According to HRreview, two-thirds of people say that they would consider changing jobs within 12 months if their employer had no opportunities or training to help with their career development. With retention challenges rising, career development has never been more important.

When businesses give their people real routes to grow, learn and move internally, staff feel valued, engagement rises, and turnover falls.

Why does career development matter?

Career development isn’t just providing training opportunities, it’s a combination of attributes that let employees learn new skills, experience opportunities, and essentially grow within the business.

From an employee perspective, it signals that their organisation is passionate about investing in their team’s future.

Our Practical Strategies to Implement Career Development

Here are our actionable steps organisations can take to embed career development into their culture and daily operations:

• Build Transparent Career Frameworks: Typically, job roles can be based on seniority, from junior positions to management. Listing skill levels of roles inevitably shows your staff how they can progress within their career.
  
  
• Consider Internal Promotions before Reaching Out Externally: Looking to hire for a new role, maybe you’re looking for a new Head of Marketing for instance. Is there an opportunity for your Senior Marketing Executive to be promoted? Allowing your current employees to progress makes them stay for longer and builds an element of trust between the two parties.
  
  
• Provide Development Opportunities: Training programmes, workshops, seminars, and e-learning platforms are all fantastic ways to encourage your staff to learn. Create an environment where learning, curiosity, and innovation are encouraged.
  
  
• Opportunities to Network: Offering external Networking, conferences, joining industry groups, and participating in professional associations not only gains fresh perspectives but also builds confidence among your employees.