Outlining a Career Path for Your Team

Written by Kevin Martlage

I ran across a Chinese proverb the other day that made me think about the importance of creating a nurturing and supportive work environment for your team. An environment that allows them to not only be successful but helps them intentionally and transparently identify their professional career goals while having the proper support to obtain them. The Chinese Proverb goes like this, 

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” 

You may be asking yourself, what does that have to do with a supportive work environment and specifically why having a career path for your team is important? The answer to that lies within the true meaning, in my opinion, of this proverb and how you can support your team through career development.

As professionals in the tree care industry, we are certainly able to outline and discuss the importance of a healthy green infrastructure and specifically the role a healthy canopy and each tree within that canopy. Similarly, we also know the various stages of how a tree grows and develops over time. Everything from how the seed is planted and germinates below ground with the radicle (primary root) and the plumule emerging from that seed to the seedling stage and sapling stage which leads to the Heartwood, Xylem, Phloem, outer bark, and eventually each individual branch and leaf. Without each of those stages developing in a specific order, a tree would not exist and therefore would not be a sustainable part of the ecosystem and canopy. How a tree is planted, nurtured, and developed over time is important to how that tree ultimately survives and becomes an integral part of the ecosystem which is so very important to all of us. 

With that in mind, I challenge you to think of your organization and your team as a tree that needs to be planted, nurtured, and grown over time. Specifically, think of each of your employees as an integral part of your organizational ‘canopy’ which requires the various ‘trees’, your employees, to be highly functioning and productive as you provide your service to the ‘ecosystem’ of the industry. Without a strong workforce, who is highly motivated, supported, safe, trustworthy, and strategic you will find your overall long term sustainable success to be far more challenging than it should be. A specific and detailed career path can help to attract higher quality employees, keep your current employees engaged, and set your organization apart from the competition as a highly supportive place of business that employees want to work for. 

Career paths can take many different forms regarding what they provide your employees. The number one goal in creating a career path is that it is aligned with the goals of your organization while allowing for the individual and collective growth and development of your team. 

When beginning to develop your employee career path, it is important to keep the following in mind:

• What do your employees want and need from their careers (i.e., goals and desires)?
• What can the workforce provide to your organization to be successful (i.e., needed skills)?
• Can the developed career path be easily supported by you and your leadership team?
• How will it be communicated to the team and kept alive once in place?

Once you have strategically determined the answers above, it is time to develop the career path for your employees and your organization. To do this, I challenge you to think about the developmental stages of a tree once again. The career path should start from the seed being planted (the hiring of a new employee) to the ‘leaves’ that are produced as that employee continues to grow within your organization. 

An example of a career path might be the following:

• Planting the seed: Day 1
  • New Employee is hired
• Seed Germination : Week 1
  • Radicle forms (downward) 
    • On-boarding – new hire paperwork
  • Plumule forms (towards surface)
    • On-boarding – organizational background 
    • On-boarding – team introductions
• Seedling Stage: First 30 days 
  • Seedling forms
    • Specific on-the-job training identified
    • Specific on-the-job training provided
• Sapling Stage: First 3 months
  • Root development
    • Mentor identified and introduced 
  • Trunk development
    • Bi-weekly mentor/supervisor meetings 
    • On the job training continues
• Growth Stage: 2-6 months
  • Heartwood development
    • Identify and document career goals 
  • Xylem, Cambium, Phloem
    • Create a career development action plan  
  • Outer Bark development
    • Review progress to date
    • Identify opportunities for additional training
• Nurturing Stage: 6 months +
  • Watering
    • Conduct quarterly performance meetings
  • Pruning
    • Review career action plan annually and update
    • Provide opportunities for outside certification(s)
    • Provide opportunities for external training
  • Transplanting (as needed)
    • Support internal career advancement
    • Support external career advancement

The development, communication, and support of a detailed career path for your employees is equally important to your organization’s success as your strategic plan, financial maintenance, and client acquisition. In fact, I would argue that it might be even more important as you continue to grow your organization. The proper on boarding, development, support, and nurturing of your employees will enhance your overall team culture while ensuring that your team is firmly planted in your organization for many years to come. The time to develop that career path is now. This will allow you to look back in 20 years as you enjoy the benefits of a healthy team that has helped grow your organization and provide a valuable service to your clients and the industry. 

If you struggle with the hiring process, contact an ArboRisk team member today! Our Thrive Risk Management Hiring & Recruiting Package and team of experts will help you one-on-one to create the career path that works for your organization.