Building and Keeping Strong Teams with Career Pathing

What is career pathing?

Exactly what it sounds like. Career pathing is the process where a supervisor or manager works with their employee to develop a potential trajectory within their organization.

This strategy can help you and your organization by:

  • Addressing skill gaps
  • Increasing employee engagement
  • Organizing and structuring teams
  • Reducing turnover and increasing internal hiring
  • Increasing employee engagement

If you ask new hires the question “Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?” (and you should!) or provide access to learning and development courses, you’re already doing the good work! Read on to learn more about how career pathing supports employees and strengthens organizations.

What does it mean for the employee?

One of the most common questions that everyone expects during their interviews is “Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?” For interviewers, this is a great way of getting to know their potential hires and having an understanding of where they’ll fit in the organization.

“For interviewees, this question gives space for them to really think about their future goals and how your organization fits in with them. After all, an interview is a two-way street. When getting to know your candidates and reviewing potential hires, pay special attention to this question and get a head start on how you can ensure that the both of you get the most out of your potential business relationship.” Says Stephanie Staiano, CSS ProSearch Sales Director.

Once they’re hired and working as part of your team, you the leader have the responsibility to track and support their growth. Be sure to check in every now and then—status and performance reviews are perfect times to review—and ask how you can support their learning and development. Are there any skills or topics they’d like to learn more about? Can you provide sponsorships or development resources so they have these tools at hand? Asking these questions and stepping up to the plate as your team’s advocate and leader shows that you’re not just there to measure KPIs and sign timesheets, but that you’re an active partner in your employees’ goals and career trajectories.

What does it mean for my organization?

Working with your employees to visualize and plan out their career trajectory is not just a great way of showing that you support them, it’s also a crucial part of your responsibility as a leader and manager to encourage and support their growth. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reports that every month, three to 4.5 million employees quit their jobs. Of these turnovers, 94% reported that they would have stayed if their previous employer invested in long-term learning. In an earlier study by Glassdoor, 73% of employees who leave their company do so in order to get ahead in their careers.

So, what does this mean for you and your organization? As a manager and leader, you are in the best position to foster growth and learning for your team. From the age-old interview question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” to providing learning and development opportunities and coaching, you can help your employees achieve their goals while also retaining your talent and strengthening your organization.

Not every career trajectory is a straight line from entry-level to C-suite. Nowadays, employees (and managers) are looking to apply and hone their skills across multiple areas. When career pathing with your team, keep an open mind and consider how their existing and potential skills can fit in different the different parts of your business. This way, your employees feel supported, and you have the best possible team to help your organization grow!

CSS ProSearch is here to support you

Here at CSS ProSearch, we understand the importance of having a solid group of employees, and we work with you to find the perfect candidates for your business needs and goals. Check out our blog for more ideas on how best to build and celebrate your team of winners or reach out and see how we can help you find them.

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