Career development does not mean promotion. People are advancing in their careers in multiple ways and nowadays the millennials switch jobs every 2-3 years on average. There are multiple ways in the modern working world of designing and redefining career development. For some moving from one company to a more recognized brand is considered a career achievement, for some moving from large corporations into startups at their first stages will be a great success and for others growing internally inside the organization or a team means getting advanced. If you are reading this article, it means that the development of your employees internally is important for you. 

The most suitable definition we found for career development is the following, “outcomes of actions on career plans as viewed from both individual and organizational perspectives”. There are 2 main paths of growth: the one is lateral, it is achieved by adding new skills and becoming more versatile. It can be initiated either by the company that identifies the specific strengths of the employee and helps him or her to master skills in that specific direction. For example, a company discovers that a sales professional has marketing skills and drives him into practicing this field and getting more involved. Most of the time the fields of work are co-related and previous knowledge and experience help in moving forward. The end result is the transition of employees “aside” into career paths that are more aligned with their skills and ambitions. 

The second main path is the vertical or “ladder” one. It refers to the traditional approach where employees climb the imaginary ladder, they exceed targets and increase their responsibility level within the organization. The transparency and the common knowledge of employees that they have the ability to grow within the organization/ company increase their engagement by 70%. 

As an employer, it is recommended to identify the most suitable path for the individuals within the company, and create transparent documentation, and training. Defined career paths will influence the present and future of your employees and your company.