Are We Building Companies People Want to Grow With?
By Annabel Hall, Talent & Organisational Development Specialist
Here, Annabel discusses why a successful people strategy starts with clear, inclusive career pathways that help employees grow, adapt, and contribute meaningfully to business success.
About the Author
Annabel Hall is a strategic and commercial people development expert with a passion for unlocking performance through people. With a career spanning operational leadership at McDonald’s, global HR projects, and senior roles at Focus DIY, she brings a pragmatic, engaging, and results-driven approach to every conversation. Known for her straight-talking style and infectious energy, Annabel helps businesses build cultures that people want to grow with.
Why People Strategy Needs a Rethink
I remember being asked on a number of occasions, by family members, “What do you want to do when you grow up?”
The simple answer was: I don’t know. And maybe sometimes, I still don’t.
When I joined McDonald’s graduate scheme, I had the intention of staying one year and had no plan or career goal. But the culture of opportunity, the clarity around roles, and the transparency of career pathways made it an amazing place to work. There was a chance to explore, learn, work hard and make a contribution to a company where 98% of people were internally appointed into roles.
Of course, I know that career pathways are only a small piece of the people puzzle. But I passionately believe that in a world where disruption is constant, AI seems to be taking over, and the war for talent is relentless, the question every business leader should be asking is:
“Are we building a company people want to grow with?”
That’s the heart of a strong people strategy.
Career Pathways as a Strategic Lever
As a consultant, I have the honour of working across multiple sectors. The organisations thriving today aren’t just those with innovative products or slick operations. They’re the ones building intentional, transparent career pathways — routes that show employees how they can grow, evolve, and succeed inside the business.
These pathways do far more than clarify job progression. When embedded into your people strategy, they become a powerful lever for performance, retention, agility, engagement, and employer brand.
In short, career pathways offer a strategic advantage — and they’re central to any future-ready people strategy.
Why Career Pathways Are More Than Just Good HR
Let’s be clear: career pathways aren’t HR admin. They are a business-critical response to today’s most pressing workforce realities:
- Skills are evolving fast. The need to continuously upskill and redeploy talent is no longer optional.
- Talent expectations have changed. People expect development, flexibility, purpose and visibility.
- Retention is expensive. The average cost of turnover per employee earning £25,000 or more is £30,614.
A strong people strategy must address these realities head-on.
The Strategic Benefits of Career Pathways
- Attracts Top Talent
Career pathways show that you invest in people long-term and help you attract high-potential talent with a growth mindset. - Drives Retention and Engagement
Offering visible, realistic progression routes keeps people engaged and reduces turnover. In fact, 70% of UK employees say personal learning and career development keeps them more engaged. - Builds Organisational Agility
They support cross-functional mobility and allow you to redeploy talent quickly in response to change. - Accelerates Leadership Development
They create visible succession plans and structured growth for future leaders. Explore how this connects to our Women in Leadership programme. - Strengthens Culture and Belonging
Inclusive and transparent pathways reduce bias and create psychological safety. - Enhances Performance and Productivity
Clarity fuels focus and improves ownership of development. - Supports Strategic Workforce Planning
They align role design, job families, and skills development with business needs — a key component of any modern people strategy.
Making Career Pathways Work
To be effective, career pathways must be:
- Visible – Easily accessed and part of regular conversations
- Dynamic – Flexible with shifting business needs
- Supported – Enabled by strong manager coaching and tools
- Inclusive – Available to all, not just a few
- Data-driven – Backed by analytics and aligned to workforce planning
For more on how to build career pathways that work, check out our dedicated article.
Want to Explore the Future of Skills and AI?
If you want to hear more from Annabel, and if you’re curious about how AI is reshaping the skills landscape – and what it means for career development, equity, and leadership – join me for the upcoming Women in AI Roundtable: The AI Skills Sanity Check.
🗓️ Date: Friday 17 or Monday 20 October 2025
🕛 Time: 12:00 – 13:00 (BST)
🎙️ Host: Annabel Hall
💻 Format: Virtual (Zoom)
👥 Confirmed Panelists: Niki Hutchinson, Lyndsey Simpson, Joanne Todd
👀 More contributors to be announced…
✅ Understand what AI literacy really means
✅ Learn which skills AI can’t replace
✅ Explore how businesses can upskill equitably
👉 [Register Now] – Free to attend, limited spaces available.
Let’s talk about the skills that matter, and how we build companies people want to grow with.
