We’re right in the middle of our editorial series about the things that attract career-seekers to opportunities – and that make them want to stay. This time around, let’s take a look at how career-seekers and employees view growth in the workplace in relation to their willingness to join up and stay with companies.
- CAREER-SEEKERS WANT PERFORMANCE-BASED ADVANCEMENT.
Career-seekers and actual employees – especially those of us belonging to the Millennial and Generation Z groups – believe that skills, output and results are the true measures of professional value.
This contrasts with traditional beliefs of appraisal through tenure, which had been prevalently practiced by more conservative organizations at various points in modern history. It is difficult to determine if this practice has ended or not, since it is an open secret; companies that adhere to it never say outright that they do.
It is kept a secret for the simple reason that it discourages employees with short tenure from doing their best and staying with the company for the long term. Knowing that the seniority of others will be considered as more valid promotion criteria than their own competence and performance, highly-capable employees become less and less engaged in their work, while actively searching for potential employers that could give them opportunities to advance based on their abilities and capacity to deliver results.
More contemporary generations of career-seekers and employees have seen this at some point in their lives, whether through personal experience or anecdotes from colleagues. We are aware of the risks, and try to identify signs of performance-based advancement when researching our prospect employers. We try to see if companies’ leaders are predominantly made up of senior officers or not. We are also aware of other forms of railroading and unjust career advancement driven by favoritism, manipulation or intimidation. We stay away from those companies with unprofessional advancement policies, and pursue and nurture careers with those that encourage and enable performance-based career growth.
As professionals, we commit ourselves to organizations where our accomplishments count towards our value, and where we will be entrusted new privileges and responsibilities based on what we can do. And this is something worth remembering and considering in decision-making, for career-seekers, employees and employers alike.