The concept of internal career mobility has become increasingly relevant in today’s job market. It refers to the ability of an employee to advance in their current organization rather than having to seek out new opportunities externally.
As such, learning and development (L&D) leaders play an important role in this type of career mobility.
L&D provides employees with the necessary skills and knowledge they need to progress in their current roles or to make a successful transition into new positions within the company.
The thing is that people are leaving jobs in record numbers, which means that companies must look at new ways to provide employees with professional development opportunities. This includes fostering internal career promotions and skill-building to help retain employees who may be itching for a fresh start.
Recent data shows that employees who move into new jobs within their company are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged than those who stay in their current jobs. So, it makes sense from a business standpoint for L&D to support internal mobility.
In this article, we will explore four ways that learning leaders can support internal career mobility and development, and how career mobility benefits both employers and employees.
- Supporting retention and engagement.
Career mobility is an important part of the L&D landscape. It provides opportunities for employees to develop new skills and take on new responsibilities.
Additionally, focusing on internal career mobility allows L&D professionals to ensure that retention and engagement remain high within the organization. By creating a supportive environment, L&D professionals can help employees feel motivated and engaged in their work.
In short, by implementing effective structures and providing ongoing support, L&D professionals can ensure that employees have access to the training they need in order to take on new responsibilities and thrive in their new roles.
- Building new leaders and growing the “old” ones.
In today’s ever-changing business environment, organizations must focus on internal career mobility and development to ensure their success. Their goal is to help employees increase their knowledge and skills so that they can move into more senior roles, develop new leadership capabilities, and foster an environment of learning and growth.
This can be done through a variety of methods, such as coaching, mentoring, workshops, seminars, webinars, and other types of professional development activities.
By providing employees with the opportunity to learn and develop their skills, organizations are able to develop a culture of learning in support of career mobility. This culture encourages employees to take on new challenges, explore different career paths, and become proactive in their professional development. It also helps to retain valuable talent and create new leaders who have the skills needed to lead the organization into the future.
- Helping employees get to where they want to be.
For many workers, internal career mobility and development is an integral part of their long-term career growth.
In a survey of 3,000 US professionals conducted by Workplace Intelligence, 58% of employees stated that they were worried their skills had gone stale. Meanwhile, 70% of employees surveyed reported they felt unprepared for the future of work.
Does this ring any alarm bells in your head? Because it should! In this case, L&D professionals play a key role in helping individuals achieve the career goals they set for themselves. By focusing on internal mobility, L&D professionals can help workers learn new skills and acquire the knowledge necessary to advance within the company.
They can also help employees gain the confidence they need to pursue new roles or apply their existing skills in new ways. By taking a proactive approach, L&D professionals can help employees reach their goals while also helping their employers, which benefit from their talent.
- Ensuring that the skills of today map to the roles of the future.
By focusing on internal mobility, L&D professionals can ensure that the skills of today map to the roles of the future. The traditional model is that people are hired and promoted based on their current position or job title. However, this is not a viable long-term strategy, because it ignores the fact that the skills needed to be successful in a given role change over time.
The alternative to hiring people based on their current position or job title is to hire them based on their potential — what they can do in a few years’ time. This approach allows them to learn new skills and make career changes as needed. It also gives managers more flexibility in finding out what employees are really good at and how they might best use their skills.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that learning plays a critical role in internal career mobility and development. In today’s ever-changing work environment, having the right skills and knowledge can make a huge difference in achieving any career goal.
As companies face the challenge of recruiting and retaining top talent, L&D professionals will remain tasked with finding new ways to ensure that their employees’ skills will be relevant in the future.
By engaging in ongoing learning activities, whether through formal education, self-directed study, or on-the-job training, L&D leaders can equip employees with the skills necessary to move up the corporate ladder and take on new challenges.
