Different People, Different Ambitions: Rethinking the Way We Develop and Retain Talent
Curated By Arvind Kumar
What if retaining talent isn’t about offering more training, but helping people grow in ways that matter to them?
Over two decades I have observed organisations invest heavily in training and development, yet one important question remains: ‘Are we developing employees for their future, or simply preparing them to perform their current jobs better?’
Not everyone defines career success the same way. Some aspire to leadership, others want to deepen their expertise, explore different functions, or take on new challenges. When organisations offer a ‘one-size-fits-all approach’to career development, they risk overlooking these differences—and missing opportunities to retain valuable talent.
The Link Between Growth and Retention
According to LinkedIn Learning’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report, 88% of organisations surveyed were concerned about employee retention, and providing learning opportunities was identified as their number-one retention strategy.
Yet only 15% of employees said their manager had helped them build a career plan in the previous six months.
The message is clear: offering training is not enough. Employees also need to see how learning connects to their aspirations and future opportunities.
Source: LinkedIn Learning, 2025 Workplace Learning Report.
Rethinking Career Success
Career growth doesn’t always mean promotion. It can involve lateral moves, specialist pathways, cross-functional projects, mentoring, or stretch assignments.
Global organisations are exploring ways to make development more relevant and practical. Siemens’ My Growth approach connects employee growth conversations with skills development and learning resources. Meanwhile, Visa has used practical sales simulations to help employees practise pitching products, with 78% of sellers reporting increased confidence.
These examples highlight two important principles: personalise development and create opportunities to apply new skills.
Five Practical Tips for HR and L&D
- Start with conversations, not courses.
Ask employees about their career aspirations, strengths, and skills they want to develop before recommending training.
- Offer multiple career pathways.
Make vertical progression, lateral moves, and specialist career tracks visible. Growth should not depend solely on promotion.
- Personalise development plans.
Connect individual aspirations with business needs through relevant learning, mentoring, coaching, and stretch assignments.
Above all, a blended development approach with bite-sized learning and applications catering for individual gaps and needs are highly recommended to offer hyper-personalised career development that fits the new age of learning.
- Equip managers to develop talent.
Help managers conduct meaningful career conversations, provide constructive feedback, and create opportunities for employees to grow.
- Measure progress, not participation.
Look beyond course completion. Track skills development, learning application, internal mobility, employee perceptions of career opportunities, and retention trends.
From Learning Opportunities to Career Possibilities
Personalised career development doesn’t mean promising every employee their dream job. It means helping people understand their options, build relevant capabilities, and take practical steps towards their goals.
For HR, this means connecting career development with talent management and succession planning. For L&D, it means designing learning that supports both individual growth and organisational priorities. For managers, it means making development an ongoing conversation rather than an annual exercise.
Ultimately, retaining talent isn’t just about giving people reasons to stay today. It’s about helping them see possibilities for tomorrow.
For reflection, till we meet again!
Arvind Kumar
22 Oct 2026