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A way to promotion that no one talks about! Lateral movement within current workplace makes employee indispensable over those who switch too quick.

By Akash Shukla

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Ambition of a hard-working employee often hits the wall when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder. The road from an assistant's millstone to managerial milestone doesn't happen overnight; sometimes, it never happens at all.

Stagnation in a company leads to frustration. When everyone thinks of advancement, the team's young employee brigade chooses to lead the trend.

Say hello to the millennial generation! They may quit their jobs in next three years, reveals a Elance-oDesk research.

Compared to millennials, Gen Xers prefers to be around for 5 years while Baby Boomers are most consistent among all as they prefer to stick around for a seven-year stretch.

Slapped by scarcity and nearly crushed by economic slump, millennials learn early that getting ahead requires a combination of creativity, entrepreneurialism, hustle and street-smart behaviour.

Long-term loyalty and promotion waiting are incredulous elements in which they never invest.

Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes acknowledges the frustration. "As an entrepreneur, I've never been one to patiently climb the corporate ladder, either. But I think some employees may be overlooking a golden opportunity in their careers—to move over, not up. Transferring laterally within a company, i.e. finding a new role in a new department, may not immediately translate to more pay or greater responsibility. But it can bring clear benefits, both in the short- and long-term," he revealed.

For beginners, the picture may appear a bit rosy as they get to work with the new team on new projects. They acquire new skills and get paid for the same. Sounds utopic for the resume building, isn't it?

But the coveted mantra to success seeks refuge in the lateral movement in the same company than the jump to a brand new organization. The former is less disruptive and pro consistent as it saves employee from the pangs of starting afresh in job search.

The perks are immense as it saves an employee from socio-economic upheaval and negotiation for a new position is much easier in the "current brand' over a "prospective one'. Come to think of it as the latter might easily dub you for a "fresher' and might snub and sideline your profile because brands are not risk takers in interviewer-interviewee situations.

Versatility is the key and performing multiple roles culminates to an almost indispensable immunity for an employee in his current organization. After all, no employer likes to fire "an asset' at the end of the day. Since they amass skill sets that is a rarity to most employees, they bring value to business and hence fast-track promotions and advancements begin to show on the canvas that seemingly never was.

There might be just one hitch, call it a speed bump, to this contemporary mantra for on-job success. Managers are not exactly enthusiastic about losing their employees to other departments. However, many-a-time the employee hired for a certain profile suits better in an associated profile. That way, the talent drain can be avoided and "axing after hiring' attitude can be kept at bay. If anyone isn't fulfilled in a role, the team, consequently, chooses to shift him than losing him altogether.

Many studies have proven that it is best to retain employee for what best can he contribute than what he cannot deliver. Irrespective of their talent, there is absolutely no point in retaining someone who isn't happy with what he is doing. A good employer does find ways to channel that energy than losing it.

Cross-pollination in organizations occurs in several ways. "Lunch-and-learn' is one such situation where teams get the opportunity to present before the entire company. The communication can help break down silos and end the state of incommunicado between departments if any.

Post work, social events that include informal mixers enable employees to connect with people outside their immediate circle. These interactions are peerless as introductions are struck, queries are shaped and seeds are planted for collaborations that may become imminent down the road.

Millennial employees may be demanding. They may be malevolent to an extent but this hunger isn't a bad thing! Companies that discover ways to satiate symbiotic curiosity and figure ways to facilitate healthy outlets to growth will witness that employee loyalty does exist in 2015.

Akash Shukla

Former Sr. Features Writer, Entrepreneur India

With four years of journalistic and editorial experience from two leading English dailies, namely, The Pioneer and Hindustan Times, Akash dabbles in Applied Linguistics and mainstream journalism. His interests include book writing, travelogues, Gender Studies and Shaivism. The author is a senior features writer cum sub editor at 'Entrepreneur Online' and has a dual masters in journalism and English Language Teaching (ELT).

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