How to design effective career mobility programs to boost employee engagement & build talent pipelines

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A must-read for talent leaders: Career mobility tips from the experts.

In this guide, we'll go over the proven strategies we've executed with Fortune 500 companies, and cover:

→ Why career mobility is essential for employee success
→ Strategies for designing effective career mobility programs
→ How to overcome common road blocks
→ How to effectively measure outcomes

Table of contents

• Chapter 1: Know your "why": Understanding career mobility and its impact on employee success
• Chapter 2: Strategies for designing an effective career mobility program
• Chapter 3: Overcoming common challenges with career mobility
• Chapter 4: Measuring and evaluating internal mobility outcomes: 3 key KPIs to track
• Chapter 5: Case studies of successful career mobility programs

Chapter 1

Know your "why": Understanding career mobility and its impact on employee success

63% of workers who quit their jobs in 2021 cited “no opportunities for advancement” as a reason for leaving, according to a Pew Research Center study.

Your employees want to achieve career mobility to achieve personal and professional goals.

In this chapter, we’ll cover:

→ An example of a career mobility journey
→ The benefits of cultures of internal mobility
→ Key labor market statistics talent leaders should know

If you want the workforce of the future, you’re going to have to build it. 

More than 1 billion jobs will be transformed by technology alone in the next 10 years.

While the World Economic Forum predicts that technological transformation will also create jobs, we will still need a massive reskilling effort to match skills to jobs. 

On the other hand, employees are feeling the heat:

• 78% of employees feel they lack the skills to advance their career 
• 70% feel unprepared for the future of work
• 47% of workers are concerned they’ve been held back by not having the right experience, the right education, or access to training programs

The concept of career mobility (the professional movement of an individual into a new role) connects what employers need – new skills to support company growth – with what employees want and need as well – growth into careers that pay more, provide more stability, offer more flexibility, or are simply a better fit for their interests. 

Career mobility connects what employers need – new skills – with what employees want – better pay, stability, & flexibility.

Career mobility can be accomplished at scale through employer-provided programs that offer education, training, and skilling opportunities to employees.

In addition, these programs also usually include:

• Employee support services
• Career exploration guidance
• Demonstrated pathways
• ...and more

Let's take it a step further. At a socioeconomic level, with technology evolving and equality gaps rapidly widening, the world is increasingly looking toward employers to close the opportunity divide with investments in skilling and career mobility. 

Career mobility enriches the personal and professional lives of employees. 

By offering opportunities for vertical, lateral, and hybrid career mobility, career mobility programs enable employees to:

• Cultivate diverse skill sets
• Acquire new perspectives
• Better adapt for jobs in the future of work

An example career mobility journey

For example, a customer service representative could pursue a technological certificate and then move into an IT support role — using their experience in customer service but gaining technical skills as well.

From there, they could take further coursework to become:

• A cybersecurity specialist
• A data analyst 
• Or a software engineer

The possibilities are endless.

But in order for programs to drive employee outcomes (promotions or job transitions), your programs need to align to roles that are relevant to your organization (more on this in Chapter 3).

Watch the video below to see how one Waste Management employee went from Dispatch to Pricing Analyst through their career mobility program.

“A large part of me wanted to have a better career so that I can provide more for my family.”

Robert G., Guild member promoted from Dispatch to Pricing Analyst at WM

Benefits of launching a career mobility program

Career mobility programs serve as a powerful tool for talent outcomes within organizations. 

1. Promotes retention

First, it promotes retention.

By offering opportunities to advance vertically or explore lateral moves, these programs demonstrate your company’s commitment to employees’ professional growth and aspirations. 

This commitment, in turn:

• Nurtures a sense of loyalty and engagement among employees
• Reduces turnover rates and
• Preserves company knowledge

2. Boosts talent attraction

Beyond talent retention, career mobility programs help attract high-performing individuals.

Here's why.

These programs signal to potential candidates that the organization values and invests in its employees' development — a compelling value proposition as more and more employees prioritize career growth. 

For example, The Walt Disney Company has found that 1 in 4 applicants cite Disney Aspire — the organization’s tuition-free education, skilling, and career mobility program — as their primary reason for applying to hourly roles at the company (as of August 2022).

3. Cultivates a culture of learning

Furthermore, career mobility programs cultivate a culture of opportunity – bringing continuous learning & development to the forefront while helping you stand out to prospective employees.

By encouraging employees to broaden their skills, knowledge, and experiences, these programs foster an environment where individuals are motivated to stay current with industry trends and adapt to evolving demands.

4. Improves your bottom line

Beyond talent outcomes, an HBR article outlines the benefits that companies see when they invest in talent development for low-wage workers in particular: 

• Increased productivity
• Easier time filling critical positions
• Improvements in customer service
• Enhanced ability to attract frontline workers
• Improved ability to meet diversity goals

Chapter 2

Strategies for designing an effective career mobility program

What are the programs you can launch today that will foster career mobility in your organization?

Career mobility drives the best outcomes when programs are intentionally designed for access, impact, and strategic alignment.

In this chapter, we’ll cover:

→ Specific examples of pivotal programs to implement
→ Best practices for talent leaders getting started with career mobility
→ Key labor market statistics talent leaders should know

1. Add mentorship and coaching programs

Mentorship and dedicated coaching can go a long way in helping individuals navigate and succeed in growing their careers. A mentorship initiative pairs employees with mentors who provide guidance, support, and insights into career development. 

Separate from formal mentorship, dedicated coaching can also be particularly useful in helping employees navigate program options, persist in coursework, and move into new roles. 

The reality?

Many working adult learners are juggling family responsibilities, work, and school, and may need additional support and guidance.

Some of your employees may have never been to college, or may even be the first in their family to attend. Coaching can help this group gain the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed.

2. Implement skills assessments and talent development plans

To ensure the success of a career mobility program, employers should implement skills assessment and talent development plans. These plans involve:

• Assessing employees' current skill sets
• Identifying areas for improvement
• Crafting tailored development strategies

By conducting thorough skills assessments, organizations can gain insights into employees' strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations, allowing them to align career mobility opportunities with individuals' developmental needs. 

For example, talent development programs that foster career mobility can include:

• Targeted training programs 
• Educational courses 
• Experiential learning opportunities 

For a deeper dive, check out our ultimate guide on how to structure education and training to foster career mobility. 

3. Enable job rotations and cross-functional projects

Job rotation entails temporarily assigning employees to different roles within the organization, enabling them to gain exposure to diverse functions, departments, and responsibilities. 

This experience:

• Broadens employees' skill sets
• Deepens their understanding of the business
• And cultivates a well-rounded perspective. 

Cross-functional projects, on the other hand, involve collaborating with colleagues from different teams or departments to work on specific initiatives.

These projects:

• Encourage collaboration
• Enhance communication skills
• Promote cross-pollination of ideas

4. Heavily promote internal job postings 

Internal job postings inform employees about available positions within the organization, giving them a chance to explore new opportunities before external candidates are considered. 

Consider including information about the courses and pathways that lead to new roles so individuals know what skills they need to qualify. 

Here's why: Transparent promotion mechanisms provide a clear path for career progression, motivating individuals to work towards specific goals and perform at their best. 

Transparent promotion mechanisms provide a clear path for career progression, motivating individuals to work towards specific goals and perform at their best. 

Finally, make sure to instill internal mobility in the culture and celebrate managers who successfully promote their employees — whether within or beyond their teams.

5. Encourage networking and professional development opportunities

Networking events, conferences, and industry-specific gatherings allow employees to connect with professionals from diverse backgrounds, share knowledge, and build valuable relationships. 

For example, consider sponsoring a number of employees to attend these conferences. You can make it an engaging giveaway and promote it through your Employee Resource Groups. 

These opportunities:

• Expand employees' professional networks
• Expose them to new ideas
• Enhance their visibility within the industry

Additional best practices for implementing a career mobility program

They most effective career mobility programs are intentional and inclusive in their design, unlocking opportunity for employees at every level, including: 

• Visible career pathways: Clear and visible career paths, so individuals know how they can reach the goals they set for themselves
• Equitable career resources: Career support structures and tools to help employees navigate their careers — regardless of background
• Internal promotion and excitement: Effective marketing of the program to employees to drive adoption, via onboarding materials, email, SMS, employee intranet, on-site, and more
• Clear KPIs: Continuous measurement of career mobility outcomes (mostly promotions and internal career changes) to actively prove career mobility's ROI – in addition to straightforward metrics like course completions and NPS scores

Chapter 3

Overcoming challenges in career mobility programs

New initiatives – no matter how great – rarely come to life without meeting some friction.

In this chapter, we’ll cover:

→ The challenges that employers face when rolling out career mobility program
→ Why these challenges arise
→ How you can overcome them

1. Employee resistance to change

Employees may feel apprehensive about stepping out of their comfort zones or transitioning into new roles —or they may simply be exhausted by another major organizational change and tune out any information about the program to begin with.

How to overcome this challenge:

Employers should prioritize communication and transparency.

For example, you have to clearly articulate the purpose and benefits of your career mobility program, emphasizing how it aligns with the individual's professional growth and the organization's strategic objectives.

You have to clearly articulate the purpose and benefits of your career mobility program, emphasizing how it aligns with the individual’s professional growth and the organization’s strategic objectives.

Consider trying to:

• Highlight and promote success stories
• Provide coaching support throughout the process to improve completion rates
• Offer tools and assessments to help employees explore interests
• Solicit employee input to foster an environment of trust
• Provide clear information and offer resources for adaptation

2. Recognizing and addressing real skills gaps

Roughly 44% of workers will need to retrain this decade if we have any hope of filling the current skills gap. 

Organizations will need to invest in training and development that aligns with the skills of the future — as well as skills that support organizational strategy. 

How to overcome this challenge:

To start, combine market data with thorough skills assessments to identify skill gaps and provide targeted learning opportunities that can bridge those gaps. 

Then, collaborate with employees to create individualized development plans that combine:

• Normal training and education 
• Mentorship and coaching
• On-the-job learning and stretch projects 
• Cross-functional experiences 

It's also critical to acknowledge varying employee needs.

In our recent article about the “owning your own development” fallacy, we highlight why it’s imperative that you:

• Recognize the fact that your employees are running the career mobility race from different starting points
• Provide the appropriate supports (technical, emotional, or otherwise) to make mobility attainable for everyone

Chapter 4

Measuring and evaluating the success of internal mobility programs

Internal mobility programs can have a major impact on talent strategy — but to ensure the maximum impact, you need to measure it. 

In this chapter, we’ll discuss:

→ Which metrics you should be evaluating to gauge success
→ How to measure the ROI of internal mobility
→ Additional resources for folks who want to dive deeper

Too often the impact of internal mobility on a company’s bottom line is overlooked. 

By collecting and analyzing relevant data, organizations can:

• Gain insights into program outcomes
• Identify areas for improvement
• Make data-driven decisions to enhance the success of these initiatives

$3 average savings for every $1 invested through Guild.

Average of all ROI analyses conducted by Guild for employer partners as of 1/1/2023

There are certainly metrics that matter for career mobility – and one's that don't.

3 key KPIs to track the progress of internal mobility programs

Here, we’ll cover the most prevalent key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used to assess the effectiveness of career mobility programs and gauge their impact on employees and the organization as a whole.

1. Employee satisfaction

Understanding if employees have a positive experience with the program is crucial to its success. 

How do you do this?

You can can conduct regular surveys or feedback sessions to:

• Gauge employee perceptions of the program's effectiveness
• Gather NPS scores
• Track levels of engagement
• Monitor overall satisfaction with their career development opportunities

Bottom line? High levels of employee satisfaction indicate that the program is helping create a positive employee experience, leading to increased:

• Motivation
• Productivity
• Retention

2. Internal promotions

Listen: Employee satisfaction is an important indicator to measure, but true impact is discerned from real outcomes. 

The goal of career mobility should be to build the skills needed for the future of work and to fill internal talent pipelines for in-demand roles.

Here's why that's important:

The ultimate outcome of skills investments should be whether employees are moving into new roles, and your business is gaining the skills it needs to grow. 

The ultimate outcome of skills investments should be whether employees are moving into new roles, and your business is gaining the skills it needs to grow. 

Think about:

• Promotion rates: Are employees advancing into senior positions or manager roles? Mobility should be about more than moving up in your lane, but advancement into senior roles is still important for businesses and individuals.
• Job replacement rates: Are employees in your learning programs actually getting moved into new jobs internally? Are you filling high-priority roles in-house?
• Career changes: How many employees are entering entirely new fields within your company?

Many organizations are already focused on internal career mobility as a key ingredient of their larger talent strategy. 

JP Morgan Chase touts the fact that one third of open positions are filled by internal candidates. 

And here's another example.

Chipotle, participants in the company’s education and skilling program are 6x more likely to move into management positions (as of June 2022). Target is investing in tuition-free education and turning hourly associates into software engineers.

3. Retention rates

At its core, mobility is about role movement.

But there are other concrete benefits to an organization’s talent strategy. 

Retention is a primary metric to consider — if individuals are growing at the company, they are also retaining.

For example, Guild members were 1.5x less likely to leave their employer in the last 12 months relative to non-members, at no cost to the employer.

And don't miss this important detail:

Guild has found that even individuals who engage with the program but aren’t yet enrolled — who we call members — are 1.5x less likely to leave their employer in the last 12 months relative to non-members, at no cost to the employer.

Chapter 5

Case studies of successful career mobility programs: From retail, to healthcare, and beyond

Several companies are on the bleeding edge of career mobility, making investments in their employees that are paying dividends in terms of talent attraction, retention, internal promotion, DE&I and more. 

In this chapter, we’ll look at some internal mobility programs that inspire, and share additional resources to explore. 

Walmart (Retail)

Walmart provides an example of a company dedicated to providing the learning and support needed to prepare its workforce for the future.

This retail giant has led the way for employers in offering a broad range of employer-sponsored education options that enable employees to build new skills and careers, including:

• Foundational offerings such as high school completion and English language learning
• Short-form programs, such as business analytics and project management
• Associate’s and bachelor’s degrees

Participants in the program were 2x more likely to be promoted and had 4x lower attrition compared to non-participants.

Tyson Foods (Consumer Packaged Goods)

Tyson Foods provides career opportunity to all employees with tuition-free education.

To serve a large population of immigrants and refugees within its workforce, the company designed a program that covers:

• Language learning
• Digital and financial literacy
• GED programs
• Skilling and higher education options

“We’re investing in the future of our team members and providing the tools and resources they need to be successful, both personally and professionally. Whether they’re learning a new language, earning a college degree or gaining skills to help build their career, this program is helping our team members thrive.”

Donnie King, President and CEO, Tyson Foods

Bon Secours Mercy Health (Healthcare)

For Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH), their education, skilling, and career mobility program is a new workforce supply strategy. 

To address the acute talent shortage in healthcare, the health system is tapping their existing workforce by creating new opportunities for education and skill-building aligned closely to career pathways in high demand.

By funding tuition and providing robust guidance and support, BSMH is enabling its people to grow into new (often higher paying) roles.

Bottom line? Career mobility programs drive meaningful organizational and people outcomes. 

Josh Bersin's research on career pathways has shown that the singular most impactful practice for driving business, talent, and innovation outcomes is “creating extensive opportunities for career growth.”

When implemented strategically, career mobility programs drive talent outcomes for employers — boosting retention, attraction, development, and more — and create opportunity for employees.

The program itself is just one piece of the puzzle.

Not sure where to start?

Check out our complete guide on how to create a career mobility strategy, or download the PDF for later in the form below.