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Maximizing Potential | The Benefits of Employee Career Planning

Liane Cheyne |
June 03, 2021

When thinking about employee development, emphasis is often placed on organizational requirements, and an ability to bridge skills gaps when, and as they arise. But it can be far more beneficial to think about employee development based on career paths and opportunities that employees wish to pursue.

To maximize the potential of your employees, it is important to ensure that the right people are in the right positions. It is important to help your employees identify the type of work they enjoy, their professional interests and strengths, and the types of roles they wish to pursue. By taking this approach, you have a much higher chance of maximizing individual potential, addressing organizational needs, and expanding organizational capacity. Included among the advantages of this approach are employee retention, improved employee performance, and development of a succession pipeline.

  • Retain your top talent

    A key component of maximizing the potential of teams within an organization is the ability to retain top talent and the people who help to differentiate your organization from competitors. Research has shown that more than 90% of those advancing their careers do so by taking up a position at another organization*. Helping employees identify and prepare for career advancement opportunities within your organization, encourages internal progression and the retention of talent. It also helps to maximize your organization’s return on investment (ROI) for recruiting and burden. When employees feel their employer is committed to opening a career path that works for them, they will be less inclined to seek opportunities elsewhere.

  • Enhanced employee performance

    By identifying positions that involve work employees enjoy, they are likely to be more motivated and engaged at a higher level. When placed into positions that are aligned with their interests, employees are apt to feel fulfilled by their work and be positioned to thrive.

  • Succession planning

    Heightened awareness of your employees’ aspirations will enable you to identify suitable candidates for positions that will need to be filled over time. Aligning long-term professional interests with progressive internal advancement opportunities will provide for more targeted and relevant career development assignments that address the needs of employees and the organization alike.

    By encouraging employees to identify their career preferences and desired paths, as an employer you will likely have employees who are more highly engaged, perform better in their roles and want to stay with your organization for the long term. You will also be better equipped to grow your own talent to serve the needs of your organization over time. If you would like to find out more about career planning and career path development, please get in touch. We’d love to talk with you!

    To start a conversation about how we can support your learning and development needs in the virtual environment, please send a message to info@adaptiveleadershipstrategies.com, or call +1-703-723-6509.

    *https://www.launchways.com/make-employee-career-paths/

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