Creating a Career Pathing Program Employees Want to Use

Employees value growth and development in their careers, and career paths are one of the most effective ways to support employee goals and increase retention. However, while 70 percent of employees will leave their jobs if they perceive a lack of development, many companies still don’t know how to design or implement an effective career development program. Instead of struggling, employers can get ahead and start retaining top talent now by creating a career pathing program focused on these four simple things.

Make It Intuitive

Employees won’t use programs that are difficult or frustrating. They want a career pathing option that makes creating and revising their individual career paths easy and intuitive. They also want to be able to compare themselves to their peers and others in their positions with objectivity in order to identify and address areas of weakness. A data-driven, job-competency model combines behind-the-scenes information with an intuitive, user-friendly interface that enables employees to make comparisons, build and revise paths, and gain insight into new options.

See how simple career pathing becomes with an intuitive, data-driven platform.

Make It Flexible

Individuals adjust their goals and priorities on a near constant basis. A career pathing program that lets them change their final destination or shift direction dynamically, in real time, will prove its value and inspire continual use. This flexibility helps them see a career path as a journey, not a set map, and encourages them to revise their paths regularly in order to emphasize what matters to them now.

Make It Supportive

Mentoring improves engagement and retention by about 70 percent, and engaged employees are 22 percent more productive than their unengaged peers. An effective career pathing program must offer extensive training programs and resources for employees to bridge skill gaps and gain the experience necessary to move forward toward their goals. Otherwise, employees will feel discouraged that they won’t be able to meet their goals instead of energized to do so and they’ll jump ship.

Make It Accessible

With the rising use of mobile devices and the continual growth of telecommuting, accessibility is more important than ever. Today’s employees are used to working on a multitude of devices from wherever they are, and they want career pathing and development programs that enable them to do just that. A cloud-based solution that offers cross-platform access will attract the most employee engagement.

Learn more about career pathing best practices and benefits with TalentGuard’s Learning Center. Interested in starting a career pathing software initiative? Request a software demo.