Improving talent retention and employee growth facilitation are two of the biggest challenges that organizations face regularly. Whether providing attractive compensation, benefits, and incentives or empowering employees for internal mobility, human resources professionals and team leaders are equally scouring for the right tactics and strategies to invest in any company’s biggest asset: the people.  

The 2023 Workplace Learning Report by LinkedIn reveals that internal mobility increases the likelihood of employees staying in the company by 19%, highlighting the significance of this practice in enhancing employee retention and developing workforce skills. Nevertheless, many companies overlook their employees' internal aspirations, which could result in losing valuable talent. To minimize these risks, companies today are investing in L&D programs to help employees equally hone their current skills and help them get from point A to point B.   

However, the biggest gamble companies can commit is to rely on guesswork and instincts. Every progressive leader knows that L&D programs should be backed by data to avoid biases, human errors, and false assumptions. To develop a company culture that promotes objective and personalized employee growth, leveraging the latest tools and technologies is the next best move.  

One of the key players of this HR tech revolution is Growthspace, the world's first, outcome-driven skills mastery platform. The company was founded on the belief that learning & development is a business-critical function. Their skills mastery platform is designed to launch, manage and measure 1:1 coaching & mentoring, team coaching, cohort-based workshops, training, and internal mentoring programs–enabling customers to drive business KPIs through human-to-human development programs.   

Just recently, the company launched Career Pathway Programs, a 1:1 program that empowers participants to select their next role in the organization and see which skills they need to develop to effectively get to their next role.   "As leaders, we have a responsibility to not only develop our employees' skills but also their careers,” said Dan Terner, Co-Founder and COO of Growthspace. “Career Pathway Programs is a game-changer as it empowers individuals to take ownership of their career trajectory while providing organizations with a powerful tool to increase employee retention and foster internal mobility. Growthspace is committed to helping companies achieve their business goals through the continuous growth and skills mastery of their people.”  

How does Career Pathway Programs Work?

To kickstart, admins will need to create a career pathway program on the program setup flow. Once set up, participants will receive a welcome email with a link to an onboarding form that differs from the regular form. The onboarding form requires participants to provide their professional details, select their desired type of growth, and specify their targeted future role.   

They will also be prompted to self-assess their relevant skills and choose the ones they want to focus on. This program is only available for 1:1 participant-led programs and can be used with either default or custom taxonomy. It can also be used with either default skills-to-roles mapping or custom mapping. By using this program, companies can provide a more personalized approach to career development and help employees identify and achieve their career goals.  

Made for Leaders and Employees

By prioritizing in-demand roles, promoting new positions, and developing new skills, HR leaders can create a strong bench and invest in employee development. On the other hand, L&D/OD leaders can identify and develop necessary skills that align with organizational objectives, monitor program effectiveness, and place employees in the right projects based on their strengths and growth aspirations. Most importantly, Career Pathways also provides participants the opportunity to define their career goals and work towards achieving them, both vertically and laterally, within the organization.  

In conclusion, it is paramount for leaders to recognize the treasure trove of their organizations: every single employee. As the fuel to the company’s success, the growth and development of the labor force shouldn’t be taken lightly. Investing in the latest L&D tools and platforms is a prerequisite to taking businesses to greater heights.