ reported experiences and perceptions, rather than an audit of employers’ selection decisions. They nevertheless raise a practical question for talent teams: can employees see a credible route to their next role without leaving?
Reviewing internal advertising, assessment criteria and manager incentives can help employers test whether their processes support mobility. Skills assessments may add evidence, but should be relevant to the role and used consistently alongside other information.
About the research: SHL’s Talent Mobility at Work in 2026 surveyed more than 2,000 working adults in the US and UK. Combined findings should not be read as UK-only results. Read the report.
Photo: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels. Illustrative image.
