By shifting from traditional career paths to performance-based paths, organizations and employees alike gain the skills they need for the future.
By Ali Bebo
Where people work, how people work, and career advancement have changed drastically in just a few years. The growth of remote and hybrid work models has redefined workplace dynamics, shifting the focus from in-office presence to productivity and results. At the same time, there is an increased emphasis on work-life balance and bringing one’s whole self to work, which reshapes how employees engage with their roles. In addition, the rapid pace of technological advancement requires continual learning, reskilling, and upskilling to stay competitive in a tech-driven world.
Considering these changes, it’s no surprise that traditional career paths—once seen as the definitive blueprint for success—are also changing. In the past, career paths followed a set amount of specific steps to reach a promotion or other milestone. But this approach is too limiting because it doesn’t let people focus on what’s best for their own interests or skills.
To avoid limiting workers and their growth, it’s important to see why linear career paths are less valuable now and how focusing on a performance path can be more beneficial.
The Limitations of Traditional Career Paths
Traditional career paths can be rigid and often don’t match an individual’s evolving interests or skills. This can trap employees in roles that don’t use their full potential or offer new growth opportunities, ignoring personal passions and the flexibility of modern organizations.
Fixed career trajectories limit adaptation, a crucial skill in today’s fast-changing job market. As organizational needs evolve, so do job roles and skill requirements, but set-in-stone career paths can prevent workers from evolving as needs do. The implications of fixed career paths on the workforce have become evident through trends such as The Great Resignation, quiet quitting, and more. The lack of flexibility can potentially lead to job dissatisfaction, underutilization of talent, and decreased employee retention and engagement.
Continuous learning helps employees stay adaptable and ready for new opportunities, while transferable skills like leadership and critical thinking are valuable in many roles, making careers more flexible.
The Power of the Performance Path
HR leaders should instead focus on the performance path, which more closely aligns employees’ skills with their passions and talents. For instance, a motivated sales professional might excel at working with people but dislike negotiating prices. While their skills fit sales, their passion for people could lead them to thrive in roles like recruiting, rather than just growing the sales pipeline.
When employees pursue work they are passionate about, their talents naturally shine through. In a performance-driven environment, individuals are encouraged to find work they love and align their talents with goals and objectives that provide value to them as individuals and to the organization.
Workforce needs within an organization are bound to change. And when a business has a talent pool full of individuals who are invested in their organization because the organization invested in them—by giving them the opportunity to use deploy their talents and skills in interesting ways—the business will be well-positioned to adapt and upskill employees as needed, rather than always needing to make time-consuming, costly external hires.
The Key to Performance Paths: Lifelong Learning
Research from Pearson finds that more than three in four employed workers expect to continue learning and have training opportunities throughout their careers, and 92% expect that their workplace will increase or maintain learning and development programs.
Lifelong learning and building transferable skills are key to a performance-focused path. Continuous learning helps employees stay adaptable and ready for new opportunities, while transferable skills like leadership, communication, and critical thinking are valuable in many roles, making careers more flexible.
Providing lifelong learning opportunities and prioritizing growth is crucial for keeping employees relevant and competitive. Organizations can support their employees by offering training programs, workshops, and professional development to help them expand their skills and move beyond rigid career paths.
Embrace the Performance Path
To help employees focus on their performance path, talk to them about where they can create value and make an impact in the organization. This shifts the professional development conversation from thinking strictly about following a career path to using their strengths. When people use their skills fully, work becomes more enjoyable and productive, boosting their performance and benefiting the organization.
In today’s world, adaptability and growth are essential for sustainable success. HR professionals can create a culture of continuous growth by encouraging employees to focus on their performance journey rather than traditional career paths. Investing in a high-performing culture where employees pursue their passions and make meaningful contributions boosts individual satisfaction and drives long-term success for the organization.
Ali Bebo is chief human resources officer for Pearson.
