Reimagining Career Progression in a Post-Pandemic World: Embracing Change and Building Confidence

Career progression used to be very linear. You’d work your way up over time, honing your skills until you became a manager. Then you’d help others hone their skills as your job title grew increasingly impressive.

Sounds sensible, but it’s overly simplistic. Not everyone makes a good manager or even wants to be one. And priorities change. More responsibility and more money are not always what people are looking for next.

This approach to career development also creates a system where ‘time in the game’ is considered more valuable than ability. It can be exclusionary and lead to a homogenous workplace where diversity, creativity, and innovation are largely absent.

So if we’re keen to find a new, better way - and the pandemic was the catalyst for this change - what might that look like?

Are workers experiencing a confidence crisis?

Our European Work Voices survey asked 5,600 workers in 15 industries across eight countries: “How confident are you that you will advance your career in the next five years?” The average response was a confidence rating of only 5.9 out of 10. Confidence was highest among people younger than 25 (7.1) and dropped with age to a 4.5 rating for workers 55 to 64.

Those results beg the question: Over a five-year period, shouldn’t most of us be far more confident that our careers will progress?

Initiatives to build career confidence and highlight career progression opportunities

So how do you improve career confidence? Show (don’t just tell) your teams what the possibilities are. These five initiatives can highlight what career progression looks like in your organisation:

1. Share career stories from employees at all levels, not just senior leaders.
2. Host career development days to promote various ways employees can advance their skills.
3. Share statistics about promotions, job changes, new qualifications, and other career advancements within the organization.
4. Celebrate promotions and positive career moves, such as secondments.
5. Ensure career progression is discussed in annual and regular meetings for every employee.

?Addressing lower career confidence levels

Our survey revealed the lowest career confidence levels among people 55+. That may be unsurprising to some, but why should career progression end at a certain age? Women also rated their career confidence lower than men. Organizations must address these disparities and ensure all employees feel supported and confident in their career progression. Highlight role models from these demographics and ensure everyone can pursue development opportunities.

Supporting diverse forms of career progression

It’s one thing to talk about the many ways people can progress, but there is ‘deep work’ to be done, too. First up: identify how your employees might define ‘progression’.

Managers should address this in career development conversations. “You’re really excelling in your role - what do you want the next step in your career to look like?” is a powerful question. Encourage them to think outside of the box!

Sure, they may want management responsibilities, a new title, or a pay raise, but maybe they want to learn a new skill adjacent to their role or drop to a nine-day fortnight. Could you accommodate that type of progression?

Here are additional ways to offer progression:

1. Providing opportunities for skill development, including time and money to complete a course during working hours.
2. Offering flexible work arrangements, such as compressed hours, job sharing, work-from-home options, and flexible start/end times
3. Encouraging employee-driven career growth by letting each person choose what they consider to be their ideal form of progression.

What role does recognition play in career development?

Career progression is the tangible recognition of a job well done. But if that the only way your employees get recognised, you’re missing a trick! Recognising great work consistently is a powerful motivator. It makes people feel heard, valued, and proud, and it inspires others. It’s good for morale and productivity.

Picture your first day on a new job: As you sit down at your desk and open the company newsletter you see stories about promotions, flexible work, and new qualifications. Wouldn’t that be inspiring?

Career development in a changing world

Work has changed. Career progression must also change. While employees have reconsidered their priorities, they are looking for employers who support them. So much of our working lives is determined by our bosses, HR, and the company culture. Take some time to inspect what career progression really looks like in your organisation and how it could change for the better.