Guiding Your Team to Their Next Job

Ascending to Opportunities: The Pathway to Their Next Job.

We are merely guardians of our team members; our primary role is to prepare them for their next job.

When employees talk about their next job or career move, the conversation often resembles gossip. These discussions usually occur among peers rather than with managers. However, it’s crucial for managers to actively seek out and understand what their team members aspire to in their career growth, not just in the immediate term but for their future goals beyond their current roles.

My team was surprised when I encouraged them to think about preparing for their next job. I emphasized the importance of developing a plan—perhaps a 2-3 year plan—on how to leverage their current roles to move toward their desired career path. I helped them map out the skills they needed to acquire and the achievements they aimed for within this period to position themselves well for their next opportunity. Sometimes, they had to tactfully clarify that they weren’t actively job hunting, which I understood. My role is to prepare them for their future roles; the better prepared they are, the better I am doing my job.

Many employers see this approach as planning for turnover, especially when it involves top talent. While I would love to retain every talented individual, the reality is that turnover happens. Talent retention doesn’t start with creating barriers to prevent employees from seeking better opportunities; it begins with genuinely understanding their aspirations and showing that we care about their readiness for future roles. This not only helps retain talent but also enhances our ability to attract new talent.

As managers, we need to recognize that everyone’s career is transitional. Our responsibility is to ensure that our team members’ time in our organization is productive, that they contribute positively, and that they use their experiences to build a foundation for further growth.

If our organization grows alongside our top talent, we might become their next ideal job. If not, we wish them well, ensure their contributions are valuable, and focus on developing the next generation of talent.

Ultimately, we are guardians of our team’s potential. Our job is to ensure that the team performs at its best by equipping them to pursue their aspirations, achieve their goals, and advance to the next level.

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Also shared on LinkedIn.