How To Create a Career Progression Framework

It includes entry-level positions, mid-level roles, and senior leadership roles. This is accompanied by detailed descriptions of each role, including responsibilities, required skills, expectations, and the specific skills, behaviors, and competencies needed for each level.

Developing a career progression framework is a strategic process that involves several key steps. Your role as an HR professional is to help design and implement your organization’s framework.

Step 1: Determine your company’s needs

Understand your organization’s current and future needs in terms of roles, skills, and leadership.

→ Try this: Conduct surveys and interviews with current employees and leadership to gather insights on existing gaps and future needs.

Step 2: Define clear job levels and titles

Establish a hierarchy of roles within the organization, each with a clear title and level.

→ Try this: Ensure consistency in naming and leveling across departments to avoid confusion and ensure fairness.

Step 3: Develop role descriptions

Create detailed job descriptions for each title, including responsibilities, required skills, and success metrics.

→ Try this: Involve current job holders and managers in the process to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Step 4: Identify competencies

Define the skills and behaviors needed at each career stage.

→ Try this: Use a competency framework that aligns with the industry standard and can be adapted as roles evolve.

Step 5: Create evaluation criteria

Determine how performance for each role will be measured using both qualitative and quantitative data.

→ Try this: Develop clear, objective, and measurable criteria to facilitate fair assessments and feedback.

Step 6: Map career paths

Outline potential career progression paths for employees. Show possible vertical (Manager track) and lateral (Specialist or Expert track) movement within the organization.

→ Try this: Make these paths flexible to accommodate individual employee strengths and career aspirations.

Step 7: Develop supporting policies and procedures

Establish policies that support career progression, such as promotion criteria, transfer requests, and employee development cycles.

→ Try this: Clearly communicate these policies to ensure organizational transparency and understanding.

Step 8: Implement training and development programs

Provide training programs that help employees develop the necessary skills and competencies for advancement.

→ Try this: Offer a mix of in-house training, external courses, and mentoring opportunities.

Step 9: Monitor and evaluate the framework

Review and update the career progression framework regularly to make sure it meets the changing needs of the organization and its workforce.

→ Try this: Set up a feedback loop with employees to continuously improve the framework based on actual experience and changing conditions.

Step 10: Communicate the framework

Ensure that all employees understand the career progression framework and how they can advance within the organization.

→ Try this: Use multiple communication channels, such as meetings, your intranet, and training sessions, to ensure the message reaches everyone effectively.