Career Development Plan: How to Create a Career Plan

A career development plan is a type of professional development companies use to compare an employee’s current job with their career growth desires. Planning out a career path shows managers’ interest in improving their employees’ short-term and long-term goals, which improves morale, organizational trust, and employee satisfaction.

Career development plans can take various forms. Companies can use surveys, meetings with human resources, periodic check-ins, or annual performance reviews with employees to build career development plans. These career plans analyze the employee’s current role. They offer measurable timelines for growth and advancement to the next level on terms defined by both the employer and employee for the company’s mutual benefit.

Career development plans are highly beneficial to both employees and employers. Consider the following advantages of career development programs:

1. 1. Clear goals: Development plans give workers and supervisors a predictable timeline for stepping stones that lead to new job duties and descriptions.
2. 2. Company growth: An employee’s career growth also forwards company growth. Employees can use new skills and competencies to the company’s benefit.
3. 3. Employee retention: Setting goals with employees supports career advancement and engages employees, boosting retention and lowering turnover rates.

Career development plans may follow different templates depending on how each company uses them. Employers can create their own, or proactive employees can present ones to supervisors. Follow these steps to make a career development plan:

1. 1. Analyze the current position. Employees should write out their current list of duties and see how well they match up to the original job description.
2. 2. Discuss career development goals. With supervisors or human resources management, employees should collaboratively discuss how they wish to build on their job description and gain new skills via seminars, certifications, or at-work experience at higher employment levels.
3. 3. Make a roadmap. Employers and employees should name specific goals the worker would like to achieve over a mutually agreed upon time frame. This action plan should have clear short-term goals.
4. 4. Put check-ins on the calendar. Supervisors and employees should schedule regular check-ins to allow open communication and flexibility as employees get new duties assigned to them. A check-in can ensure follow-through is on pace.
5. 5. Review goals. The employer might offer a new job title or a higher salary if the employee meets the time-bound objectives.

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