Can you imagine staying with the same company for the rest of your life or doing roughly the same job for 40 years? Hardly. This used to be the norm, but today the tide has turned. Many employees are now trying their hand at other professional fields as career changers. This can be quite exciting for companies.
Diving into previously unknown jobs is exciting for many people – but not many dared to do so in the past. A look at Google trends and the tripled search volume of the word ‘lateral entry’ compared to ten years ago reveals that employees are now increasingly interested in the topic and are becoming more courageous. However, this does not only apply to them – many companies and HR managers also see career changers as an exciting alternative to those with traditional qualifications. In this article, you can find out how you as an employer can benefit from this labour force and which professions are in demand.
Definition and meaning: What exactly is a lateral entry?
Let’s start by taking a look at the meaning of the term: lateral entry describes a career change into a new, previously unfamiliar professional field for which the person has no traditional training, degree or similar. Career changers therefore tend to follow a zigzag path instead of the typical, straightforward career path that was considered ‘normal’ for a long time.
Such a change is no longer unusual today. There are fewer and fewer rigid barriers between different professional fields, and companies are increasingly recognising that it does not always have to be the classic career path with a seamless CV. This development is being reinforced by the shortage of skilled labour – as an employer, you ultimately have to get to grips with this within your own four company walls.
Many companies are now seriously considering applications from career changers – even if the applicants have no formal training in the relevant field. This openness towards lateral entrants is a clear sign that the world of work is becoming more flexible and that motivation and skills are taking centre stage rather than formal qualifications on paper.
What advantages do lateral entrants bring for companies?
This kind of lateral entry is therefore not only interesting for employees. Companies benefit from it in many ways:
- Fresh perspectives: career changers often bring new ideas and unconventional approaches to solutions. After all, they were often previously active in completely different fields – which makes companies more innovative.
- Soft skills: They often have overarching skills such as strong communication, adaptability and problem-solving ability.
- High motivation: Career changers are particularly willing to learn after they have thrown themselves in at the deep end – they have ultimately made a conscious decision in favour of a new career path.
- Combating the shortage of skilledlabour: lateral entry helps to combat the shortage of skilled labour. This is especially true for companies that need staff in areas where not many people opt for the traditional career path of training and studying.
Both parties – employers and applicants – obviously understand each other. Applications from non-specialists come in much more frequently today than they did ten years ago. This in turn fits in with the Google trend mentioned at the beginning.
Lateral entry to combat the shortage of skilled labour
The latter point is one of the most important advantages. Everyone knows it: The shortage of skilled labour is the great spectre. According to an IAB study, the number of workers in Germany will fall by around five million by 2060. Career changers offer an opportunity to counteract the labour shortage and fill important positions.
Companies no longer have to rely solely on applicants from the often narrow pool of skilled labour, but can also consider people with diverse professional backgrounds. These in turn find open arms and ears – a win-win situation.
Upskilling and reskilling: lateral entry is also possible in the same company
By the way, lateral entry does not necessarily mean that those interested have to change their employer. There are also opportunities to take on new tasks within the same company. Upskilling and reskilling are important terms here:
- Upskilling: employees develop their existing skills further in order to take on new tasks within the company. This could be a move to a management position, for example.
- Reskilling: Employees learn completely new skills in order to work in a different area of the company. In this way, existing talents can be utilised for new challenges – there is no need for external specialists.
These measures not only offer the workforce new development opportunities (which in turn is good for staff retention), but also help to overcome at least part of the skills shortage internally.
The prerequisite for this, however, is that you know what skills and abilities each individual employee has. Skills management software can help you to organise talent and skills.
5 typical jobs for career changers: Which sectors and occupational fields are popular?
Four out of ten skilled workers have already gained experience of lateral entry. The following sectors and professions are particularly popular:
- Web developers
- Sales employees
- Social media managers and managers
- Carers
- Craft professions
There are many reasons for this: in the field of social media or web development, there is a lot of self-taught work, while in other areas such as care or the skilled trades there is great demand and many people see a secure future there.
Conclusion: Openness towards lateral entrants contributes to competitiveness
Lateral entry not only offers opportunities for employees who want to reorient themselves professionally, but also for companies looking for motivated and versatile employees. Fresh perspectives, high motivation, desire for the new task: career changers are usually fully committed from day one and deliver added value.
As an employer, it is important to consider more than just linear CVs and classically trained people. Be open to new things, to lateral entry. The courage to break new ground – both on the part of the employee and the company – usually pays off for everyone involved in the end.
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