Objectivity in evaluating professional career development

Abstract

Adopting a proactive attitude focused on professional development is essential in the contemporary, volatile environment. Objective and subjective indicators are used when evaluating the development of a professional career. However, the adequateness of the criteria chosen for evaluation is ambiguous due to the limitations of both objective and subjective measures. In this article, on the basis of a review of literature, objective and subjective measures of professional progression were characterized, and the possible distortions of objective evaluation resulting from applying them were identified. The evolution of the career paradigm results in the need to verify professional development in the modern approach, which strongly highlights the subjective prospects of a professional career that reflect an individually planned concept of oneself. Nevertheless, a possible criticism regarding subjective measures is lack of objectivity in career evaluation. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to analyze the relationship between the objective and subjective measures of professional careers. The study was based on an online questionnaire which covered 190 employees employed in large and medium-sized companies in Poland. The study confirmed the positive relationship between the measures, and shows the direction of the relationship, showing that the subjective and objective criteria commensurately indicate career development. Career satisfaction can be successfully used in the assessment of professional development, thus giving reliable results for its advancement.