Understanding career progression for your employees

Career growth is extremely important to employees: workers who see a clear career path are more likely to be engaged and committed to their jobs. 

That’s a good thing for your organization, but it’s not the only reason HR should make clear progression a priority.  

In this article we’ll discuss how leadership can build effective career paths for their employees and why it pays to invest in your staff and people management. 

Understanding career path planning  

Canadian employees are switching careers faster than ever. In 2025, 56% of workers are considering entering a completely new industry , while 47% are thinking about changing what they do within their field.  

To accommodate diverse employee goals and company needs in the modern workforce, organizations must rethink how they support staff growth.  

Think of career pathing as your organization’s guide for professional growth. It shows employees all the possible routes they can take within the company, different tools and skills they’ll need to master, and experiences that might be vital to a role.  

Instead of guessing how to move forwards, career pathing allows employees to clearly visualize how to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to go. 

Why is career planning important for employees? 

According to a LinkedIn workplace learning report, today’s newest workforce generation Gen Z (born 1997-2012), wants to grow and advance more than previous ones. 

Career planning therefore serves as an important foundation for employee satisfaction and company success. 

When employees are unclear about career path options, they may lose motivation and start job hunting for other roles. If your company gains a reputation for offering staff limited growth opportunities, this could even make hiring harder.    

On the other hand, when employees are offered clear career path options, they are more likely to be more engaged, productive and consider staying at their company for longer, which can help companies retain top talent.  

The role of management in career development 

From C-suite leaders to HR teams, career development is only possible when all organizational levels align. But at the end of the day, direct team leaders play the most crucial role in shaping employee career progression as they interact and spend the most time with employees. 

 To support employees with their career development, consider: 

• Having regular one-on-one career planning discussions  

• Identifying gaps in skills and opportunities to bridge them  

• Assigning stretch projects so employees can develop new skills  

• Providing constructive feedback  

Creating future leaders in the workplace 

Developing career paths is also a key element of succession planning, where younger employees are developed as future replacements for senior staff. Succession makes the most of the knowledge you already have within your company and can be an alternative to the costly and difficult task of hiring for key roles. 

Building career growth opportunities when promotions are limited  

Even if pay increases and promotions are hard to come by in your company, it is still important for organizations to provide staff with opportunities for growth.  

Some ways to promote growth opportunities include providing employees with:  

• Secondments which let senior staff explore different roles while maintaining their position  

• Regular training opportunities to develop skills at all levels 

• Mentoring and coaching opportunities that give individuals the attention they need  

Implementing career development strategies 

Learn how you can implement career development strategies with our comprehensive employee development guide.  

Meanwhile, with the support of performance management software you can track, monitor, and support the progression and professional development of your staff the digital way!  

With BrightHR’s performance management tool you can set and align goals to personal and wider business objectives, offering the support your employees need to get to where they want to be.  

Book your free demo today to see the software in action and to discover the many benefits of implementing performance management software.