Employee advancement opportunities encourage strong job performance and motivate workers to push through difficult tasks; however, small businesses may have a limited number of positions available and smaller budgets for promotions, according to uschamber.com/co.
You can empower your team by taking the following steps to create advancement opportunities.
- Reduce barriers to professional advancement. A survey from CareerAddict.com shows 82% of respondents said they would quit their job because of a “lack of career advancement opportunities.” Examine your company’s barriers to advancement, such as policies requiring a certain length of time in a position before promotion is possible; no internal job posting system; and a lack of employee training and development opportunities.
- Provide new tasks and responsibilities. If employees outgrow their positions and become bored, adding new responsibilities is a form of career advancement. Training employees for new jobs and offering a variety of tasks helps individuals grow professionally, even if their job title stays the same.
- Create a timeline for career advancement. Work with your staff to define goals and create employee development plans. Focus on the types of careers your employee want and ask them what they care about doing most. Create a plan that connects their professional development to their personal interests. Map out paths to their goals, steps needed to get them there and a rough timeline to meet their learning objectives.
- Offer non-linear career advancement opportunities for employees. Some employees may prefer exploring options in other departments or taking on new responsibilities that suit their talents or preferred working style. Offer job shadowing or rotation opportunities; access to job training that is not role-specific; or support through a mentor or coach.
- Implement development and learning initiatives. Knowing how to cope with challenging situations is crucial to professional growth. Boost employee morale and skill sets by providing educational and career growth opportunities, such as relevant workshops, webinars and courses related to your business or industry.
