We’re proud to introduce the Career Compass, an online tool designed to support employees in planning their own tailored career journeys, setting professional goals, and identifying the skills and training needed to develop and progress. Career Compass is a strategic career mapping tool that not only empowers individuals but also aligns personal development with organisational future-proofing and success.
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What is career mapping?
Career mapping is a structured process that helps individuals identify potential career paths within an organisation and understand the steps needed to reach their professional goals. It involves analysing an employee’s current role, skills, strengths, and aspirations, and then plotting a route to future roles.
Career mapping is much more than a generic career plan. It’s a dynamic tool that can help align employee ambitions with your organisation’s structure, growth strategy, and evolving workforce needs. It ensures that the development is targeted, purposeful and beneficial to all.
With Career Compass, employees can explore various routes to progress within your organisation, access training recommendations, and get a clear picture of what they need to do to move forward.
What is Career Compass and how does it work?
Career Compass is an online tool that can be used by anyone working within your organisation. It’s a career mapping hub that provides information about all roles within the business, including how individuals can prepare and apply for different roles.
It can be configured to your organisation’s specific needs and the various different job roles that exist, through various grading structures, whatever your organisation’s people structure.
It enables straightforward access to all employees to see how they could potentially progress through your organisation and the specific training and/or qualifications required for each step. Career Compass can also be a useful hub, hosting and signposting a range of internal and external resources that staff can use to develop their skills, knowledge and map out their future career aspirations.
Career Compass can highlight any current vacancies that might be suitable for individual members of staff, and give them all the information they need to apply.
Essentially, it’s a tool that shows employees their possible paths of progression within your organisation and enables them to plan their own development journey to achieve their ambitions with you.
The benefits of career mapping for employees
Investing in career mapping tools like Career Compass sends a powerful message to employees: we care about your growth. When individuals feel empowered and can visualise their future with an organisation, they are more likely to stay, engage, and thrive. Here’s how employees can benefit from using Career Compass:
Clarity and direction
Many people struggle with knowing where they’re headed in their careers. Career mapping provides a clear, structured path, helping individuals understand how they can develop from their current role to where they want to be, and what steps are involved in getting there.
Self-ownership of development
Career mapping empowers employees to take responsibility for their own learning and development. It fosters a proactive mindset where individuals seek opportunities to grow, rather than waiting for them to be offered.
Skill gap analysis
By highlighting the skills required for future roles, career mapping can also identify areas for improvement in a staff member’s own experience or skillset and recommend relevant training or courses, making ongoing learning feel targeted and purposeful, with clear outcomes possible.
Increased motivation and engagement
When people feel that their employer and the wider organisation are invested in their growth, it’s great for morale. Career mapping helps individuals feel valued, supported, and more motivated to engage in their own journey and contribute meaningfully to the organisation as a whole.
The benefits of career mapping for employers
Career mapping is not just good for individuals looking to develop their own path – it can also be a game-changer for organisations.
Improved staff retention
One of the main reasons employees leave an organisation is a lack of career progression. Career mapping helps businesses tackle this by making career pathways visible and achievable, reducing turnover and retaining valuable talent.
Leadership planning
Identifying high-potential employees and developing them for future leadership roles is a great way for organisations to plan ahead too. Career mapping and the output from Career Compass help highlight internal candidates for critical roles before gaps emerge.
Smarter workforce planning
By analysing common career aspirations and skill gaps in the current workforce, organisations can start to forecast future training needs, inform learning and development strategies, and better align workforce development with business goals.
Boosted productivity and performance
Employees who know what they’re working towards are often more engaged and productive at work. Career mapping helps to ensure that their goals are aligned with your organisation’s strategic objectives, driving better performance outcomes all round.
Inclusive development opportunities
Career mapping provides a consistent framework for career development, helping to reduce bias and support progression across diverse teams.
Why organisations should offer career mapping to staff
The world of work is changing rapidly. Skills are evolving, expectations are rising, and employees are increasingly looking for more meaning and growth in their roles. To stay competitive, organisations must do more than recruit talent – they must develop it.
When you invest in career development:
- You attract ambitious, forward-thinking employees who want more than just a job.
- You build loyalty and trust within your teams.
- You future-proof your organisation against talent shortages and industry shifts.
- You create a culture of lifelong learning, innovation and resilience.
By embedding career mapping into your organisational development strategy, you’re not only supporting individuals – you’re building a stronger, more agile workforce for the future.
Find out more
Get started: find out more about Career Compass today
Our online tool is designed to empower employees, allowing them to set professional goals and identify the skills and training needed for development and progression.
Contact us for more details on Career Compass and how we can help your organisation develop your people.