Career paths | 139The path to successIn a shrinking labor market, offering a clear career path can be invaluable for recruiting and retaining workforce talent. Jordan Hart reportshe labor market continues to shrink. The ‘Great Resignation’, abandoning ship at their current company. As HR company Lattice which began in spring 2021 in the United States, has left detailed, Glassdoor found that ‘73 percent of employees change employers hard pressed to fll staffng vacancies. As workers employers to get ahead in their careers, while only 27 percent of Tcan afford to be choosey in terms of employment, companies need employees stayed at their current employer for their next role.’ to up the ante in terms of offerings. One way to do this is by clearly Lattice elaborated: ‘Having a detailed framework in place makes defning career paths within the organization to both attract and it easy for employees to understand which of their skills are retain employees. transferable to other departments and roles within an organization, In current hiring conditions, employers need to mind that and encourages internal career changes.’ If employees see a interviewees could be in communication with several companies, clear path at their company, their eyes may not wander to and potentially entertaining multiple job offers. As an employer, other employers. you need to differentiate yourself. By showing a potential employee The label printing industry is not just struggling to keep what their career path could like look within your organization, they employees from competitors; retirement may be a bigger threat can envision a successful career for themselves at the company. than competition. With an older workforce, succession planning As Claudia St John, president of Affnity HR Group, says: ‘Whether for roles company-wide is crucial. If employees are laying out you are trying to attract talent or keep talent, nobody wants to career paths for all of their employees, then it is easier to see who think that what they are doing at this moment in time is what is eligible to move into a new role when another employee leaves they are going to do fve days a week for the rest of their lives.’ or retires. As Glassdoor explained, with career paths ‘you can have However excited your potential hire may be about the position, candid conversations with employees about future planning and they will eventually want more from their career. Laying out a clear invest in their journey to develop the skills and knowledge needed career path demonstrates that your company can offer a fulflling to fll highly-specialized senior positions.’ This is one way to close employment environment in the long run. the knowledge gap in the print industry. Affnity HR recently encouraged their clients to ‘visualize the talent they seek and work to understand what their desired HR perspective employees are looking for’. St John cautions: ‘Too often, business To get an HR professional’s perspective on career planning, L&L leaders fail to recognize the unique needs and wants of their talent spoke to Claudia St John to get her input on career planning in the and focus instead on what they as employers want.’ Now more current labor market. than ever before, those hiring new employees need to recognize ‘The labor pool is shrinking so there is always going to be a tight what their potential and current employees need and want if they race for talent; if all you are doing is trying to take somebody and want to grow and retain their workforce. While employers may be plunk them in a job and give them ten more bucks an hour, you able to hire someone for minimum wage, that may not be a wise aren’t going to keep them,’ says St John. ‘I think everything is on decision for the business in the long run; hiring new employees is the table. Employers should be looking at career paths, succession not just about getting people, it is about getting the right people. planning, compensation, perks, benefts, workplace structure, However, hiring new employees may prove to be easier than scheduling, hybrid, you name it.retaining current ones. Even before the ‘Great Resignation’, ‘In this time when it is very hard to fnd talent, having a clear, employees knew that the best way to get ahead was often by intentional development plan for your workforce is an asset. Everybody wants to know how they can grow professionally and being deliberate and intentional about that growth through “The label printing industry fnding mentors, identifying key tasks and responsibilities that will get you is not just struggling to to the next level if you achieve them, and seeing where your progression keep employees from can take you is fundamental.’competitors; retirement may be an even bigger threat”Jan - Mar 2022