Employees are looking for employers who are interested in their career path and are genuinely concerned about their future with the company. If an employee doesn’t believe they are truly valued, they may choose to find an employer who does appreciate them. That’s why it’s so important for companies to focus on professional development.
Employers who want to retain employees and leverage overall team happiness must work with their workforce to develop well-planned trajectories for their time with the company. Below eight members of Council for Young Entrepreneurs discuss some effective strategies for leaders who want to create clear, realistic and meaningful career paths for their teams.
Members of the Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how leaders can support the professional development of employees.
Photos courtesy of individual members.
1. Drive high performance goals and accountability
The best way to motivate my employees to smooth their career paths is to encourage them to set high performance goals and strengthen their sense of responsibility. In addition, our leadership team is always ready to provide them with the tools and guidance they need as they climb the ladder in their professional life. We want our employees to be self-directed and outperform themselves as they continue to grow in our company. So when someone proves that they are not afraid to take risks and keep growing, we promote and reward them so that they can. Finally, regular feedback on successes and failures is crucial so that employees can improve and continue to grow. – John Lie Nielsen, One Park Financial
2. Find alignment with expectations
First, make sure to align with personal and professional growth expectations. What do they like to do; what they don’t like to do; where do they think they can improve; where do we think they can improve; and how do they define success and happiness? From there you develop how this all fits into a three- to five-year plan and you check the progress at least once a quarter. Spend time and money on professional development. We are never cheap when it comes to making our business smarter and stronger. Sure, some people may leave, but what’s more valuable is the genuine perspective we invest in our team. This keeps talented team members happy and hungry, and also attracts potential outside team members to join a place where they can grow. It’s about creating an environment of progress. – Steve Gentile, localize
3. Get your team’s input and develop an action plan
Creating a clear, realistic and meaningful career path not only gives teams direction and purpose, but it also gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility. One way leaders can create a career path that is both achievable and motivating is by asking their team for their input. What do they see as their career goals? What are their ambitions? What skills and experiences do they hope to gain to achieve their goals? Help team members develop an action plan. What steps should they take to achieve their career goals? What skills and experiences can they gain themselves and what do they need outside help for? Encourage your team members to take risks and step out of their comfort zone. Pursuing new opportunities is often the key to achieving one’s career goals. – Kelly Kercher, K3 technology
4. Be Mindful
For each activity, find a way to understand what makes your team happy, excited and engaged. Finding a good career path is more like helping the employee and the company meet their needs. Employee retention isn’t just about making sure employees are happy; it’s all about making sure they’re productive, satisfied and proud of what they’re doing. On the other hand, check that the company really takes good care of them. In this way, the motivation and passion of the employees does not die out prematurely, whatever the position. – Daisy Jing, Banned
5. Listen to what your employees want
The best way to get someone on the right track is to listen to them and understand what they want to do and what they are best at. Far too often, leaders speak more than they listen, which is detrimental to all parties involved. By listening to what they like best and weighing that against what they are best at, you can put your employee in the right place within your company. You invest in your team, so you want to make sure everyone is in the best possible position to keep your momentum going. – Javon Frazier, Maestro Media
6. Take advantage of your regular one-on-one meetings
Use your one-on-one meetings and regular check-ins to identify areas where your reports would like to evolve. It could involve diving deeper into their core skills, experimenting with a new approach, or learning some business acumen for a management or operational role. Then, as you prepare the next quarterly or annual career plan, align business goals and objectives with these aspirations as closely as possible. The right alignment between individual goals and company goals leads to a fruitful collaboration and motivated employees who are eager to invest in achieving greatness. – Mario Peshevi, DevriX
7. Help employees find their strengths
Helping your employees find their strengths is incredibly valuable. They don’t always know what to strive for or what they are good at, but they usually have a good heart and are eager to help. Finding the things in which they are incredibly useful can be returned to them as a force. Building your employee into a powerhouse is not only valuable to you as an employer, but it also helps them understand which skills to focus on and grow. – Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo
8. Provide feedback and learning opportunities
Leaders can create clear, realistic and meaningful career paths for their teams by setting expectations and providing feedback. It is important that employees know what is expected of them and that they receive feedback about their performance. This will help them understand where they are in their career path and what they need to do to improve. In addition, leaders must provide opportunities for employees to learn new skills and advance in their careers. This can be done through training programs, mentoring programs or by offering promotions. By providing these opportunities, leaders can show their employees that they are invested in their career development and that they have a clear path to follow. – Syed Balkan, WPBeginner