As adults, we spend most of our waking lives working. In fact, an average person invests more than 90,000 hours in their lifetime at work. For this, the majority of people are willing to bend over backwards to find a fulfilling job that aligns with their long-term goals—giving them a sense of purpose rather than simply working for a paycheck alone.

Since we all know that employees are the backbone of every company, it is imperative for employers to keep up with the shifting trends not only in attracting top talent but retaining each one by keeping them motivated.

While employees’ needs and desires continue to evolve through the years, one thing will remain: more than competitive pay and benefits, one of the main drivers of continued productivity and motivation in the workplace is attractive career advancement opportunities. Like every competent HR professional, it is your responsibility to guide employees in their professional growth and give them an exciting career path.

If you’re not quite sure how to achieve that, read on as this infographic should help you build a foolproof career development plan for your company.

Steps to Develop a Career Path for Employees

As an HR professional, it is one of your main responsibilities to make employees feel that the company values them by showing how the management is committed in each and every one’s professional development and career advancement.

While nearly 37% of the global labor force reportedly leave their previous employers due to compensation, lack of career development opportunities is also one of the main reasons people quit their jobs. Not investing in the future of your staff can cost the company over 200% of a highly-trained employee’s annual salary. Clearly, it’s about time to look into surefire ways to attract and retain top talent by providing support and development opportunities within the organisation.

1. Provide employees access to job role data

With a clear and fleshed out job role data, you can help employees align their goals with the organisation’s, establish a strong connection, and ensure that they are on the same page as you. When compiling the information, make sure not to leave out vital details like expectations, deliverables, objectives, and additional responsibilities, if any. Also, take time to go through all the main points, and engage in proactively working together on goal-setting—instead of describing positions, try focusing on describing experiences and key skill sets tailored to each employee.

2. Help them discover their skills, strengths, and weaknesses

Letting your employees know their strengths and weaknesses can help them unlock their full potential. Such awareness can not only help them be better at what they do but also help determine the right career path for them.

This knowledge can drive productivity and engagement and also allow you to make well-informed decisions when it comes to assigning tasks, tailoring training workshops and sessions, and expanding team capabilities.

3. Offer a method for comparing employees’ current tactics to future roles

While drawing attention to their weaknesses is necessary for helping employees improve their performance, it is also vital to uncover the strengths that may directly or indirectly relate to future roles that they can potentially take once they have proven themselves worthy of it. This way, you can help them discover the most suited career path for them and develop their careers with your company.

4. Provide access to mentoring, coaching, and learning resources that work for a variety of learning styles

There is a myriad of options to develop employees’ skills; make sure to tailor them according to their learning styles to ensure effectivity. Workshops, seminars, and training sessions are all great options to show your employees how committed you are in further honing their skills and enabling them to move up the corporate ladder within the organisation.

In making your employees feel valued, you will surely see an increase in their overall productivity and performance, while strategically pursuing the company’s main business goals.

5. Offer opportunities to test out newly acquired skills in a team environment

As cliché as it sounds, practice makes perfect. This can also apply to skills training. It won’t be enough to provide mentoring, coaching, and learning resources only. In order to ensure return on investment, it’s best to give employees ample opportunities to use their newly acquired skills in actual situations and real-world problems.

6. Support lateral and vertical moves in each unique career path when employees are ready

While promotion is one way of demonstrating professional growth, it’s necessary to help employees see the value in lateral moves, as well. Skills are not the only basis for a promotion—some employees need to work on moving laterally before being ready to move up the corporate ladder vertically.

By making employees aware of this fact, you can adequately prepare them to take on bigger responsibilities and ensure that they can thrive in their next role in your company.

Career Path to Success

Making your employees see that career path you have laid out for them will ensure their motivation, productivity, and commitment at work. They will strive harder to continue improving their skills and become well-rounded employees.

Jumpstart the process and successfully implement these strategies with Manila Recruitment’s unrivaled turnkey solutions. If you’re looking to bridge the gap between employees and your company, partner with a trusted recruitment firm in the Philippines. We’ll be more than happy to help you develop tailored career paths for your employees.

Ron Cullimore is the Head of Client Services at Manila Recruitment. Connect with Ron Cullimore on LinkedIn.