The past two and a half years have been a giant lesson in workplace flux. In any given week, month, or quarter, a new and often disruptive change emerges to knock leaders and organizations sideways. Regardless of whether or not a recession is on the horizon or the employer-employee power balance shifts, whipsawing change is here to stay. How can companies help talent thrive — at work and in life — regardless of what the future portends?
Stop Offering Career Ladders. Start Offering Career Portfolios.
Employees today are fed up. People are antsy for something better (and sometimes, simply new). They want to be seen, valued, and listened to. They want equity, dignity, security, balance, flexibility, and autonomy. They expect opportunities for growth, learning, meaningful contribution, and fulfillment. This may sound like a lot, but if we’re striving to help them reach their full potential and leave the world a better place, it’s actually pretty modest. For organizations and HR, however, navigating this landscape is fraught. Companies seek to win the “war for talent,” yet almost every aspect of the battlefield has changed. Many people are no longer interested in or inspired by climbing a career ladder that someone else built. Against this backdrop, there is one solution that aligns individual and organizational priorities, strategic objectives and self-actualization goals, and an uncertain present with an even more uncertain future. It’s time to shift how we think about the shape of a career — no longer a ladder, but a portfolio to curate. Here’s how to get started enabling and encouraging career portfolios within your organization.