In today’s tight labor market, MSPs can’t afford to lose their best employees. However, compensation alone won’t always guarantee loyalty. For many top-performing techs and engineers, long-term retention hinges on seeing a clear future with their employer. They need to understand what’s next for them. That’s where a tech career pathway program comes in.
To hire and retain top talent, it’s important to offer structured, transparent growth tracks. This is true whether it’s for roles like help desk technician, systems engineer, project manager, or even account executive. Show your employees that they’re not just doing a job, but building a career. You’re helping them grow while they help grow your business.
Here’s how to create a career pathway program that works.
Start with the Roles You Need Now — and in the Future
Before you can define career paths, you need a clear destination. What roles exist in your organization today? What roles do you anticipate needing in 12–24 months as you grow? More than just filling gaps, this builds a roadmap that aligns employee growth with business objectives.
Joe Cicirelli
It’s often a good idea to take a good look at the roles you currently have, Joe Cicirelli, vice president, managed services for Ntiva Inc., told ChannelPro in a previous interview. “In order to actually have a career path for people, you have to have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the job that they’re currently in and the job that they can potentially move to.” Regularly work with those employees to make sure they’re hitting the goals needed to get to the next level, such as obtaining certifications, he added.
For example, your Level 1 help desk tech might eventually move into a project coordinator, cybersecurity analyst, or service desk manager role. If you can map out the steps it would take for them to get there — skills, certifications, experience — you’ve taken the first step toward retention.
Career Progression Tracks with Clarity
A common frustration among techs is uncertainty. They want to grow, but they don’t know what growth looks like in your organization. Telling them, “Keep doing a great job and we’ll take care of you,” won’t cut it.
Rather than vague encouragement, define what each level looks like within a track. For technical staff, you might have:
- Level 1 Technician: Entry-level troubleshooting, ticketing, basic hardware and software support
- Level 2 Technician: More complex issues, client escalations, light project support
- Systems Engineer: Project implementation, network design, server builds
- Senior Engineer or Specialist: Subject matter expertise, mentorship, pre-sales engineering
Be sure to describe expectations for skills, certifications, soft skills, and business impact at each level.
Technical and Nontechnical Tracks
Not everyone on your team will want to become a senior engineer. Some might prefer to go into project management, client success, sales engineering, or leadership. Your career pathway program should reflect the diversity of interests and strengths on your team.
It’s especially important to include career options for roles that sometimes feel like dead ends, such as service coordinators, inside sales, or help desk staff. Giving them a way to visualize career advancement can transform retention and morale.
Tie Advancement to Training and Certifications
A career pathway should go hand-in-hand with a professional development plan. That means identifying what technical training, certifications, or hands-on experience is needed to move to the next level.
This also gives you a structured way to invest in your people. Offer to cover costs for certain certifications, give them time during the week to study, or provide peer mentorship. When training is aligned with career growth, it doesn’t only check a box. Employees see it as a path forward.
Make Career Conversations Part of Regular Check-ins
Once your career pathway framework is in place, don’t let it gather dust. Managers should regularly talk with employees about where they see themselves going and how they feel about their current trajectory.
Do not pressure them to “move up or move out.” Some people are happy where they are. But for the ambitious ones, these conversations show that you’re paying attention. It demonstrates that you’re willing to support them.
Use Career Pathways to Strengthen Culture and Retention
When employees see a future for themselves in your organization, they’re less likely to look elsewhere. A well-structured career development program not only builds loyalty but also helps you promote from within, reduce hiring costs, and attract higher-quality talent in the first place.
It signals to the entire company that growth is possible and that you’re willing to invest in people who invest in you.
Bottom Line
Don’t just hope your best employees will stay. Give them a reason to. A transparent, well-defined career pathway is one of the smartest tools you can use to retain and develop top tech talent. This proves that skilled people are the backbone of success for an MSP business.
Next Steps
- Want more helpful guidance on this topic? Check out our Staffing and Team Development Answer Center.
- Have a question for our experts? Send it to editors@channelpronetwork.com
ChannelPro has created this resource to help busy MSPs streamline their decision-making process. This resource offers a starting point for evaluating key business choices, saving time and providing clarity. While this resource is designed to guide you through important considerations, we encourage you to seek more references and professional advice to ensure fully informed decisions.
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