Have you ever felt stuck in a job? Maybe you’ve landed your dream position but then realised it’s not what it looked like from the outside. The office isn’t as nice as you thought, and you seem to be doing the same tasks over and over again. That feeling of being stuck can be suffocating. You feel like you can’t move right or left; eventually, you’ll move on and find something better.
Career progression is all about being dynamic within the workplace. It’s about having the opportunity and freedom to explore other avenues of your career. However, when there isn’t any of this movement, we often see employees become unengaged and unproductive, tired and bored. If you want to retain your top talent and keep employees motivated, then career progression could be the answer.
Why Career Progression Matters
Let’s talk about why career progression matters. It’s more than just having a training day once a year. Career progression is investing in your organisation and its employees. It’s what can fuel and motivate a team to become highly productive.
Creates Opportunities
By providing or providing a space for learning, you’re instantly allowing people to explore something new within the company. Developing new skill sets can lead to new career paths internally and also open up the door for new roles to be created.
“86% of professionals said that they would change jobs if a new company offered them more opportunities for professional development.”
Increases Productivity And Improves Motivation
For employees, if you’ve ever felt that lul, that lack of productivity and tiredness at your job, the lack of career progression could be the exact reason for it. When you’re constantly challenged within your role, you have that fire lit under you to problem solve and discover new solutions. Being given the opportunity to learn and improve new skills deters you from becoming complacent.
For Employers: How You Can Provide Career Progression Internally
For employers, you have to offer career progression, just like you have to deliver feedback. Even better if career progression can be a theme or value in your workplace; this allows employees to be open and express their interests. You also have to understand that when you invest in employees to support retention, you’re investing in your organisation, so while these may come at a monetary cost, you’re investing in the business’s top talent.
Offer In House Training Days
Dedicated training days can be a great way to generate interest in career progression. Having a few of these planned once or twice every quarter allows employees to plan their schedules ahead and look forward to the learning opportunity.
Allow A Space For Mentor Relationships
We’ve seen the benefits of a mentor and mentee relationship. Creating and allowing for a space through a mentor program is a great way to foster that need for learning. Mentors give space to employees to discuss work and its potential problems openly and transparently, with employers offering solutions where possible.
Offer Time And Resources For Employees To Upskill
Creating an environment that offers both time and resources to upskill automatically enables career progression. Although contributing to upskilling is a career perk, by providing a space that supports employees’ upskilling, you’re signalling to them that it’s ok to move forward, and you’ll help them do so.
For Employees: How You Can Seek Career Progression
For employees, if you’re feeling stagnant and looking into career progression, but your organisation isn’t as forthcoming about it, then you may need to offer a few suggestions. Employers should be receptive and supportive of this when you’re looking to grow within your career and within the organisation. If they’re not, it may be a red flag.
Seek Growth
If the organisation you’re currently working for doesn’t offer career progression, you may need to seek growth. Make what you’re looking for clear and chat with those around you, maybe those who have been with the company longer than you, and discover what’s possible.
Talk To Your Boss, Openly
Once you’ve figured out what you can do to grow internally with the company, then you should schedule a meeting with your boss or supervisor and have an open and honest conversation. Below are a few things to be mindful of and what to prepare.
- Come with suggestions of how you can progress: Can you shadow an employee on an upcoming project? Have you found some online courses that can be completed on company time?
- Have questions ready for your boss: Where do you see my career going within the next one to three years? What are the opportunities for career growth at this organisation?
- Clear career goals: What are your career plans for the next three years? Do you want to stay with the same company or move on?
- Be realistic: Depending on a myriad of factors, the answer could be no. Be prepared with a response to this and a potential plan if this answer isn’t acceptable to you.
Be Accepting Of Feedback
Feedback is critical for improving; however, to progress in your career, you have to accept positive or negative feedback. When receiving, do so with an open mindset. Understand that you’re getting it for a reason, and it’s there to help rather than hinder your progress.
Final Thoughts
Career progression is a two-way street. When employers offer career progression, it’s an investment into its employees and in return, you’ll end up with happy employees. Providing an environment that supports this creates a workplace where employees will feel excited and motivated about their work, offer new suggestions and explore opportunities internally.
If you’re looking for your dream employee or are ready to discover a new career opportunity, contact our friendly team. We help organisations and employees discover their best fit.
