Creating a Successful Career Pathing Strategy for Hybrid Work

Career pathing allows employees to see what career development looks like based on their current roles. However, hybrid work environments can sometimes leave fully remote employees feeling overlooked, stuck in a role - or at a company - seemingly without any plan for growth or advancement. It’s understandable that managers might unintentionally consider those who they see in the office every day for promotional opportunities ahead of those they see less, which unfortunately means that work-from-home (WFH) staff may get overlooked. This can not only lead to bad outcomes for employees, but unrealized potential for companies.

So, as more companies turn to hybrid work to attract top talent and save on office space, learning to consider career pathing for those in AND out of the office requires more attention and more intention on the part of managers and leadership.

Rethinking the Career Ladder

Historically companies have offered a clear ladder of movement. An employee starts at an entry-level position, gains so many years of experience and moves up rung by rung. This method works well for somen in the past. However, successfully navigating a career path in a hybrid work environment may require less linear moves on the part of the employee.

According to research by Randstad, the younger generations are more interested in showcasing their talent and career fulfillment than simply climbing upward. For two out of every five workers, remote options are not negotiable. They want the flexibility to choose what days they come into the office — if at all. About 51% of them will remain in the same role if they're happy, even without options for career progression.

The career ladder must become more like a career lattice. Workers should be able to move to other roles that bring them satisfaction without necessarily gaining promotions. Today's career movement is more skills-based than anything else. However, people also want an opportunity to develop new skills and perfect the ones they have.

Fostering Connections in a Hybrid World

In blended companies, where some employees work from home and others are at an office, the two worlds may not always mesh perfectly. Seeing someone, especially a manager, every day in the office can help deepen relationships, build friendships and foster an understanding of personality and work styles.

Companies must work harder to intentionally foster connections between the office and remote workers. Leaders can host events and invite everyone, regardless of location, but if some of your employees are in another state or country, attendance may prove difficult and WFH employees may still feel left out.

Online Zoom or Google Meet events can help everyone connect more. Hosting a presentation, game night or other gathering that gets employees face-to-face, even virtually, can be beneficial. However, leaders should not expect employees to attend events on their own time. Many are struggling to juggle work responsibilities and family life. Adding a "fun" event that they must attend during their own time could create additional stress and blur expectations.

Keep in mind that some people might respond better to a one-on-one relationship with a mentor. Some remote employees love working by themselves because they're introverts. The idea of a company gathering, even online, might be intimidating. They may attend because they feel they have to and not because they want to.

Rewarding Loyal Workers

Many workers say they want to learn new skills with their companies' support. However, training must come with clear benefits - not just more work. Many millennials and Gen Zers point to company leaders who have long rewarded the hardest working employees by giving them more responsibility without additional compensation.

While extra hours and delayed promotions and raises during the COVID-19 pandemic helped some employers stay afloat, many employees feel fed up with the continued lack of rewards. Those who feel they are working hard and seeing few tangible results are much more likely to either quit quietly or resign from their position. One report found that 27% of remote workers plan to look for a new job in the next six months. Their top reasons included feeling "stuck" in their current positions.

Company leaders must ask themselves if they assign the hardest tasks to those they know will follow through and complete a quality project. Working harder for the same pay as counterparts who don't try as hard discourages growth. Reward loyal workers who consistently show excellence rather than punishing them by giving them more and harder tasks or insisting they fix other people's lackluster work. Raises and bonuses for high performers must become the norm, regardless of the employees location.

Making Remote Workers More Visible

Remote workers sometimes handle a greater share of behind-the-scenes tasks, such as content creation, marketing plans, or social media. Their contributions are crucial, yet more easily overlooked.

Managers should make an effor to assure remote workers are visible by recognizing them in department and company-wide communications, acknowledging key achievements, or maintaining a team list to ensure recognition, rewards, and promotions are all fairly distributed.

Managers must consider the entire workforce whenever deciding who to recognize, reward and promote.

Creating Equal Opportunities for WFH Staff

Researchers found remote workers are 38% less likely to receive a bonus than those working in-office. At the same time, they worked more hours, received lower performance feedback and lived in locations with higher costs of living.

In another survey, C-level executives stated they didn't factor remote work into their performance reviews. Yet, 62% stated that the time spent in office was important when considering a raise or promotion.

Finding ways to offer equal career pathing opportunities is crucial to keeping employees happy and loyal to your business. The last thing leaders want is a high churn rate — regardless of employee location — as it costs time, money and effort to replace them. The loss of knowledge can also slow company growth if workers move on to a different position because they feel they lack advancement opportunities.

Managers can develop standard review sheets that focus on deliverables more than personality or office presence. Adopting practices such as online forums where all workers can participate in brainstorming sessions or volunteer for extra assignments is another proven strategy to foster employee satisfaction and retention.

Sometimes a lack of equal opportunities for remote staff can be more subtle. For example, if promotions or other employee perks rely on career development programs and ongoing training, it's also crucial to ensure remote workers have the same access to career development resources as their in-person colleagues. If any resources are only accessible on equipment located to the office, it's time to change to a more easily accessible solution.

For instance, cloud-based storage systems can be accessed anywhere the employee has an internet connection, so moving away from physical continued learning books to alternatives stored in the cloud provides remote staff with just as much access to the tools they need to succeed as their in-office peers.

Embrace the Career Lattice

A linear career path is well established and straightforward. The employee moves from one position to another, gaining pay and responsibilities with each upward move. However, new hybrid work environments often hone in on staff with specialized skills that might not translate well to management or being a company's CEO.

Since workers sometimes want development and growth without considering going into management, embracing a career lattice makes more sense in the modern hybrid work environment model. The employee might move up at times, or add skills that take them to another role on the same level.

Many experts believe offering a career lattice personalized to each individual's needs creates stronger roots for company growth. Forbes quotes Deloitte's article and writes, "The corporate lattice model, in contrast to the traditional ladder, is more adaptive, and therefore better suited to align with the changing needs, norms and expectations of today's workplace."

A career lattice can provide opportunities for all staff, including WFH empoloyees because it is more adaptive to personal career development needs.

Attract Top Recruits

If leaders want their company to truly thrive, they must hire the best people in the field - top talent. Smaller companies may sometimes compete for this talent with large corporations able to offer better pay. What a smaller business can offer that is attractive to young people is excellent company culture and investing in your staff.

Around 21% of workers say they prefer jobs with flexible work environments. Many state if their employer forces them to return to the office, they will likely find another remote job instead. With a long list of potential retirees aging out of the workforce and others refusing to work in environments they don't like, companies are facing labor shortages in the coming years.

In order to attract and retain top talent, leaders must learn to navigate promotions, raises and feedback in a hybrid work environment.

If companies hope to attract top recruits in the 2020s, they increasingly realize they need to not only offer remote options, but figure out how to bring WFH employees into the fold.

Start With Career Pathing

Leaders committed to achieving excellence in these areas can fix potential issues by gathering feedback from both in-office and remote staff. Addressing concerns around career progression, ensure bonuses and raises are fair, and develop career pathing rules that are inclusive of all workers, regardless of their location. With consistent effort and a sound strategy, employees everywhere can feel connected to their employer and committed to the company’s success.