Career growth maintains employee satisfaction
Career growth offers a long-term perspective
In a period of low unemployment, many companies are looking for ways to find suitable workforce. And even when they already have a full staff, another question arises: how can they retain their employees? Not only among the youngest generation of workers are concepts such as work-life balance or wellbeing becoming increasingly important.
Practice also shows that most Czech employees place great emphasis on opportunities for education and career growth. People simply do not want to stagnate, and therefore perceive professional advancement as something more than just recognition of their past work. This factor has a decisive influence on their overall job satisfaction.
Employees leave jobs with no future
When people do not see a clear direction ahead, their relationship with work gradually becomes empty. Even stable positions with adequate pay lose their attractiveness once there is no prospect of further development. The feeling that a role does not change over time and offers no career growth leads to lower engagement and eventually to seeking other opportunities.
Departures are rarely sudden. They are often preceded by a phase of so-called quiet disengagement. This typically manifests as lower initiative, less interest in results, and limited willingness to invest extra energy. The employee formally stays, but mentally has already moved on. Once a new opportunity appears, the decision comes very quickly. Companies that fail to address future direction systematically thus lose not only people, but also continuity of know-how.
In reality, career growth is not just about promotion
A common misconception persists that professional advancement automatically means promotion. In practice, however, this is not always the case. Many people hold positions from which upward promotion is not possible—for example in small reception roles, maintenance positions, or as tour guides. Even these employees can grow professionally, just in a different way.
To maintain their motivation and satisfaction, companies can choose from several approaches.
Expanding competencies in the current position
One of the most natural forms of development is deepening and expanding skills within the current role. Employees learn new tasks, gain greater independence, or take on a higher level of responsibility. Awareness of professional progress significantly supports their motivation.
As competencies expand, their value on the labour market also increases. Professional development may take the form of targeted training, onboarding for additional agendas, or involvement in specific tasks beyond the original scope of the position.
Specialisation in a specific area
Another path of career growth is gradual specialisation in a narrowly defined area in which an employee becomes a respected expert. Unlike broadening skills horizontally, this type of development goes deeper—through experience, practice, and targeted education.
Such expertise improves the quality of work and strengthens professional confidence. A specialist brings higher added value to the company thanks to know-how that is not easily replaceable. This often translates into greater autonomy and a stronger negotiating position in terms of compensation or working conditions.
Horizontal movement as a form of career growth
In this case, the employee does not apply new skills within the same role, but in a different context. This may involve moving to a new team, department, or changing job responsibilities. Horizontal movement means a change of role while maintaining the same hierarchical level.
This type of career growth brings new stimuli, a broader view of how the company operates, and usually a higher level of adaptability. From the employer’s perspective, it is an effective way to leverage the potential of existing employees while strengthening internal flexibility.