Whenever I discuss career goals with young adults, I emphasize that life is a journey, not a race.  They frequently respond that things change and are done differently than I did when I was beginning my career.  While this isn’t the point I was trying to make, I agree with them… thing are different!

Change in the workplace is truly inevitable.  When my father was a young man, fresh out of the service with no college degree, he went to work for a local manufacturing company.  No one gave dad a road map on how to advance his career and he felt it was inappropriate to ask for this information.  He simply went to work every day, and decisions were made for him about his advancement and ultimately his career.  Forty years later, he retired from that same company.

The story of my dad’s career Pewas the norm.  However, over time things have shifted and today, knowledge and awareness of an individual’s career evolution are priorities for many. In addition, advancements in technology, lifestyles, academic expectations and general influences have changed people and how they work, changing expectations along the way.  Organizations have been required to adjust procedures, institute new benefits and create new employee-focused programs in order to recruit and retain top talent.

As HR professionals, we are tasked with tracking these developments and implementing programs that incorporate marketplace trends and tools to drive engagement, creativity and provide direction for employees.

Brian Fetherstonhaugh of Ogilvy One, wrote a blog entry describing a plan for each stage of one’s work-life.  He shared that Millennials embrace their careers like a sprint rather than a 40-year marathon.   They grew up with highly scheduled and regulated lives, and now look for that same transparency and direction from their employers when it comes to their job advancement. This is a new phenomenon in the workplace.  My dad never thought to ask for guidance or tools on how to advance his career.

Employees as well as prospective candidates want to know how they will be able to direct and advance their careers.  They want to know what skills are needed in order to advance and what their career paths look like within an organization.   These requests have many companies spending time and resources creating “road maps” that creates a transparent framework in which organizations can help develop skills and promote employees.

Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time helping organizations create detailed career paths within job families.  It’s a time-intensive, detail-oriented exercise for everyone involved, but one that rewards both employers and employees alike. When trying to determine if your organization can benefit from the formation of career paths, consider the following questions:

  • Do different levels of skills and performances exist within a job family (i.e., beginner, intermediate and/or advanced)?
  • Is there consistency in how employees are advanced within a job family?
  • Do managers find themselves in career discussions with employees and lack concrete knowledge or resources on how to advise them of their development?
  • Have you missed out on hiring new talent because candidates weren’t able to see their future at your company?

Once you determine that it’s in the best interest of your company to incorporate career paths for a job family, there are various components that need to be identified and examined.

  • Competencies – Competencies are those priority attributes that set a position apart and support the organizations mission, vision and core values. These general overarching themes help establish the strategic strength in a position and/or an organization.   These principal themes are continuously represented throughout a career path and supported by employee’s skills, knowledge and abilities.
  • Skills, Abilities, Knowledge and Behaviors – These progressing performance information attributes provide concrete measurement for career development and advancement.
  • Key Task Expectations – Identifying specific task provides day-to-day examples of how an employee is expected to demonstrate required skills. Training, Certifications, Education and Experience Requirements – As employees advance and increase their responsibility and knowledge, so will the requirements for training, education and experience progress.

Yes, going through these steps to create a career path for one, two or ten employee groups requires time and commitment, but the benefit can’t be overstated.  Creating career paths provides employees with the clear direction they desire to become active participants in the progress of their careers, candidates a reason to join your organization and managers the tools they need to coach and develop their staff.

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell estimated that it takes about 10,000 hours of intense effort and practice to become excellent at something. Today’s work force, like my father, knows that being successful takes intense and sustained hard work, and most are willing to invest 10,000 hours.  However, they simply want to know where they’re going, while they’re working so hard!  Clearly defined career paths show them the way forward.