What Employers Must Know About Career Pathing

A career path is the series of roles a person plans to have while working for an organisation. But it's more than just a list of tasks; consider it a road map.

The starting point is the employee's existing position, and the endpoint is a short- or long-term objective. The career path is the route the employee must take, including all of the bends, turns, and pit stops along the way.

A career path is as distinct as the employee who follows it. While a basic path depicting how a new employee might move into a management post is practical, it isn't nearly as helpful as a path designed particularly with the employee's background, abilities, expertise, and experience.

 

Career pathing: Vertical and horizontal

Finally, not every professional path will be vertical; not everyone aspires to climb the corporate ladder. While not as prevalent, a horizontal career path outlines the alternatives for individuals who desire to shift to a different department or position without fundamentally altering what they do or the scope of their duties.

A software developer, for example, may be uninterested in a management role. If they prefer to remain a solo contributor, the next stage in their career could include managing more sophisticated and cross-functional software projects.

 

What is the significance of career planning?

In essence, career planning is significant because employee satisfaction is more important than ever. People have consistently demonstrated that they will seriously consider quitting a company if it no longer supports their goals and values, and The Great Resignation is currently in full swing.

Companies would be wise to prevent this turnover as it is incredibly costly. Not only does replacing an employee cost money, but it also entails a time investment and may even be destructive to the team's morale. On the other hand, employees who are engaged and satisfied add to a more productive and lucrative organisation as a whole.

Growth potential has a significant impact on overall satisfaction. According to IBM research, people choose career progression prospects over other variables such as compensation and organisational stability. Defined career paths for employees are a fantastic approach for organisations of all sizes to prevent churn and retain top talent.

Effective career planning benefits everyone. Employees get clarity on the measures they may take to advance their careers and the training and development resources available to help them do so. Employers gain more engaged employees and a better understanding of placing the right people in the right places to encourage growth. It's a win-win situation.

 

How can managers assist their teams in developing better career paths?

Effective career development begins with management. An employee's direct manager is the most knowledgeable about their talents and shortcomings and what it takes to grow their career. Their direct manager is also familiar with the requirements, problems, and opportunities of the department's positions.

To begin, managers can have frank conversations about each team member's career objectives and ask open-ended questions like:

• Where do you anticipate your career going in the next year? How about in five years?

• How do you believe you could make an even greater impact here?

• Do you think any of your talents or abilities are being underutilised?

Once the employee has identified a goal, the manager can collaborate with them to develop a road plan that will take them from their current role to their desired destination. This could contain goals for promotions, skills to learn, and shortcomings to overcome. This gives both parties a better understanding of where they are, where they are going, and how they will get there.

This roadmap should be recorded and preserved so that the employee, supervisor, and HR team can quickly access it. Managers can support employee development by checking in with them frequently on the plan and their progress - at least once a month, with a longer focused talk during performance reviews.

Even after the strategy is in place, there remains room for change. An intelligent leader is constantly on the lookout for future opportunities, both horizontal and vertical, that could benefit their direct reports or the greater organisation. Identifying opportunities for employees to grow and prosper is one of management's primary tasks, demonstrating to your team that you care about their success.

Finally, ensure that job descriptions are detailed and unambiguous at all levels of your organisation. When people understand the job's requirements and duties, you're more likely to draw interest and identify the perfect candidate.

 

Career pathing opens up new avenues for internal recruiting

For various reasons, internal recruiting is among the most effective methods to fill vacancies and grow your team.

• It is less expensive: As existing staff are already acquainted with the company and its operations. As you don't have to teach a new employee from scratch, this dramatically reduces training time and costs.

• It enhances morale: Whether horizontal or vertical, internal recruiting makes employees feel recognised and valued. Employees who feel noticed and valued are more inclined to work more, put in more effort, and deliver higher-quality results, thus enhancing the bottom line. In other words, it improves employee satisfaction.

• It lowers turnover: Employees who feel recognised and see prospects for advancement at a company are more likely to stay, establishing a cycle that continuously develops the team and organisation.

Start with management to identify candidates for promotion. When your company's leadership is analysing team performance, make sure they have a list of vacant roles and their criteria handy.

Having basic career routes mapped out for each role in your organisation will help you identify internal hiring opportunities as they become available. While these basic paths may not apply to every employee, they provide recommendations that help you determine whether a person has the skills to succeed in a specific role.

By proactively approaching employees and offering them intriguing new positions, you not only get to approach them and give them exciting new posts, but you also advance your organisation toward a better standard of itself by ensuring that the right teammates are in the correct positions.

 

Career pathing can benefit you whether you want to fill out your team with internal promotions or increase employee engagement amid the Great Resignation.

This way of charting a course to a particular position or promotion provides clarity to both teams and individual employees, ensuring that everybody is on the same page about where they are - and where they're going.