4 Career Pathing Best Practices to Support Employee Growth

Career pathing is an integral aspect of the employee experience. Without it, employees are more likely to look externally for new opportunities when they’re ready to take on more responsibility. 

By implementing career pathing best practices, you can better engage and develop your workforce while supporting existing talent on their unique career paths. This type of support goes a long way, especially if investing in your workforce is a pillar of your employer brand or corporate identity. 

In this article, we’ll explore how you can leverage them to create a culture of continuous learning and development, ultimately driving employee engagement and retention in both the short and long term. 

Career pathing best practices that foster employee development

Career pathing best practices help businesses remove the confusion and provide clarity about what opportunities are available to employees within the company. Here are a few to keep in mind when launching a career pathing program at your company:

1. Leverage technology to create clear career paths 

Using manual tactics to account for skills and competencies can be time-consuming — and by the time you’re done cataloging all of that information, it will probably be out of date. Using AI-powered technology, you can automatically sparse skills, competencies, and interests from employee profiles and quickly take action. This information creates a great foundation for career paths that are unique to each individual. 

Related: 6 Ways To Engage Employees for a More Meaningful EX

Another important element is to develop frameworks that also outline the preferred skills, experiences, and competencies required for different positions throughout the business. Evaluating existing employees and their career paths can be a great place to start and build similar trajectories for others.

After collecting both types of data, an intelligent platform can pair employees with potential next steps based on the needs of the business and their existing expertise. This simultaneously offers a personalized experience that transitions talent from confusion to clarity. 

2. Support career pathing with ongoing development opportunities

Encourage employees to engage in ongoing learning and development by offering training programs, mentorship opportunities, and internal gigs and projects. This not only helps employees build new skills and knowledge but also enables them to explore and make progress toward different career paths within the organization.

Related: Talent Marketplace: The Next Evolution in Internal Mobility and Career Intelligence

Giving employees the opportunity to explore and acquire new skills empowers them to grow while exposing them to different departments they may not have otherwise had access to. This type of hands-on training fosters an agile workforce that’s prepared to pivot in the face of unexpected challenges.

3. Foster a culture of open and continuous feedback

Encourage open and honest communication between managers and employees by fostering a culture of feedback. Regularly check in with employees about their career aspirations, goals, and progress, and provide constructive feedback and guidance to help them achieve their objectives.

These types of check-ins allow managers to build meaningful connections with their employees while understanding where they want to go in their careers. Managers also gain the ability to recommend learning and development opportunities that could support individuals on their career path or simply reinforce the potential for movement within the company. 

Continuous feedback also lends itself well to identifying potential issues early and determining the best course of action before an employee leaves in search of better opportunities. 

Related: Creating a Company Culture Where Employees Learn and Thrive

4. Provide recognition and rewards to highlight individual achievements 

Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate strong performance, and offer incentives such as bonuses, promotions, and increased responsibility for those who show potential for advancement. This not only motivates employees to perform at their best, but also demonstrates the organization's commitment to supporting their career development.

Pairing recognition and increased responsibility with regular check-ins also ensures that the employee has the ongoing support they need to succeed and work toward their next career goal.

Support career pathing with Phenom Talent Marketplace 

Through artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing, Phenom Talent Marketplace leverages intelligent insights that support career pathing best practices. By parsing relevant data and highlighting potential career journeys, employees can visualize their future without looking externally for new opportunities. 

Discover how Phenom Talent Marketplace can support your existing talent management strategies while expanding your offerings and fostering employee engagement along the way.