A New Approach to Career Paths: Career Latticing – Benefits and Pitfalls: Part 2
Last month, we looked at the concept of a career lattice approach to professional growth and development, rather than a career ladder with defined succession steps rising to the top of an organization. This month we will touch on the benefits and pitfalls of following a career lattice approach.
What are the benefits of a career lattice approach?
By moving into different areas of your profession, you can learn more about the background, concepts, and overall mission of what you choose to do. In research administration, it could mean much of what I have been fortunate to experience. 1. Additional skills that support the overall mission of research administration. 2. New networking opportunities across the field that provide mentor opportunities. 3. Continuous learning about the field and where you can fit in best to meet the overall needs of research administration. 4. Satisfaction that you are doing something that gives you additional skills and expertise to build into your next career move. 5. Flexibility in roles where you can create a better balance between career, family, and personal development or self-care. 6. A curated experience where you can grow without the expectations of supervisory roles that are less available and sometimes not a fit where you can thrive. Organizations can also benefit in adopting a career lattice approach. “The objective is to enhance career mobility options in your organization so employees don’t have to leave to find their next role.”1 Employees are empowered to define their own career path with support from managers. This can help with fostering “trust, physical, mental, and psychological safety and wellbeing.” 1 Organizations may be able to boost employee retention, save on recruitment costs, allow skills to be transferred across an organization, and see more engagement and knowledge-sharing between teams. This can allow employees to broaden their careers and experiences.2
What are the pitfalls of a career lattice approach?
Lattice, an online platform available to assist with career growth, identifies the following pitfalls that can make a career lattice approach tricky. This information can help managers and employees understand the constraints.2
1. The process may feel unstructured.
2. Career paths are less visible.
3. Talent-hoarding becomes more of an issue and managers can find it challenging to find these opportunities and support them with a star employee.
4. Data is critical for assisting all parties with looking at strengths to identify the best approach to career progression.
Summary
The career lattice approach does not suit everyone and there can be some strain on employees and managers to implement the process. Overall, the “greater flexibility and freedom of movement, employees could find it a little more challenging to understand their current position, how their role fits in, and the competencies and skills needed to progress to the next step.”2 However, these issues can be managed, particularly when understanding that the career lattice approach offers unique opportunities for self-driven career paths that can lead to less burn-out and less expectation that we all have to climb a ladder to be successful. Locking into this concept helped me better balance my professional and personal needs while understanding where I fit in with my organization. I appreciate the willingness of managers to provide alternative paths and help me develop a career where I can seriously say every day that I love what I do.
- Human Resource System Group (HRSG). (2023, July 6). Career Lattices: A New Approach to an Old Challenge.
- 2Hogg, Camille and Przystañski, Andy. (2024, June 10). What Is a Career Lattice? Lattice.
- Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Developing Employee Career Paths and Ladders.
- Indeed. Career Ladders & Career Lattices: Developing Them At Your Company. Veldsman, Dieter and van der Merwe, Marna. Career Lattice: How To Shift From Traditional Career Ladders. Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR).
Authored by Tonya Edvalson, MHA, CCRP, CHRC, Policy and Projects Analyst
UCLA
#Catalyst
#October2024
#ProfessionalDevelopment
#ManagementandOperations
#researchethicsandcompliance