Are companies over promising career advancement?

Making a company look attractive to potential employees is an art form. Look no further than company websites – they have entire sections devoted to what it means to be an employee at the company. Mission, vision and values are highlighted by photos of fun company activities, where people are engaging in outdoor adventures. Not only is the company a great place to work – it’s a fun place to work – and they want you to know it.
Companies even position employees as being part of a larger community or family, such as Westjeters, Metamates and Amazonians. Specific titles are getting more creative as well, think chief innovation evangelist, director of amazement and head of hype and culture. The list, and creativity, goes on … and so do the expectations put on employees.
The promise of a great job, in a great company, with even greater things to come is here to stay. But can companies live up to those promises, especially the one about career advancement. Not only can you grow, but you can also excel and quickly – a promise that is hard to keep.
The HR world is flooded with stories about how people, after a short time in the role, quit for a seemingly better, more advanced role at a different company when they feel they have quickly ‘mastered’ their current job. Similarly, supervisors are inundated with requests for promotion. For the employee, the role feels routine after six months and they were told, from the beginning, that there will be lots of opportunity for growth.
For the longest time, we have been blaming the new generation employee – the entitled ones who don’t want to work as hard as the rest of us but want the rewards. Perhaps, however, companies may be the ones to blame by promising the sun, moon and stars from the beginning. The employee is taking that to heart and expects to climb the ladder quickly.
At the interview stage, companies will promise a career of role progression, pay increases and a far from basic benefit plan (think wellness account spending, paid days off for participation in charitable causes and discounts at popular retailers and restaurants). The candidate finds themselves joining a company where they will be on the fast track. Career advancement is a given, as employees are told.
Missing in the promise of career advancement is what companies expect for it to happen, such as an exceptional level of hard work, learning and listening, as well as a proactive approach on where their career is headed. This could be the main caveat in today’s recruitment and career planning conversation – the company is quick to tell what the candidate can expect to receive, but not telling them what they expect to get first.
It’s time for employers to start articulating, in the full employee lifecycle, what they expect in return for the great pay, benefits, environment and, most importantly, career advancement.
Beginning
State clearly how being successful in the role will require an openness to learn from others, patience to master skills and being comfortable with failure enough to try again. This is how career advancement starts – from listening and embracing the teachings of those with experience.
Middle
Engage the employee in a conversation about what career advancement looks like for them and for the company. For example, the employee may expect to move up in six months, but the reality is it will likely take two years. The employee should come away with a solid understanding of what is expected of them to progress in their role, how they prove it and the realistic timeline.
The prize
Career advancement happens, in terms of new role, new team and, especially, higher pay. What were the learning milestones and how differently do they feel about their work now rather than three years ago? Carve out the next progression point and its parameters through a joint conversation and the cycle of career advancement begins again.
The only promise the employer can make is to offer opportunities for growth and development. Great workplace culture, innovative benefits, fun times and all the other perks a company can bring should be aimed at supporting the employee through these opportunities. Career advancement should be a goal for the employee, not a promise from the employer.
Eileen Dooley is a talent and leadership development specialist, and a leadership coach, based in Calgary.