𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 : 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Turnover is expensive. According to SHRM, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞
𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 $𝟏𝟓𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 . That is the premium companies
pay when they treat advancement as optional.

The real cost isn’t just financial, it’s also cultural and operational.
𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 , 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 ,
𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 , 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 .

Yet advancement often gets attention only when someone resigns or a
role finally opens. By then, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 .
The conversation should start long before the risk of departure shows
up.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 :
𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐩. Audit advancement conversations across
your team. Who has clear next steps, and who has been left without a
plan? Gaps in coverage erode trust and increase risk.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 . Document non -promotional advancement paths
(lateral moves, skill expansions, project leadership) and make them
visible. Advancement shouldn’t depend on being in the right place at
the right time.

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 . Allocate real resources (budget, time,
mentorship) to prepare people for growth. Policies are only valid when
backed by investment.

When managers take these steps, advancement stops being a vague
promise and starts feeling like a structured policy. 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲
𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 , 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 .
That confidence deepens trust and reduces the likelihood of sudden
departures.

When companies ignore advancement until someone threatens to
leave, the only option remaining is a potential counteroffer. That may
buy a little time, but it rarely rebuilds trust. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ,
𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 .

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫
𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 ’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 ?