What Our Polls Reveal: Insights from the CoSec Community
By keeping in touch with our LinkedIn Professional Community, we’ve gathered a significant amount of data from our monthly mini poll results.
Below, we explore six poll responses from the first half of 2025, which delve into this year’s perceived biggest career challenges, top professional goals and how the advent of AI is impacting the workplace.
We will finish off by looking at what the information may signal in terms of the way we work and how these insights can help candidates to invest in themselves, and support employers to shape an environment where their people feel valued, supported and able to grow.
Poll Questions
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Does your organisation embrace AI in its day-to-day work?
42%: Somewhat – experimenting
31%: Yes – actively implementing
23%: Not yet – watching and waiting
4%: No – not on the agenda
Insight:
The results highlight that while full adoption is still developing, most organisations are already exploring or integrating AI in some form, signalling its growing importance in everyday operations.
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How confident do you feel advising the board on AI?
13%: Very confident
69%: Somewhat confident
19%: Not confident
Insight:
The results suggest that while most professionals recognise AI as an important topic, many still feel they are building their knowledge and would benefit from greater clarity, training, or resources to advise boards with confidence.
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What’s your biggest challenge right now?
57%: Career progression
29%: Pay vs workload
14%: Job satisfaction
Insight:
Poll responses indicate that while pay and wellbeing remain important, the opportunity to grow and progress professionally is the most significant priority for many right now.
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What is your top professional goal for 2025?
65%: Looking for a new role
27%: Gaining a new qualification
8%: Achieving a promotion
Insight:
This strong shift towards job movement suggests that professionals are feeling more confident about changing roles now compared with the uncertainty of Covid and the immediate post-Covid period. The results reflect a market where career mobility is increasing and individuals are prioritising opportunities for growth and fresh challenges.
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What’s the most important factor that keeps you motivated at work?
32%: Opportunities for growth
28%: Company culture
22%: Work-life balance
Insight:
The findings suggest that while a positive environment and balance are important, the chance to learn, develop and progress remains the strongest motivator for many professionals.
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What is the most important factor when choosing between job offers?
40%: Salary and benefits
37%: Hybrid working opportunities
24%: Career development
Insight:
When asked about the most important factor when choosing between job offers, 40% of respondents placed salary and benefits at the top of their list. A further 37% highlighted the importance of hybrid working opportunities, showing how flexibility has become almost as influential as pay.
Final Thoughts
Our mini polls highlight a workforce that is ambitious and ready for change. Confidence in advising on AI is still developing, while many organisations remain in the early stages of adoption.
At the same time, career progression stands out as the biggest challenge and the top professional goal for 2025, with many professionals now feeling more confident about moving roles than they did during Covid and the immediate aftermath.
Growth is the recurring theme: opportunities to learn, clear career paths and flexibility are what motivate people most — alongside competitive pay and benefits.