Job hoping is nothing new and with an increasingly tight labor market, it is becoming more common. In fact, research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the average U.S. adult holds 12 jobs in their lifetime. As business priorities and in-demand skills continue to shift, how can businesses find the talent needed to fill their positions? Focusing on non-linear, or skills-based career pathways, rather than conventional career paths and promotions can expand talent pipelines.

What is a career pathway? According to Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics, a career pathway is “a plan or roadmap that uses skills data to enable employers to find talent, develop their existing workforce, and connect employees with the right jobs”.

Some career pathways are more linear, such as a human resources specialist being promoted to a benefits manager and eventually gaining the appropriate skills to become a chief human resources officer. This type of career progression is becoming outdated. Skills-based career pathways take a broader view of the job market to identify adjacent or overlapping skills across industries and occupations. For example, an event planner may do well as a project manager due to their budgeting, communications, and organizational abilities. LinkedIn research from 2023 found that 80% of people who started a new job in the prior 12 months were from a different occupation.

Understanding career pathway data can seem challenging but Envision Greater Fond du Lac can help! To learn more about how Lightcast’s career pathway data can help your business, contact our Director of Business Intelligence at [email protected] or at 920.921.9500.