How employers can prepare employees to transition careers within the same company

Jobs, and careers, move more quickly these days. The time when an individual would stay in what was effectively the same job, in the same company, from entry until retirement is long gone, if indeed it ever really existed.

Many of today’s employees are looking for change and variety, and to advance their career by taking on new and different roles. For organizations, this can lead to a talent drain; having spent time and resources building up an employee’s expertise and skills, this investment is then lost. A better solution, where possible, is likely to involve making it easier for employees to transition into a new role within the same organization. Even though an individual is moving into a new role, and perhaps a different department, the organization retains all the hidden benefits of keeping established staff.

However, preparing employees to transition in this way is not always straightforward. Here are several strategies that will help:

• Build employees’ self-awareness. For a successful transition, individuals should have a clear picture of their skills, interests, values and personality preferences. Interest questionnaires like the Strong Interest Inventory and developmental personality measures like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment, paired with feedback on the results, can be a real help here. Consider implementing personal development or career development programs and making these available to all employees, not just to those designated as highflyers. Build in some elements of career development from onboarding onwards. Consider offering career counselling services. Where budgets permit, individual coaching can be extremely effective.
• Embed role transition as a possibility within career and personal development programs. Identify and communicate the pathways available and encourage employees to discuss their career goals.
• Facilitate skills development. Provide training and development opportunities to help employees acquire the skills needed for their current career path, but also access to opportunities for other possible career paths within the organization. This could include workshops, online courses, or funding for external training programs.
• Create a mentorship program. Allow established, experienced workers in different areas of the business to mentor those looking to transition to their area. They can share their experience, provide guidance, and offer useful insights and advice.
• Encourage employees to take part in cross-functional projects. This will typically benefit such projects, by bringing in new and different viewpoints into decision-making, but will also benefit the individual employee. They will gain knowledge of different parts of the business, make useful contacts, and have the opportunity to showcase their skills to different audiences.
• Create a program of networking events, open days, knowledge shares and other events that will allow employees to find out more about other parts of the business and connect with individuals in other roles.
• Have an internal job posting system that is accessible to all. Clearly communicate job vacancies, specifying the requirements for each. If possible, include realistic job previews. Make sure new vacancies are announced, not merely quietly added to a job listing.
• Consider flexible working arrangements such as job sharing or temporary assignments, to allow individuals to gain experience in a new field without fully committing to a permanent change.
• Review an employee’s performance in the new role, even for temporary assignments. Conduct regular feedback sessions and performance reviews, with constructive feedback. Provide support to address any issues or challenges.
• Recognize and reward employees to successfully transition to new roles. Consider ways in which it may be appropriate to make this public, to encourage and motivate others who may be considering a change of role.

Related: Back to the office: Using technology to smooth the transition

The key outcome is to create a supportive environment that encourages and facilitates successful transitions of careers within the same company. This has benefits for the individual employee, but also significant benefits for the organization.

John Hackston is a chartered psychologist and Head of Thought Leadership at The Myers-Briggs Company where he leads the company’s Oxford-based research team.