Unlock this Research

Enter your business email to get instant access to the full research.

Develop an Integrated Career Pathing Framework

Foster career growth and mobility through clearly defined career paths.

  • Career pathing initiatives frequently stall due to their resource-intensive nature and the challenge of securing sustained leadership support. This leads to difficulty in demonstrating a return on the investment of career pathing.
  • Organizations struggle with developing career paths that are clearly defined, relevant, and integrated across functions and job families.
  • Ensuring career paths remain flexible and adaptable is challenging as organizations continuously evolve. Roles transform, new roles emerge, and role mobility criteria shift rapidly.

Executive Summary

Critical Insight

  • A clear and transparent career pathing framework empowers employees to seek growth opportunities within their own organizations. When prioritizing internal development, organizations enable employees to achieve their career aspirations while maintaining a competitive advantage.

Impact & Result

  • Prioritizing a career pathing framework supports managers with conducting development conversations and matching employees with available career opportunities. This reduces turnover, increases retention, and enables internal mobility and critical role succession.
  • A transparent career pathing framework provides employees with insight into opportunities available at the organization to support their career growth and development, leading to a more engaged and motivated workforce.

Research & Tools

1. Determine the scope

Clarify the scope, prioritize functions, and define objectives for the career pathing framework.

2. Build the career pathing framework

Map the career paths visually for prioritized functions by defining levels and assigning role mobility criteria.

3. Launch, monitor, and iterate the career pathing framework

Integrate the career pathing framework into supporting HR practices to plan, market, measure, and monitor success.

McLean Academy

McLean Academy Logo

Sign in to access this McLean Academy course.

Sign In Learn More
Develop an Integrated Career Pathing Framework enlarged preview