In today’s employment landscape, the needs of companies and the expectations of employees are constantly changing. In this context, taking a structured and well-defined career path can make all the difference. Defining a clear career path could not only improve employee satisfaction and motivation, but could also contribute to the company’s growth and success.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the concept of an effective career path and try to understand why it has become so important for today’s human resources management strategies.
Career path: concept and meaning
The career path is simply the path that an employee can follow within a company. In other words, we could define it as a well-structured plan that takes into account opportunities to grow, develop and progress within one’s career. For a company, having a good career path means taking into account the individual aspirations, skills and experiences of employees in a relevant way, aligning them with the goals and needs of the company.
Why is it so important to have a career path in the company?
1) It creates a transparent and concrete view of growth opportunities within the company.
2) It helps employees understand how they can progress and what is required to achieve their professional goals.
3) it increases employee motivation and commitment, and also reduces the employee turnover rate, as employees are more incentivised to stay in a company that actively supports their professional development.
4) It encourages and supports talent management and succession planning.
5) HR managers can better align recruitment, training and development strategies, ensuring that the company is always prepared for the future.
6) A company that demonstrates commitment to supporting the growth of its employees is more attractive to external talent and can present itself as an employer of choice in its industry.
7) To maximize operational efficiency and business productivity, so as to provide employees with clear paths and full support in their professional development.
The 2 career path models
–The vertical path, where employees progress up the hierarchies within the company, moving from lower-level roles to positions of greater responsibility and authority. For example, a new employee may progress and climb up the hierarchy to become a manager and then an executive. This model is usually associated with an increase in salary, status and decision-making power.
–The horizontal path, on the other hand, focuses on acquiring different skills and experience, rather than on hierarchical advancement. This means that, within the company, one has the opportunity to move to different roles or projects, often in different departments or sectors. An HR professional, for example, might move into a project management or marketing role to increase his or her skills and knowledge.
How do you create a good career path?
1. Evaluation of employees, through an analysis of their current skills, strengths and areas for improvement.
2. Define clear and measurable objectives with KPIs.
3. Providing opportunities for growth and learning (internal training, workshops, mentoring)
4. Valuing employees’ achievements and contributions for healthy, incremental welfare
What to expect in the future?
The outlook for company career paths is constantly evolving. In an increasingly dynamic and flexible working environment, companies are resorting more and more to personalized approaches to career paths, so that employees can devise career paths that suit their individual needs. In this respect, new technological innovations such as artificial intelligence and the use of online learning platforms are increasingly being integrated. These could play a crucial role in the professional development of employees. This could be one of the most interesting future perspectives, as in this way companies through new technological innovations would be able to stay at the forefront of the career path, attracting and retaining talent in the world of work.