how to grow within a company
What to do if you want to change your role, the trajectory of professional development, but you don’t want to change your job?
Back in 2018, at one of the business conferences “GURU of the Future” the phrase was heard: “Career no longer means upward movement, and what we used to call the career ladder has become a “career grid.” People can move up, then to the side and even down, they gain new experience they need and move up again. Forward doesn't mean up anymore.”.
5 years have passed, the relevance of what was said has not changed. Companies live in a situation of constant change, and modern labor market conditions require specialists to improve their professionalism. At the same time, many specialists reach the “ceiling”, want to develop, but do not consider a vertical career and do not want to be managers.
In such a situation, the following problem is formulated:
Given: The company periodically adds specialists who are ready to change the trajectory of their careers. The reasons are different: the tasks are no longer inspiring, there is a desire to learn new skills or already have skills that are not used in the current role, the search for new challenges and opportunities, the desire to influence the level of payment, but in the current situation this is impossible, the desire to try and test yourself – “ what if…?”.
Question: What should a company do in this situation?
It seems like it's a choice without a choice. If an employee is productive, talented, and contributes to the company’s results, losing him is a big risk for the company – finding and training new employees to be effective is very costly, both in money and resources.
Answer: Organization of an internal career development system within one company.
The ongoing operation of such a system reflects not only the individual desire for professional development of specialists, but also the organization's desire to retain talented employees and provide them with growth prospects.
In the article we will tell you what we at Avtomakon are doing now to realize the opportunity to upgrade a career, what is in the development stage, what is only planned, and we will share the stories of those who took advantage of this opportunity, dared to change their career path and decided to develop within the company.
We hope that this will serve as inspiration for those who are still deciding where to move next.
Rise to the top of your career
Our main drive is to create cool services that are used by millions of people (for example, the VkusVill application). Great products are created by strong teams, and such teams are made up of experts. Therefore, we are interested in the growth and development of specialists. To do this, we improve HR processes, conduct loyalty research, and work to provide employees with career opportunities.
Analyzing feedback from employees, we noted a request for transparency in career development and questions about the possibility of moving from team to team, or changing roles in the company. Therefore, we launched the “Level UP” rotation program (so far only in the direction of “VkusVill”), thanks to which you can seamlessly “move” within the company to another role, to another team.
Initially, the process was implemented “on the knees” – applications were collected in a Google spreadsheet. After receiving the application, HR contacted the employee, found out the reasons for the decision, clarified whether the employee’s manager knew about the employee’s desire, then identified possible options for vacancies and organized meetings and interviews. If the decision was positive, the leaders of both teams agreed on the timing of the transition – it was important to find a replacement and transfer matters to her, so as not to “expose” the old team.
A few months later, it became clear that this manual management format was inconvenient given the company’s growth and the opening of new vacancies that might be of interest to existing employees. Messages began to appear in chats about the search for specialists not only under the Green Light program (when employees recommend friends and acquaintances and, if the decision is positive, receive financial motivation), but also with an offer to try their hand at employees working in the company. In addition, HR specialists began to receive requests not only to change the role, but also to change the team – different tasks, different specifics of work. Therefore, we are now in the process of launching an automated business process on Bitrix for all areas of the company, in which all employees can submit a request for internal rotation.
Additionally, we are working on descriptions of career tracks for different roles in the company. To support active and growth-oriented specialists, we conduct internal training: lectures, trainings, marathons, quizzes, business games, master classes. If it is important for a specialist to undergo external training, we are ready to cover the costs. We are also preparing personnel reserve programs. At the moment, we have launched the first stream for the position of team leaders, we are planning to develop such programs for other roles.
Stay to grow
Developing a career within a company has a number of advantages, benefits, and features that it would be better to be prepared for in advance.
Several advantages of internal career transitions have been identified:
Knowledge of the company. Working within a company, an employee has the opportunity to better understand its structure, processes, products and services, which makes the transition to a new position easier.
Fast decision making. The company's management is already familiar with the professional qualities of the employee, which allows them to quickly make a decision on his appointment to a new position.
Less stress. Moving within a company reduces the stress associated with adapting to a new work environment and team.
Growth prospects require a specialist to be prepared for constant learning and improvement of skills, as well as for possible competition with colleagues. Therefore, we always warn that difficulties may arise: an increase in workload, the need to simultaneously study and fulfill current responsibilities, difficulty adapting to a new role. We provide support from HR – training, consultations, cross-adaptation – while also expecting input from the employee himself.
What should be prepared for those who plan to develop within the company:
The need to develop new skills. When moving to a new position, an employee may need to develop new competencies. A company interested in the growth and development of its workforce must provide training and development opportunities for employees so that they can learn the new skills and knowledge needed to successfully perform new tasks. This often includes training, mentoring support and access to internal resources.
Competition. There may be other employees within the company who are also vying for promotion. This creates some competition between colleagues.
Improving communication skills. Internal transitions require good communication between employees, management and departments. Managers and colleagues must be prepared to support and facilitate the employee in his new role, providing the necessary information and resources to successfully complete tasks.
Transparency and honesty. The company must ensure transparency and honesty in the internal transition process so that employees feel fair and have equal opportunities for career growth. This may include honest performance reviews, objective criteria for promotion, and transparency in the selection process for job openings.
Real stories of career jumps
What difficulties might you encounter on the path to your dream career, what skills are worth mastering, and what resources will you need for this? We addressed these questions to the specialists of the Avtomakon company, who took part in the internal rotation program. They shared their career stories and gave recommendations to those planning to continue their development.
Veronica Afanasenko
from assistant manager to 1C analyst (in the company for 1 year)
Why did you decide to consider rotation?
I would like to work in a team that is developing the Meteor service. I had no experience as an analyst before, but I would really like to start developing in this area.
What specific steps did you take to successfully transition to a new position within the company?
In the current position, I performed functions that overlapped with the new position. That is, she did not turn to her colleagues for help, but wrote technical specifications for the teams herself. I adopted the experience of my colleagues, asked them to teach me how to do this or that action, instead of asking them to help every time, since they have the competencies.
What skills or qualities were particularly important for the transition to a new position?
Knowledge of the company structure, understanding of what certain departments do, and who to contact. The ability to quickly adapt to new things. Independent search for solutions. Desire to develop in your chosen field.
How did you solve the difficulties or challenges associated with changing your position?
By reading additional literature. Thanks to adaptation from management.
What resources and support did the company provide to you during the transition? What resources or training programs were most helpful to you during the transition process?
We provided regulations and training on the topics of my new position. Managers have shared and continue to share their work experience, guide all employees and give feedback, and also share articles and books on the topic of work in this position. At first, the manager works especially closely with the new employee – this really helps to quickly become immersed in the specifics.
How did you manage your time and priorities during the transition to your new role?
Priorities for tasks in the team are determined by management and we organize work in accordance with the priority. For the first 2 months I provided support to my previous department; their questions were always a priority for me, depending on their urgency.
What lessons did you learn from your transition experience that you would share with other employees?
It is important to transfer business and skills to your colleagues from the previous department as early as possible.
What advice would you give to someone who is also considering moving to a new role within a company?
Chat with colleagues who work in the desired position. Ask questions about the job that interest you. Start learning from the experience of your colleagues.
How does your new position fit with your professional goals and ambitions?
I wanted to immerse myself as much as possible in the popular and promising IT field. This position allows you to learn more about the work of employees in this area and delve into the processes. I would like to become a full-fledged business analyst, and the current position closely correlates with it and allows me to develop in this direction.
Larisa Krylatova
from 1C analyst to project manager in the “Project Office” direction (in the company for 5 years)
Why did you decide to consider rotation?
I wanted more global projects, to develop in a new direction, I had long outgrown my level of work.
What specific steps did you take to successfully transition to a new position within the company?
I filled out the transition form, then took a test project for myself, wrote a description, independently read several books on project management, and successfully transferred the project to work.
What skills or qualities were particularly important for the transition to a new position?
Determination, not being afraid to leave the previous place and start all over again, resistance to stress, ability to learn quickly.
How did you solve the difficulties or challenges associated with changing your position?
I’m used to the fact that there are always difficulties, and not only when moving to a new position, so I didn’t really feel any special difficulties, since I was ready.
What resources and support did the company provide to you during the transition? What resources or training programs were most helpful to you during the transition process?
I studied everything on my own.
How did you manage your time and priorities during the transition to your new role?
I managed it easily, planned when and what I would do, so there were no overlaps.
What advice would you give to someone who is also considering moving to a new role within a company?
When moving to another position, you do not need to choose from what is currently available in vacancies; wait for the vacancy that will be of interest to you.
How does your new position fit with your professional goals and ambitions?
In my new role, I now do a lot of things that I didn’t have enough authority to do in my previous one.
Irina Shevtsova
from 3rd category consultant to 1C consultant (in the company for 2 years)
Why did you decide to consider rotation?
I wanted career growth and salary growth.
What specific steps did you take to successfully transition to a new position within the company?
I studied.
What skills or qualities were particularly important for the transition to a new position?
Quick learner, desire to learn something new.
How did you solve the difficulties or challenges associated with changing your position?
At first I had to combine positions. It was difficult, but proper management of time and support from colleagues helped me cope.
What resources and support did the company provide to you during the transition? What resources or training programs were most helpful to you during the transition process?
The mentor and manager helped and supported.
How did you manage your time and priorities during the transition to your new role?
Time management helped: I divided requests according to urgency, set priorities and decided according to priorities.
What advice would you give to someone who is also considering moving to a new role within a company?
The main thing is not to be afraid to learn something new, practice more on test databases, and fully study the instructions for functionality.
How does your new position fit with your professional goals and ambitions?
I like my new job. When you solve new problems, learn something new and feel feedback from customers, you understand that your work is not in vain.
Promotion strategy: useful recommendations for those who want to grow
We invite you to consider the main steps and strategies that will help you grow within the company.
Set goals and develop skills. First of all, define your career goals. Having a deep understanding of where you want to grow will help you choose the appropriate tasks and projects for your growth. Develop the skills needed for your desired field. This could be learning new software, improving soft skills, or mastering new technical aspects of your job.
Build relationships and network. Within the company, it is important to have not only good business relationships, but also connections with different people and departments. Participate in internal events, take initiative in team projects, and establish relationships with key individuals within the company. This will help you stay informed about possible career prospects and create a positive environment for your development.
Show leadership qualities. Being a leader does not mean being in a leadership position. It's more about the ability to inspire and lead others to achieve common goals. Take initiative, propose ideas, help colleagues and demonstrate responsibility for the results of your work. This can attract the attention of management and help you advance in your career.
Ask for feedback. Don't be afraid to ask for feedback on your work. This will help you understand your strengths and areas for improvement. Develop from this feedback, work on your weaknesses and strive for continuous improvement.
Look for internal opportunities. Browse vacancies and don't miss opportunities for growth. Many companies give their employees priority access to job openings over external candidates. Show interest in new projects or positions that may align with your career goals.
Be flexible and adaptive. Career growth often involves change and adaptation to new conditions. Be prepared for changes in work tasks or even the direction of your career. Flexibility and adaptability will help you successfully adapt to new challenges and opportunities.
Demonstrate your value to the company. Achieve results in your work, participate in projects that benefit the company, and demonstrate how you can make a significant contribution to the organization's goals.
Conclusion
Upgrading your career within a company is a serious process that requires time, effort and strategy. It is based on your commitment to professional growth, developing relevant skills, building relationships and demonstrating value to the organization. By following these steps and strategies, you can increase your chances of successful advancement and growth within your company.
Share your professional development stories. What challenges did you face and what did you achieve in the end?
