Just under half of employees would leave their organisation to advance to a job at a higher level.
That's according to Towers Watson's Global Workforce Study, cited by peoplemanagement.co.uk, which found that 40 per cent would seek another firm in order to make a step up in their career.
Furthermore, 26 per cent of those surveyed claimed that 'employees in senior positions choosing not to retire' was one of the factors why their firm did not offer many promotion opportunities.
In addition, more than three quarters of British workers believe their ability to advance their career has either got worse or stayed the same compared to 12 months ago. Only a third believe their organisation is good at promoting the most qualified employees.
As a result, those looking progress as a recruiter, for example, may have to look for another firm in order to fulfill their ambitions.
Yves Duhaldeborde, head of organisational surveys and insights at Towers Watson, commented on the need for employee ambition to menmedia.co.uk: "The post-recession reality is that many people have swapped ambition for stability and are choosing a steady income from their current role over aiming for promotion or looking for a new job entirely.
"We need employers to really inject innovation, creativity and confidence back into their business to ensure that employees feel assured of their career options and can break through the current ambition ceiling we're seeing."
