Most people want to progress in their careers. They want to take on more responsibilities, continually develop their skills and increase their salary.

An employee wants to develop, and you want to give them opportunities to grow. But what should happen next?

A progression plan turns that conversation into agreed actions. It sets out what the employee wants to achieve, the skills and experience they need, and how you will support them.

This guide explains how to create a useful progression plan, with an example and a template you can adapt for your team.

This blog runs through the best practices when developing progression plans for your employees and outline why they can benefit your business. 

• What Is a Progression Plan?
• Best Practices When Creating a Progression Plan
• What Are the Benefits Progression Plans Can Offer Your Business?
  
  

Of course, your employees will have their own ideas on what they want to focus on to achieve career progression. 

WHAT IS A PROGRESSION PLAN?

An employee progression plan is a shared document that sets out someone’s development goals and the steps they will take to achieve them.

It should answer five questions:

• What does the employee want to work towards?
• What skills, knowledge or experience do they need?
• What activities will help them develop?
• What support will the employer provide?
• How and when will progress be reviewed?

Progression does not always mean promotion. It might involve becoming a specialist, moving into another area of the business, taking ownership of projects or becoming more confident in an existing role.    For employees preparing to take on greater responsibility, leadership and management apprenticeships can form part of that plan.

BEST PRACTICES WHEN CREATING A PROGRESSION PLAN

You should always take a collaborative approach when creating a progression plan for your employees. They should have an idea of what they want to achieve and you should have a grasp on what they need to focus on to help them get there.

This starts with an honest conversation. 

Useful questions include:

• Which parts of your role do you most enjoy?
• What would you like to do more of?
• Which responsibilities would you like to try?
• Would you prefer to develop specialist expertise or manage people?
• What is making development difficult at the moment?

Avoid assuming that your strongest performer wants to become a manager. Their preferred next step might be deeper expertise or a different type of responsibility.

You can then start to map out goals, milestones and critical areas to focus on moving forward and collate them into a document (the progression plan).

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when you actually go ahead and start creating the progress plan for your employees:

MAP OUT CLEAR GOALS

Goals are important. They give your employees something to work towards. When they hit a goal, they know they’ve made progress. Once they start making progress, they’ll feel motivated to keep moving forward. 

Compare the employee’s current capabilities with the responsibilities they want to take on.

Use examples from their work, feedback and their own assessment. Identify strengths to build on as well as areas for development.

For example, an administrator who wants to coordinate projects may already be organised and reliable but need more experience in planning activities, managing a budget and updating stakeholders.

Keep the plan focused. Two or three meaningful priorities are easier to act on than a long list of everything someone could improve.

Make sure you agree goals that can be assessed “Improve communication” is a starting point, but it does not explain what success looks like.

A clearer goal would be:

“Over the next three months, lead a monthly project update, explaining progress, risks and next steps, and ask attendees for feedback.”

Each goal should have an agreed outcome, a realistic timescale and a way to assess progress. Measure what someone can do or apply, as well as whether they have completed an activity.

Once the goal has been mapped out, it’s then up to the employee (with your guidance) to hit the ground running and do what they need to do for that talk to take place.

set timelines

Once you’ve mapped out some goals in the progression plan, you should put timelines on which they need to be completed.

Timelines are an excellent way to boost your employee’s productivity and hold them accountable. Timelines also make it easier for your employees to look to the future and have a realistic expectation on how long it’ll take to achieve their goal.

When you’re setting timelines, make sure they’re realistic. If you select a goal for your employee to achieve on an unrealistic timeline, you’ll probably set them up for failure. No one wants that

INCLUDE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PLAN

Investing in training opportunities is one of the most effective ways to improve employee morale. However, this shouldn’t be seen as a burden or a box-ticking exercise for your employees - they need opportunities to practice.

Depending on the goal, a plan could include:

• Shadowing an experienced colleague.
• Receiving mentoring or coaching.
• Taking responsibility for a small project.
• Attending focused training.
• Completing a suitable apprenticeship.
• Applying new skills and reviewing the results.

Consider working with an established training partner who can create a tailored programme to meet the needs of both your employees and your business. For example, employees developing their business, organisational and leadership skills could benefit from our Level 3 Business Skills for Emerging Leaders programme, where their role provides suitable opportunities to apply the learning.   

For employees working in marketing, our marketing apprenticeships offer development options suited to different levels of responsibility, from supporting campaigns to leading marketing strategy. 

Where the plan identifies a specific skills gap, such as communication or coaching, short, focused training may be a suitable option. 

If you’re considering an apprenticeship, read our apprenticeship levy and funding guide to understand the funding options available. 

By investing in training, you offer your employees the chance to strengthen their skills. In turn, this should allow them to meet their goals quicker and see the value from the progression plan you’ve created.

REGULARLY KEEP TABS ON THE PROGRESSION PLAN

You shouldn’t put your heart and soul into creating a progression plan for your employees, only for it to be used once or twice and then never mentioned again. 

A plan needs more than employee commitment. Someone may need protected learning time, access to information, feedback or permission to take on new responsibilities.

Record who will provide that support and when.

Check workloads too. Adding development activities without adjusting existing expectations can make a reasonable plan difficult to complete.

Employees should look at the progression plan as their roadmap to success. Whether they use it when making business decisions or reference it during a one-to-one, it should be kept close by at all times.

A progression plan should be a working document. Update it regularly, tick off goals when they’re completed and use it as a way to collaborate with your employees and bounce ideas off each other.

Common questions about progression plans

Can you create a progression plan if there is no promotion available?

Yes. The plan can focus on expertise, confidence, broader responsibilities or experience in another area. Be transparent about available opportunities and avoid linking development to an unconfirmed promotion.

Who is responsible for the plan?

The employee and manager should agree it together. The employee takes responsibility for their actions, while the manager provides the agreed support and opportunities.

How do you know whether it is working?

Look for evidence in the employee’s work: greater independence, stronger decisions, improved quality or successful delivery of new responsibilities. Course completion is useful, but applying the learning is what makes the difference.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS PROGRESSION PLANS CAN OFFER YOUR BUSINESS?

Investing the time and energy into developing a progression plan for your employees shows them you’re passionate about contributing to their success and helping them achieve their goals.

Because of this, employees feel more motivated to give something back and contribute to the success of your business. Not only does this increase profitability, but it also increases retention and morale.

A progression plan should include upskilling opportunities and direction for employees. Therefore, it allows your business to attract top new talent.  According to LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report, 70% of employees say learning improves their sense of connection to their organisation, and 80% say it adds purpose to their work.

With this in mind, you should consider the support your business might need when providing training and development opportunities for your employees — we’re here to help.

READY TO START PUTTING YOUR PLANS INTO ACTION?

We run a range of leadership and management programmes aimed at providing your employees with the skills and confidence they need to hit their goals and progress in their careers. 

Not sure which training would support your employees’ progression plans? Talk to us about your team’s development needs.