Vision on career paths

Summary
The vision on career paths is an important part of Fontys ICT's HR policy. This page describes the vision on career paths, how it takes shape and how it is implemented.

Excelling by being yourself: bringing out the best in people. Inclusive, committed, talent-oriented. The diversity of people with their different motivations and talents is the strength of our organization. Everyone is given the freedom and space to be themselves and to develop at their own pace and in line with their own ambitions. We challenge each other to do what we are good at and what energizes us (Fontys ICT compass, wiki).

In the rapidly changing landscape of ICT education and research, it is important to do justice to the diverse talents and ambitions of our employees. A flexible career path is not limited to traditional vertical growth. We want to encourage our employees to deepen their expertise within their current field or to grow horizontally into related disciplines. This not only promotes personal growth, but also contributes to a resilient and diverse organizational culture. This is supported by the Fontys role model, which is based on the learning, collaborative professional. The various Fontys roles help employees develop into agile professionals.

By offering a layered approach to career development, in which both vertical and horizontal growth are encouraged, a dynamic and inclusive career model is created. This gives employees the freedom to shape their career path in a way that suits their individual ambitions and contributes to the agility and innovation of the organization as a whole. It contributes to motivation by allowing employees to allocate and further develop their talents, which has a positive effect on their job satisfaction.

Examples of horizontal career paths:

• Individual talent: recognizing, valuing, and utilizing the unique potential of each professional. Employees can discover and develop their individual strengths within their current job or related fields of expertise. This contributes to personal growth, but also to a resilient and diverse organizational culture.
• Rotation: temporarily working in different jobs/roles to discover new perspectives.
• Development of T-shaped skills: in addition to in-depth expertise in their own field, employees are encouraged to develop broad, complementary skills that enable them to work smoothly with professionals from other disciplines.
• Continuous professional development: horizontal growth emphasizes the continuous improvement of existing skills and the acquisition of new competences within the current field of expertise. This fosters a culture of lifelong learning, in which employees have the flexibility to adapt their knowledge and skills to changing needs.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange: participation in projects outside one's own field of expertise to develop a broader range of skills.

Examples of vertical career paths:

• Job-oriented growth: further specialisation within a (higher) job, obtaining higher qualifications and taking on more responsibilities.
• Leadership development: participation in leadership programs, mentoring programs, and workshops to develop leadership skills.
• Management positions: clear paths and training for employees who aspire to management positions.

In their development interviews, employees discuss their career path and ambitions with their People Manager in order to further shape them.