For your employees’ careers, lattices are the new ladders

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As someone who started out as a reporter before opening her own marketing agency, I’m a big believer in unconventional career paths. Take a look at some of the members of the DS+CO team and you’ll know I’m telling the truth. One of our creative supervisors began her career at our office’s front desk. Another was a media buyer before she took on a new role as senior strategist. Even one of our copywriters spent time in public relations.

Why am I sharing these stories? Because they all took non-linear paths, which provided them with opportunities a conventional career path never could have.

The truth is that the corporate ladder mentality is outdated at best and career-inhibiting at worst. We owe it to our employees to rethink growth and provide them with the tools that best enable it. That doesn’t mean a singular path forward. Think of it this way: Great places to work don’t just promote people. They grow them, and that growth looks different for everyone.

So let’s do away with the corporate ladder and replace it with something far more effective: the career lattice.

What is a career lattice?

True to its name, the career lattice allows employees to grow through all kinds of lateral moves. That could mean cross-functional projects, rotational assignments or even specialized trainings. The key is to not feel beholden to any one particular path and to recognize that upward is not the only way to grow.

It’s not a new concept by any means, but it’s becoming increasingly relevant given our modern work environment. The changing landscape has provided newfound opportunities for employees and a flexibility that is ripe for growth. And the notion of the lattice is far more realistic and resilient in this dynamic economy, especially here in Greater Rochester, with its abundance of development opportunities.

Like any good opportunity, a business case can be made in its favor. According to a report from LinkedIn, companies that excel at internal mobility retain employees for an average of 5.4 years — almost twice as long as those that don’t. That’s a huge difference, one that lays the groundwork for a loyal team.

But what happens if a company ignores its employees’ desire to grow? Well, according to Aptitude Research, 77% of companies have lost talent due to a lack of career development opportunities. That’s a tough pill to swallow, especially considering another LinkedIn report found that 94% of employees would stay with a company if their employer invested in their learning and development.

Lattices expand abilities

By embracing a lattice approach to your employees’ career paths, you equip them with a wide range of abilities. Take the notion of skill velocity. Static promotions come with their fair share of learning opportunities, but they often take larger amounts of time. With lateral and rotational experiences, you can accelerate those learnings in a shorter window. Here’s an example: A marketing coordinator who spends six months in operations will gain a deeper understanding of new systems thinking. Or perhaps an art director who spends time with the media team learns how their creative shows up in the world. Both individuals come away with skills that make them more effective in their current roles — and set them up for the roles yet to come.

There’s also a lot to be said about how adaptable your team becomes thanks to career lattices. Let’s say a disruption of some sort arises. An employee departure, a sudden influx of work — whatever the situation, you need to handle it and usually don’t have much time to do so. But when your team is trained in multiple functions, it can pivot much faster and much more efficiently. Obviously, you don’t want to normalize these scenarios, but there’s a comfort in knowing you have the right team in place who can handle whatever comes their way.

With adaptability comes solidarity, which goes a long way in building a sense of belonging. Last month, I covered why business leaders need to make the business case for belonging, and career lattices can prove to be essential in that endeavor. With cross-departmental trainings and lateral moves, you make your employees feel valued, trusted and seen. These are the core drivers of belonging and retention, and it’s up to us to make them known. Doing so will reinforce our team’s sense of purpose.

And last, but certainly not least, career lattices support creative thinking. Any good creative will tell you that curiosity is an essential part of their job. Without it, you never dig deeper, you never uncover truths, and you never get to the root of any problem faced by clients and customers alike. By exposing your employees to different departments or areas of expertise, you can spark innovation that rigid hierarchies simply can’t match. Problem-solving, inspiration, ideation — all of these are essential skills that lattices can quickly build.

Implementing the lattice

The career lattice sounds great in theory, but how should business leaders put it into practice? Regardless of your company’s size, there are methods you can introduce and scale as needed.

First up, shadow days. Introduce day-in-the-life swaps where employees can follow a fellow colleague in another department or position. A few hours, a full day — whatever timeframe makes the most sense. It’s a great way to foster curiosity, which will make a tremendous difference for both your employees and your business.

Next, consider establishing short rotations. Think of it as a trial period of sorts, one that can last for a month or maybe even two. However long you decide, it’s important to remember the primary goal: to get an employee immersed in the functions of the role they’re interested in. It could be the precursor for a lateral move or even just a training opportunity. No matter what comes of these rotations, they’ll provide your employees with the cross-departmental education they seek.

But what if the rotation really piques your employee’s interest? What if they decide a new role is right for them? That’s where job crafting comes into play. This will take a great deal of collaboration between your managers and your employees, but at the end of the day, it’s a great way to build autonomy and ownership into an employee’s career path. Work with them to shape their roles in a way that allows them to explore their new interests while still meeting the needs of your business. Whether it’s an existing role or an entirely new position, this level of ownership will empower your employees to take the best path for them — while building a great deal of loyalty in the process.

But the only way any of this works, and I cannot stress this enough, is if you recognize the achievements your employees make. Regardless of the path they’re currently on or wish to explore, their skill-building and contributions will make a huge difference on their careers, not to mention having a massive effect on your business. Yes, you should recognize these achievements when reviews come around, but don’t underestimate the power of a public shoutout. They’re working hard to grow as individuals; we owe it to them to celebrate as a team.