What Is Career Pathing and Why Does It Matter?

Career pathing is a valuable tool for businesses.

Career paths are distinct from the more-familiar career ladders, which map progressions from the lowest to the highest rung in a specific occupation.

Career pathing, on the other hand, is a more modern version of the same idea, in that it considers more career variations. These include, as Gartner explains, “vertical career ladders, dual career ladders, horizontal career lattices, career progression outside the organization and encore careers.”

The move to career pathing instead of career ladders has been dictated by the changing workforce culture. No longer are employees staying at the same organization throughout their careers, nor are they even continuing in the same field. 

“Workers value job enrichment, flexibility, and career development more than job security and stability,” said SHRM.

Organizations’ career paths give employees a sense of advancement at the company, while employees’ career paths decide if and how they can move up in their current workplaces. 

 

☑️ Career Pathing Benefits for Businesses

 

Why, then, is career pathing necessary for organizations? 

One of its most significant benefits is that it boosts employee engagement. Career pathing affords them a clear progression through advancing roles at the company, making them feel like the organization cares about them and their professional development.

SHRM also suggests that career pathing has a direct impact on motivation and productivity in that employees can pinpoint their next career opportunities. 

“For many employees, if their future at your company isn’t clear to them, they may feel anxious about their career. Having well-defined roles with clear requirements helps direct their professional development. They’ll know what skills to develop and the rewards for developing them,” said Mark Herschberg, who wrote The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You.

What’s more, workers are more likely to take jobs in fields that offer them more skill development and advancement opportunities, as well as flexibility. So, career pathing can encourage these workers to pursue new jobs at companies that would support them in their professional goals. Career pathing signals your organization’s willingness to do this. 

Also, if you help your employees envision long-term careers at your organization, then they’ll be that much more likely to picture themselves staying there over time. This, in turn, cuts back on your retention and hiring costs.

 

☑️ Career Pathing Benefits for Employees

 

Employees can and should also participate in career pathing for themselves, as well. In order to develop your career path through an organization, you should understand the goals you have for yourself and your career. How do you see yourself advancing at your company? 

Thinking about your career path also ensures that you’ll consider your short- and long-term options rather than getting bogged down in your day-to-day responsibilities. If there’s a dream job you’ve identified at your company, are you on the road to landing it someday or not? 

“While it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of your current role, it’s important to keep in mind your larger career aspirations, too. This can motivate you to do your best work, take on different challenges, and learn new skills,” said Lyssa Test.

At the same time, if you understand internal opportunities, you can better prepare yourself to win those positions. For instance, if you wonder if you would need certain training to win a more senior role at the company, you can tell your supervisor, who can direct you toward professional development opportunities.  

“[Career pathing] also serves as a catalyst for employee participation in learning and development programs that fulfill the current and future needs of the organization,” SHRM explains. 

Make sure you are actually career pathing, however, not just constructing a traditional career ladder for yourself. SHRM suggests some alternatives to career planning that you may want to consider: 

• Job redesign – employees stay in their same roles – they aren’t promoted – but have more opportunities to develop skills and take on unfamiliar tasks. “Job redesign can provide increased challenges and opportunities for employees to get more out of their jobs while staying on the same rung of their ladders,” said SHRM.
• Job rotation – you could consider a job rotation program or ask for one for yourself if you’re interested in exploring different roles at your organization. 
• Dual career ladders – employees discover multiple pathways to advancement. “This type of program has typically served as a way to advance employees who may have particular technical skills or education but who are not interested or suited to management,” SHRM advises. 
• Accelerated or “dialed down” career paths. An accelerated career path is one in which an employee wants to advance their career or successes quickly by taking on high-intensity projects, some of which may require long hours or travel. 

A dialed-down career path is one on which an employee wants to work less or less intensely, perhaps to create a better work-life balance. “…the workload dimension should be indexed to compensation.

 

Thus, if an employee has dialed down to 80 percent of the normal work time, the compensation should be lowered to 80 percent,” explained SHRM. 

 

☑️ Career Pathing Matters to Organizations and Employees

 

Organizations that do not implement career pathing run the risk of de-motivating employees who won’t understand internal advancement possibilities. At the same time, your company may not appeal to external job candidates who want to build their skills and advance through a single organization. 

Employees also should have a career path for themselves.

Not only will this type of planning help you understand and predict steps of advancement at your company, but it will also help you prepare for your short- and long-term career. You’ll also be able to undertake the training and education you need to advance. 

 

Unsure how to plan for your long-term career? Connect with one of Ivy Exec’s Executive Coaches to devise a clearer path for your future.