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Every company wants to hire the best talent for its growth. Now, finding the right team ?‍? can be a tough challenge. Yet, it is only half the battle. Retaining them is equally important. As an employer, it is your responsibility to keep the team engaged and motivated.

In addition, if you want to keep them on board for the long haul, you need to help them with their career paths as well. If not, with a highly competitive market out there, they will leave the moment they feel their career goals aren't met. With this article, we will explore different steps to set up a career track for your young employees.

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Different ways to create a career path for your team

The more invested you are in your employees' growth ?, the more productive and loyal they will be. As per a Learning report, approximately 90% of employees are likely to remain with their companies if they feel their careers are important to them.

The following are some steps to help you create a career trail for your team :

Educate your employees about the organisation’s hierarchy

First, employees need to understand the structure of the organisation. Organisations usually follow a vertical hierarchy, wherein the level of management control varies from top ? to bottom. Understanding the hierarchy will help the employee to know what he or she wants to achieve and what are the steps to get there. 

For example, the career path of a human resource employee will start as a trainee, then as an officer, and then as an executive, to an assistant manager, and so on. Even if employees wish to change departments, this will help them understand what options are available and where they need to start.

Communicate with your employees

Next, you need to understand your employee's goals and aspirations. Have a one-on-one conversation with them. While some employees are clear about what they want to do next, others may be confused. Ask them what they perceive as their strengths, weaknesses, and if they can perform well in their current setting. Include some questions about their families ?, and whether anything external is stressing them out. 

You can even ask them where they see themselves in the next 5 years. Create a comfortable atmosphere where employees can be themselves. By doing so, they will clarify what they are looking for in their career. 

Give them an overview of their selected profiles

Now you know where the employee wants to be and what profile he/she is interested in. It is now time to help them gain a better understanding of this profile. Include things like a description of the position ?, what training or certifications they need to complete, what experience and qualification requirements they need, and what responsibilities they will have to manage. In addition, you can introduce them to the person handling those responsibilities. This will give them firsthand experience of what the role entails.

Build training schedules

If the employee is still interested after understanding what the role is about, you can now develop an action plan for them. Each profile requires a particular set of skills. Upon reviewing employee performance and skill levels, you will be able to develop an effective training plan for them. Training can be informal like videos, podcasts, or formal like conferences, workshops, e-learning courses.

It depends on the resources available in the organisation. However, there is no substitute for on-the-job training. You can assign them more responsibilities. This will help them learn how to handle bigger tasks. Another way is to rotate employees across departments. By working in multiple departments, they will be able to apply their theoretical knowledge and sharpen their skills. 

Test their training 

Now that the employee's training is over, it's time to test them without supervision. So, what will you do now? Offer them opportunities and challenges. For example, have the employee complete a small task related to the profile they are interested in and see how they do.

This will immediately boost motivation. Furthermore, it will help them determine if they are ready to take on the position. If they need more help, you can guide them better on their next steps ? and help them create a training plan.

Consistent follow-ups

You can follow all of the above steps, but if you fail to regularly check in with your employees, then it is useless. A study found that more than half of professionals want performance reviews done at least once a month, and not just annually.  Also, it takes a couple of years to achieve the career path/goal employees have set for them. It may happen that over the years, these goals change. So, if he continues with his old action plan, it will be a waste for him or her. 

Alternatively, he or she may find the new tasks too stressful and not be able to handle them. In such cases, he/she might need additional training or may simply want to adjust their goals. As a result, periodic follow-ups are necessary to gain insight into employee expectations and how they are handling current tasks.

Set realistic expectations 

Every employee wants to reach the next level as quickly as possible. However, sometimes employees only see the perks of a profile, not the responsibilities that go along with it. 

Thus, it becomes increasingly important for companies to guide their employees and set realistic expectations. Perhaps the department they were hired for isn't the right one for them, and they would do better in another.

Final thoughts

Hopefully, after reading the above article, you will have a better understanding of how to develop a career path for your team. Always remember, the goal of all these exercises is to be a win-win situation for both employees and employers. A happy ? and satisfied workforce is the key to an organisation’s success.  

Images: GIPHY

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