Human resources professionals’ primary job is to create career development perspectives and opportunities. Recently, I heard Howard Schultz, longtime CEO of Starbucks, say this. Below, I’ll try to create insight into how this could be achieved, through 10 pointers, taking into account the potential pitfalls.
- Offer training and development programs, such as workshops, classes, and mentoring.
- Create clear career progression paths within the company.
- Encourage employees to take on additional responsibilities and stretch assignments.
- Provide opportunities for employees to work on cross-functional teams or projects.
- Offer tuition reimbursement or other educational assistance.
- Facilitate networking opportunities with other professionals in the company or industry.
- Offer leadership development programs.
- Provide regular feedback and coaching.
- Encourage employees to set career development goals and track progress.
- Be open to flexible work arrangements and remote working opportunities.
All these initiatives rely on insight and a clear understanding of the employee’s skills — both hard and soft — and professional expectations. Without this, you’re flying blind.
Many companies believe they’re performing well on people analytics, but in reality, many valuable insights are still missing.