What is upward mobility?
Upward mobility is essentially the rate at which employees advance into new positions.
An upward-moving role does not necessarily mean the next level up in the chain of command, though this is often the case. Positions with higher compensation and greater growth potential can also be advancements. In other words, an employee can move upward through a promotion or a complete role change.
Why upward mobility matters (and how it benefits business)
For employees, opportunities for growth are an essential part of job satisfaction. Without any upward prospects to strive for, it can be easy for professionals to disengage from their work. In many cases, the employee in question will grow restless, ultimately looking elsewhere to fulfill their career aspirations.
For that reason alone, developing opportunities for upward mobility can be extremely valuable. When employees see that there is space to advance within their company, they are often more motivated to succeed.
Upward mobility benefits not just the individual but the business as a whole. Here are some of the advantages that come with incorporating it into the workplace.
Prevents career stagnation
Self-starting professionals tend to have no shortage of long-term goals. And in a competitive business world, constantly looking for the next best thing is commonplace. The same is true for modern employees.
Lack of career development is among the most common reasons employees quit their jobs. If employees feel that they’ve exhausted their aspirations at a company, they can become bored and unmotivated.
Upward mobility can help employees avoid professional stagnation. If they see that there is always a way to advance, they’re more likely to feel satisfied with their trajectory at a single company.
Increases employee retention
In the same vein, a lack of prospective growth can lead to increased employee turnover. This can damage a business both financially and in terms of morale.
The energy and resources required to recruit, hire and train a new employee are significantly more than it takes to retain an existing one. The lower your employee retention rate is, the more cost you assume to replace personnel.
Additionally, high job turnover can have a negative impact on the team members who stay behind. Watching their peers move on to new pursuits can lead employees to evaluate their own satisfaction, which may result in even more losses.
Providing opportunities for upward mobility can reduce turnover caused by a lack of growth. That way, you can increase retention while giving employees something to strive for.
Enhances team flexibility
For some employees, lateral moves can be an advancement. Shifting to a completely different role can make for a fresh new challenge, especially if the new role presents its own opportunities for growth.
Lateral advancements also come with the added benefit of cross-functional collaboration. A person with experience in various roles may prove to be a useful link between departments. This allows employees from different backgrounds to pool their knowledge and expertise.
Cross-functional collaboration can result in a fresh set of ideas and inspiration. Plus, it promotes a culture of inclusion and flexibility across workplace teams.
Reveals employee versatility
Similarly, a shift in roles can reveal natural skillsets unknown even to the employees themselves.
In some cases, upward mobility can lead you to consider an employee for a role they may not have a traditional background for. When this happens, you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Opportunities for internal growth can prompt employees to explore unexpected career paths. The discovery of a natural talent or newfound passion can make employees meld well with positions outside of their usual realm.
Builds employee loyalty
Beyond encouraging employees to simply stay with your company, upward mobility can also enhance their sense of loyalty.
Employee loyalty has the added benefits of increasing productivity and fostering a positive work environment overall. A team with a strong sense of loyalty is driven by purpose in regard to the company itself—not just their individual careers.
Building loyalty among your employees can also result in higher job satisfaction levels. Those who see their work as valuable tend to bring motivation and passion to the workplace on a daily basis.
Creating upward mobility opportunities
The host of benefits associated with upward mobility makes it worthy of employer focus. By helping your employees advance, you can strengthen your company culture as a whole.
Luckily, there are a wide range of things you can do to promote it within your team. Here are some ways to create opportunities for upward mobility.
Develop an employee mentorship program
An employee mentorship program can help your team members take active steps toward their professional goals. Setting up mentor-mentee pairings is a great developmental opportunity and a cost-effective way to provide growth opportunities.
Peer mentorship programs can provide employees with useful cross-skills that they can use to transition to a new sector of your company. Plus, it can provide new collaboration opportunities that could result in a fresh perspective on existing tasks.
Create employee-specific development plans
Building individual development plans can help employees fend off career stagnation. They’ll not only pinpoint a direction for their next steps but also establish actionable ways to get there.
Creating development plans can be a collaborative process between employees and their team leaders. This can help each individual identify their professional goals and with guidance that will help achieve them. It also demonstrates your company’s vested interest in helping each employee feel professionally fulfilled.
Promote from within
Promoting from within is one of the simplest ways to facilitate upward mobility. This gives employees an opportunity for advancement without requiring them to take on a completely different role. Looking in-house to fill a position has the added benefit of conserving the resources it takes to recruit and hire an outside applicant.
Adopt a culture-add approach
When looking to fill an open role, it’s tempting to choose applicants with a background comparable to their predecessor. However, this kind of culture-fit approach may eliminate quality candidates before they’re even considered.
Adopting a culture-add strategy can help you avoid this habit. Considering internal employees for a role—even if they have a different set of skills—can be a good way to promote upward mobility.
Prioritize employee development
Investing in your employees ultimately means investing in your business. Failing to provide opportunities to learn and grow can leave them feeling unsatisfied—and looking for a change.
Consider providing more opportunities for employee development. Not only can this lead to upward mobility, but it can also help your team identify a driving purpose in the work they do.
