Career mapping for career planning

It seems that there are generally two kinds of career mapping.

One results in the pro forma career map, which shows how the organisation wants people to progress. It is designed by working backward from a destination job to identify the feeder jobs that will allow a person to get there.  The other gives a career map which is built on data about how and how quickly people move through roles to reveal the pathways people actually take to get to that destination job.

This type of career mapping often reveals pathways the organisation wasn’t aware of – far more valuable for those looking to progress through an organisation and wanting to see where a role will take him or her, and how long it is likely to take.

But whatever career mapping you have done for your roles, the fundamental question remains:

How do you get the value from your career mapping by using it to engage your employees and helping them to see their future careers within your organisation, rather than needing to look elsewhere?

Career maps can, of course, be useful to illustrate a planned growth, development or career progression but think how much more useful they could be. Why not put this information in the hands of your employees and let them ‘play with’ and manipulate their own career paths?

An online system such as our Talent Navigator lets you upload all the career and role progression information you have, the competencies needed and the likely time frame for skill acquisition. And then your employees can start to map out their own progression.

They can see how long a promotion to their desired role may take – and what skills are needed – and, if linked to their current skills assessment, what they need to develop. It means they can be trying out different career routes through different roles - in confidence. And, when they decide the path they want to follow and can see the skills, experience or knowledge they need to acquire for the next role, doesn't that mean that they'll be more committed to their development plan and take greater ownership of it?

It also means that that then have more meaningful and focused career planning discussions with their manager rather than it being a session sharing ‘ignorance’; (the manager ignorant to what the individual really wants and the bounds within which they can operate, and the employee ignorant about the requirements of alternative roles and the means and time frames to go about putting any actions into place). Perhaps we’ve over exaggerated. It may not be as bleak as this for all organisations, but it is for far too many and their staff.

Take a look at the career mapping you have in place, or how you can gather this, and then get an online career planning tool for your people. It will not only open up options for them, but will help them to see the future in your organisation and how to develop.

Read our full article below and take a look at two of our Talent Navigator videos.