Many businesses operate under the assumption that the only way for an employee to advance is through a promotion to a management position. After all, the top tiers of most org charts show leadership roles. It is a laudable goal to move toward management if the employee has a genuine interest in, and the natural abilities for, leadership.
But what about the individuals who want to grow in their careers but have no desire to be in management? Many people prefer acting as individual contributors or collaborating within a team rather than taking on the responsibilities of overseeing personnel. Also, what about the employees who just aren’t cut out to be managers? Must they be relegated to the jobs they are currently in for the rest of their careers? That would be a sure-fire way to deplete the morale of many top-performing employees. Thankfully the answer is No.
Many people who excel in their roles are automatically moved into a supervisory job as a natural progression based on their hard work and excellent results. Yet sometimes the behavioral traits that foster success in a particular role are the same traits that can become challenge areas in a management position. For example, high-performing CSRs often have tall columns 2 and 8 on their Omnia assessment; these columns indicate a desire to support others and the preference for working according to well-defined procedures respectively. However, strong managers often have tall columns 1 and 7 – the drive to take charge and a comfort with forging ahead in ambiguous areas, even when there are no established protocols to follow. Placing a stellar support personality in a leadership role simply because “that’s the only way to advance” could result in frustration and poor performance – the exact opposite of what a promotion is supposed to do.
So how do you develop your employees and keep them engaged without taking the traditional route to management? Two approaches to consider are lateral moves and developing employees into subject matter experts.
Lateral Moves
While they may not come with the perceived prestige of a promotion, lateral moves can be very beneficial to an employee and to the organization. Placing an individual in a different position that is similar in title, level, or compensation as their previous role can enable them to learn new skills, acquire additional knowledge, and gain experience that helps to round out their abilities and further increase their value to the company.
A lateral move can keep an employee engaged by giving them new responsibilities, allowing them to work with different colleagues or under a different manager, and showing them new perspectives on how the business functions. The employee’s experience in their prior role can also give them unique insights into how to improve processes within a new position. A lateral move can also strengthen an employee’s learning agility, helping them to handle a variety of situations because they are able to quickly learn new concepts and apply them.
A lateral move can provide the chance for an employee to enhance their career path options, and this opportunity can be viewed as an example of the company’s commitment to continued professional development for their personnel.
Developing Subject Matter Experts
Another path to grow your employees is helping them become subject matter experts. SMEs have a wealth of specialized knowledge in a particular area, and they are often instrumental in helping develop and improve business processes and solving specific problems. You can help employees become SMEs by providing opportunities to learn new concepts and skills, such as through classes, seminars, or online learning. You can also offer hands-on experience through assigning projects or new responsibilities.
SMEs may also become known for their expertise outside of your organization, which can help solidify your business’s reputation as a leader in the field. A socially outgoing SME (tall column 3 on the Omnia assessment) might enjoy participating in speaking engagements, conducting classes, or posting videos on social media to discuss relevant topics and give their expert insights. A reserved, analytical SME (tall column 4) may prefer conveying their ideas and solutions in writing and having their papers published.
Things to consider
Indeed lists 16 reasons why employees leave their jobs, and among them are needing more challenge, feeling uninspired, and searching for career growth. Many of these pain points may be eased with advancement in non-linear ways like lateral moves and cultivating subject matter experts. Some important questions to ask when helping your personnel grow are:
• What kind of career growth and advancement does your organization support and recognize?
• Do you put as much emphasis on lateral and subject matter paths as you do on leadership promotions?
• Do you celebrate and recognize lateral moves as much as you do promotions?
• Do you celebrate and recognize the impact your subject matter experts have on your clients and industry?
Every employee is different, so having just one road leading to career advancement means that some valued contributors might get off on the next exit. To retain top-performing personnel, you need to understand them. Omnia is here to help you develop your workforce by uncovering their behavior traits and natural motivators. Armed with these insights, you can pave just the right path for each employee that aligns with their distinctive attributes, strengths, and goals. Growing employees equals a growing business!
