The benefits of employee career pathing are well known. It helps to retain workers and attract top talent, contributes to a more diverse age range within the organization, and perhaps even more important, employee career pathing creates more knowledgeable and engaged employees. (Read more here at SHRM.)

The Evolution of Career Paths

The modern workforce is adapting, and so, too, must our career paths. One idea that’s had some success is career pathing outside of the employee’s organization. It may seem strange, but there have been benefits realized for both employee and company using this method.

For example, a manager at a manufacturing company may take a break from his or her position to go to work for one of the businesses that builds their machines. Learning the ins and outs of mechanics that contribute to the original business they would bring knowledge of the end consumers to the machine company, benefiting them, and then when they return to the original business, they will be bringing information to help them as well.

A person could also work down the line, by taking a job at a business that sells or stocks their product. For example, if your original job produces portable snacks, you could look for a job within a company that stocks snack machines. You could learn a lot of valuable information about the way your product moves and is displayed.

Transparency in Career Planning

There are many options that can be pursued. Some important things to keep in mind, however, is this should not be done in secret. Employees should work with current management teams to plan it out. They are not going to other companies to steal trade secrets but to learn about the best ways to work with them. Treat this as a regular career path.

Management should discuss goals with their employees. What are they looking for in a career? They don’t have to have an exact position to work toward, but there should be an understanding of what kind of job they eventually want to have.

Once that’s understood, examine all the different roles and opportunities within your company to help them move toward achieving that goal. Encourage them to search out training and other learning opportunities that would contribute to their goal. They should not be afraid to look outside the organization.

A good career path will likely include positions in various departments within your company. With the understanding gained from each department, the employee will be more well-rounded as an asset to your organization.

Also, as discussed earlier, don’t be afraid to create a step in their path that takes them outside the organization. They will return more knowledgeable, and loyal, than they were when they left.

How Aspirant Can Help

Aspirant's Organizational Effectiveness experts can help optimize your corporate structure and implement programs that keep your company engaged and actively collaborating. Use the form below to schedule a casual discussion to explore how we can help create a more rewarding work environment for your teams.

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