How to Gauge Next Steps for Your Employees

You’ve built a team of bright, driven professionals, and you want to keep them on staff for the long term, but top talent isn’t content to stay in the same position forever. To keep people happy and engaged, you need to find ways for them to grow their career at your company.

This might involve always making an effort to fill positions with internal candidates or creating new roles that cater to employees’ goals for the future. It’s important to weave growth into the fabric of your company culture, so employees know it’s a place they can build their career.

4 Ways to Help Your Employees Move Up the Ladder

Talk to Them

Some managers shy away from talking to employees about their future because they’re only interested in the now. That kind of attitude leads to high levels of turnover, so make career planning a regular conversation at your company. When you know what an employee wants from their career, you can help them gain the skills and experience needed to take the next step.

Employees feel valued when they know their employer is truly invested in them, which increases loyalty. Starting this dialogue early also gives you plenty of time to carve out space for the person to take the next step at your company.

Assess Their Strengths

Certain professionals know exactly where they’re headed, but others require a bit more guidance. Help your employees figure out their next steps by paying close attention to areas they excel in. It’s not always easy to see what’s right in front of you, so sometimes people need a little direction. Never push an employee down a path they don’t want but do open their eyes to possibilities based on their strengths.

Recognize Management Material

There’s a common misconception that career growth always involves management positions, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Some people are management material and others aren’t. Groom those with the right qualities for management roles and help those without them shine as individual contributors.

If you put someone without the right skills in a leadership position, they won’t be effective. This will throw their career off track and can cause you to lose employees who report to them because working for a bad manager can easily ruin a good job.

Let Them Test Drive New Responsibilities

Help employees figure out where they’re headed by allowing them to try new things. For example, assign them to a project they wouldn’t normally be working on or ask them to lead your next team meeting to find out what they enjoy doing and what isn’t a fit. This will gradually build a foundation that helps them decide the logical next steps for their career.

Free up your schedule to dedicate more time to employee development by partnering with ECS. We offer a full suite of services to employers and recruiters, so allow us to assist your company. Get in touch today to create a plan!

 

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