Why is everyone talking about… breadcrumbing?

Welcome to Personio Pulse: This Week in HR, where each week we take a look at the latest trends in the world of work, what you need to know about them, and what they mean for you as an HR professional.

This week, we’re talking about how ‘breadcrumbing’ as a practice is keeping employees in their roles with often-futile promises of progression — and how it might risk damaging employee trust for good.

What you need to know?

What does it mean to keep an employee ‘on the hook’? Borrowed from the realm of dating, the practice of ‘breadcrumbing’ is now finding its way into the corporate world, where managers offer the promise of future opportunities to keep high-performing employees from eyeing the exit.?

According to our own research, around a third of employees are thinking of leaving their jobs due to a ‘lack of career progression opportunities.’ A very natural, but problematic, reaction may be managers halfheartedly promising future development, like raises and promotions, that never really come to pass.??

This is all set against a backdrop of dwindling employee engagement. Additional research from our side found that 22% of employers say engagement has been low over the past 12 months. In an already tense environment, breadcrumbing may simply be a managerial ‘last resort’ to keep spirits high.?

What others are saying about it?

As mentioned, we don’t think it’s fair to think of this as some kind of nefarious scheme.

“It’s not like there’s someone who has this devious plan to give you just enough development that you stick around, but not enough that you’re actually productive,”

Tania Luna , Founder of Scarlet Spark , explains.

But the issue with breadcrumbing is that it inadvertently takes advantage of a very real power dynamic. In an attempt to ensure that top performers don’t head for the door, managers, often due to a lack of training in career coaching, may resort to empty promises that compromise employee trust.

In conversation with the publication Stylist Magazine , Nicki Bass , a business psychologist at Resilience At Work , details:

“At work we’re hardwired to respect the imbalance of power between boss and employee. Yet if your superior regularly hints at promotions, opportunities or pay rises without ever delivering, just like in dating, this non-committal behavior can be a red flag.”?

What that means for you

Even if breadcrumbing is done with the best intentions, it can quickly evolve into potentially toxic workplace behavior. To help, we’d suggest the following:?

• Train your managers to be coaches: Many managers, especially first timers, may have little experience in coaching or helping their reports progress in their careers. Your first step should be ensuring that they’re prepared to deliver on development.?
• Put progression in focus: In tandem with training your managers, your organization needs to invest in clear career progression frameworks that dive into role responsibilities, levels, and salary bands that show a clear picture of progression within your organization.?
• Rethink recognition: Breadcrumbing is often a toxic response to a lack of recognition. To alleviate this, your team may need to rethink how your organization practices recognition, and even think about benefits that foster progression (e.g. high performers gaining access to external coaching services).??
• Foster a culture of appreciation: Today’s employees want to feel recognized and appreciated for their efforts. One way to do this is with breadcrumbing, but that has a short shelf life — you may want to revamp your entire compensation strategy. Thankfully, we have a Personio Masterclass to help.

What else should I read?

• Why Is Everyone Talking About… 'The Great Detachment'?
• Perry Timms: Relearn Your Approach to Leadership
• Try These Seven Employee Engagement Strategies

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