Responses from employees show why many employers are coming up short. Only 41 percent say their company was doing a good job at providing opportunities for them to advance. A large percentage of employers recognize they are not doing enough on that front, since only 58 percent rated themselves well on providing career advancement opportunities.

“Employers may be painting a more bullish picture on career advancement opportunities than their employees perceive,” says Laura Sejen, managing director of Talent and Rewards for Willis Towers Watson, in a press release.

“In many cases, employers’ positive view on these opportunities may be a reflection of an improving economy rather than better career management practices. Given the high percentage of employees who say they need to leave their current employer to advance their career, there is a clear misalignment between employers and employees on this question.”

Interestingly, fewer than half of employees say they would be willing to leave their organization to advance their careers, suggesting that a large percentage of workers cherish other factors about their job besides how it fits into their career track. Job security, for instance, is a top priority; it was the second most-cited reason for taking a job.

The survey also found that only a third of employees are “highly engaged,” a figure that is subsequently explained by the fact that only 45 percent of workers say they have a high level of trust or confidence in their superiors.