The headline reads…

"Stop Offering Career Ladders. Start Offering Career Portfolios." That resonates. We don't have a traditional hierarchical system here at CDP. We are a team with different roles and levels of responsibility but not a ladder. For those joining our team, it can seem foreign and perhaps not in their best interest to not have a traditional career ladder for advancement. But the idea of offering a career portfolio more accurately reflects our work culture which contributes to a broader, more people-centric environment. Here how this looks at CDP:

1. We support lateral moves. Are you interested more in the nonprofit sector than housing development? We'll try and make room for you. Were you hired in as an office admin but find yourself interested in marketing? Or do you want to learn about grant administration instead of focusing on bookkeeping? Come on over. Supporting lateral moves can broaden the employee's experience and strengthen the overall team. In the old days we called it cross-training. Yes, it is. But it also helps plug people's work energy into their interests and helps them get where they want to go.

2. We don't move up, we grow deeper. Encouraging staff to expand their knowledge, learn new concepts and gain experience helps them in their current role and ultimately results in a healthier team and healthier company. I think of this as growing roots not climbing up. Providing credentialing, training options and encouraging staff to read, study, attend webinars or conferences is all part of helping them grow and develop. Providing for personal and professional development is something we CAN do and we SHOULD do.

3. Honesty is the best policy. Most people are not in their dream job and, let's face it, you probably cannot provide most people their dream job. Let's be honest about that from the start. While they are with you, in this season, have honest conversation about where they want to go and help them get there. They will be loyal and deliver great outcomes while staying motivated to learn under your shepherding.

Next time we are looking for a new hire, I'll consider adopting this "career portfolio" language. We long ago dismantled the 'career ladder,' but it's nice to have a replacement term that resonates.

-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP

#HR #communitydevelopmentprofessionals #nonprofits #leadership

Click HERE to read the Harvard Business Review article.