Career pathing boosts retention when managers develop their teams

How does manager availability affect career pathing outcomes? 

Engagement follows a similar pattern to retention in the Wiley Workplace Intelligence dataset. Among employees with an available manager, 76% say they are excited about their workplace culture. That figure falls to 23% for employees whose manager never has time for their development. As the study points out, protecting manager time is not a culture nicety. It belongs on the same priority level as any other retention initiative. 

The research recommends HR leaders treat manager availability as a measurable retention metric, built into how workload is planned rather than left to individual discretion. Whether that time gets used for development depends on how manager workload is structured and whether organisations treat it as a protected resource. 

What do employees say would most improve their career development? 

Wiley Workplace Intelligence asked employees directly what would help them feel more engaged at work. Skills development and training came out on top, named by 67% of respondents. Mentorship followed at 54%, with greater visibility around advancement cited by 46% and more frequent check-ins with managers by 44%. 

Aligning L&D investment with what employees and organisations actually need, rather than what is easiest to deliver, is a long-standing challenge. Practical guidance on building L&D plans that deliver real business impact addresses how to close that gap. Employees, the research suggests, already treat training as their primary career development pathway. 

How can HR leaders act on career pathing research now? 

Wiley Workplace Intelligence sets out four concrete recommendations for L&D and HR practitioners.