Preparing Employees for a Bigger Role

It only makes good business sense to prepare your employees for a bigger role. As employees learn new skills, it boosts employee engagement, enhances overall job satisfaction, improves employee retention, and leverages institutional knowledge, creating a dedicated and loyal workforce.

Even if employees excel in their current positions—always crushing goals and exceeding expectations—that doesn’t mean they’re ready to step into a more senior role. Transitioning from being a team member’s friend to being their manager is challenging. So is switching from managing your responsibilities to delegating work to others. Being promoted is exciting, but it also means new obligations. The good news is that your organization can successfully adopt multiple best practices, such as preparing employees for their next role and recognizing when they’re ready to take the next step and advance.

Ways to Make Internal Mobility Part of Your Employee Development Program

In a Pew Research Center survey, 63% of workers said they had recently left a job because they couldn’t advance in their careers. The same survey found that 77% of employees felt that developing within their current company was solely up to them. Not only do employees need to know that professional development opportunities exist where they work; they need to have the right support structure to help them step into those new roles. Here’s how the leadership team, along with HR and management, can help.

1. Communicate internal career paths. If employees don't know there’s room to advance, they’ll look elsewhere. One of the core values of any organization should be to foster growth by promoting from within. The most effective way to communicate internal career paths is by managers discussing employees’ career goals during regular 1:1 meetings. This confirms to employees that their professional growth is a priority.

A great way to show the organization’s commitment to hiring from within is to announce internal promotions on internal communication channels and quarterly town halls.

Before posting job openings externally, share new opportunities internally. Even if the specific position doesn’t interest someone now, it will spark them to envision their future next step.

2. Help employees step onto the corporate ladder. It’s hard to gauge leadership skills without seeing them in action, but even the smallest demonstration can reveal potential. Encourage team members to take turns leading meetings. Ask one or two employees to organize the next team-building event or holiday party. Have the current manager work remotely on occasion and delegate an on-site employee to be the go-to for challenges that arise on site. Employees can build confidence and receive important feedback about their leadership capabilities by getting a glimpse of what leading is like.

3. Amp up soft skills training. Soft skills like empathy, critical thinking, and time management are crucial for employee development—particularly when preparing to climb the corporate ladder. Along with providing courses to improve soft skills, allow employees to experience opportunities to put them into action. Be sure new employees are not ignored and get both the hard and soft skill training they need.

Have team members pair up on projects and work together to set goals. Schedule virtual meetings so remote workers are also involved. Plan departmental discussions where everyone shares their thoughts on current best practices. Each time employees deepen their emotional intelligence, they take one step closer to becoming future leaders.

4. Push employees to find solutions. Preparing employees for their next role means empowering them to make decisions. If they come to management every time they have a problem, they’ll never learn how to find the answers on their own.

When coworkers dispute over who didn’t pull their weight on a project, ask them to take the discussion behind closed doors and work it out. If an employee says the numbers in a spreadsheet aren’t adding up, introduce them to the finance manager. Problem-solving instills confidence and lets employees know they are capable of greater responsibilities. This is all part of their career development.

5. Create networking opportunities. Let’s face it, climbing the corporate ladder is often about who you know. However, it doesn’t have to be a hiring manager or even someone in the same department who can assist in preparing employees for their next role.

Networking with others in similar positions, in other departments, and even in different companies can strengthen interpersonal skills and allow employees to confidently start conversations—both of which are extremely useful in employee development and in leadership.

To help employees network, invite multiple departments to after-work events. Encourage employees to join a trade association so they can get to know others in their field. Send a representative from every department to industry-wide conferences. Every chance to build relationships with fellow professionals is a step in the right direction.

6. Let team members explore other areas. If you’ve ever asked a high school student what they want to do for the rest of their life, you’ve probably sensed their uncertainty. While people in the workforce are more confident in their interests, they’re not always set on where they want to land.

Organizations that value talent should be willing to help good employees explore lateral movements. Accountants can develop into excellent treasury managers. Treasury managers can be financial advisors. A customer service representative might see themselves in a quality assurance position. By allowing team members to explore and even apply for jobs in other areas, company leaders and managers can prevent top talent from becoming unsatisfied and leaving.

7. Allow employees to strike a balance. When employees are too focused on climbing the corporate ladder, they can begin to neglect what they do best, which is essentially their time to shine. Make sure they have room to train for the future as well as continue to do their job. This will allow them to stay satisfied with the company and confident in their abilities to grow.

By giving them convenient opportunities to gain leadership skills, employees will see that the company values their talent and cares about their future. Offering self-directed microlearning is a great way to do so. It's easy for employees to fit learning into their workday with these short 10–12-minute lessons. Continuous learning is of utmost importance to prepare employees for leadership roles.

8. Acknowledge team members when they succeed. Compliments foster confidence. When an employee does something noteworthy, let them know their work is appreciated. Whether it’s a call-out at a department meeting, a company-wide email, or tickets to a sporting event, showing recognition will keep them motivated and engaged.

9. Show employees what excellent leaders look like. Are your current leaders honest, fair, and empathetic? Do they inspire team members to come to the table with new ideas? Do they make their employees want to grow into higher positions within your organization? Do they make new hires feel welcome? If not, it may be time to strengthen your leadership development program.

Even after managers go through leadership training, they should be paired with a leadership mentor who will continue to help strengthen their ability to upskill teams. They should also receive continuous training in leadership and soft skills. When workers have a role model who makes them feel like an integral part of the team—and see that companies are committed to employee development—they’ll naturally rise to the occasion and emerge as leaders.

HSI Can Help

Our award-winning microlearning soft skills and leadership training can help unleash your employees’ leadership potential. To begin moving your organization forward, schedule a consultation with us today!

Additional Resources

• Leveraging Learning & Development for Succession Planning
• Mentorship Program Template: A Guide to Creating a Mentoring Program
• Training and Development: An Integral Part of Employee Recruitment and Retention