One of the most common questions that pop up in a job interview is probably “Where do you see yourself in 5 years (career-wise)?”. As cliché as it has become, the question reveals some important things about the candidate: whether they will commit to the company for a long time, and whether their goals align. However, in this new era, it is just as crucial for hiring managers to reverse the question and ask themselves: If they can close the deal with this candidate, where do they see this person in 5 years? In other words, do they have well thought out employee career paths for their new recruit?
A study published in Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews found that career path is one of the three key determinants of employee performance improvement. When an organization has established its employee career paths, it will allow them to:
- Find and retain the best workers
- Motivate team members and keep them on track towards development goals
- Improve their employer branding and attract top talents
Related post: Everything you need to know about employee offboarding
So, what makes a good employee career path?
In a study by Randstad, 73% of employers said nurturing employee development is important, but only 49% of employees said their leadership is implementing it. It seems leaders do understand the importance of creating a career path, but they’re not investing enough time and effort into it.
First of all, an employee career path is different from a “career ladder” in that it’s not always linear. Employees don’t simply progress from a junior to a senior/manager position in the same function line. They could relocate to different departments within the company, or innovate and transform their department altogether – which should be encouraged. Each job family could have multiple career paths.
A good leader must be able to identify their team members’ strengths and weaknesses. From that, employees are guided in the right direction where they can thrive and contribute the most to the company, even if it means they switch to another department.
Promising a promotion or salary raise every 6 or 12 months won’t be enough for your employee development. It doesn’t mean anything if the title is superficial, the raise is minuscule, or if the individual is not living up to their full potential. Instead, define quantifiable KPIs with a fair timeline, and check in with team members on a regular basis. Review their performance at least annually and recognize their efforts.
Of course, you cannot promote everyone. However, you need to find ways to let employees know you appreciate them. We’re not talking about pizza parties or bubble tea time – they’re cute, but insignificant. Pay their OT fully and fairly. Offer a good health insurance scheme. Don’t be a mean boss when they need some time off. And when they perform excellently, give them a promotion that actually matters.
>> Read more: Manage your employees effectively with 8 valuable tips
Emerge stronger, together
Competition is essential to growth, but internal competition can be a double-edged sword. Younger employees won’t be able to advance their career if they’re faced with hostility or harsh rivalry from their seniors/supervisors.
According to Forbes Human Resources Council, a culture that promotes mentorship will bring long-term benefits to the organization and “create a substantial promise to a cohort of future potential leaders.“ The company can only succeed if each individual is thriving. Initiate in-house training programs and offer rewards to both mentors and mentees. It should be established that each employee’s career development is not an obstacle to another, but they complement each other.
Everyone moves forward, together. In this new era, building an employee career path has to be an integral part of the HR strategy. It doesn’t mean the company’s doing their employees a favor, instead, it is a core component of strategic workforce planning that will sustain company growth. Otherwise, employers will soon lose their best talents to competitors.
The JobHopin team