All About Career Pathing: 4 Benefits of Career Pathing

Career pathing is the sequence of jobs an employee takes within an organization to learn new skills and assume new roles. This form of career advancement can be a series of vertical moves up the corporate ladder from entry-level positions to higher ones reserved for top talent. Career pathing can also consist of lateral moves, ones in which employees move to different departments to try out new development opportunities.

No matter the form, career mapping sets benchmarks for employees and provides them with growth opportunities to move upward in their own careers. Career pathing can increase employee engagement and boost employee retention.

Implementing a career progression strategy offers companies a host of benefits:

1. 1. Succession planning: Strategizing transitions for new CEOs or higher-up positions can take years. Career pathing plans set employees up for success by onboarding them early to replace outgoing executives.
2. 2. Employee engagement: Showing an interest in the learning and development of an employee can improve engagement and boost company morale.
3. 3. Higher retention: High turnover rates can negatively affect companies. Offering employees opportunities for career growth through webinars and training programs contributes to better retention.
4. 4. Mentorship opportunities: Pairing new hires with a mentor in the form of a supervisor or other experienced team members engenders employee development and helps identify the worker’s skill gaps.

There are some actions employees and managers can take to ensure career pathing programs are mutually beneficial. Consider the following best practices:

1. 1. Communicate goals. Employees can discuss their career aspirations with human resources or their supervisor so that leadership can create programs tailored to the worker’s skill sets and goals.
2. 2. Hold performance reviews. These performance management opportunities offer employees regular checkpoints to voice how they have and would like to grow in their current roles.
3. 3. Invest in effective career pathing. Companies should offer workshops and professional training opportunities to encourage growth and allow staff to explore interests.
4. 4. Value your development. Employees can proactively set goals and write down where they’d like to be in a month, year, and five years. They should feel comfortable bringing their goals to management, checking in on their performance, and seeing when they can move forward to the next level.

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