The Business Case for Career Conversations with Erica Sosna & Zoë Schofield

Can career conversations be a game-changer for your business strategy? Erica Sosna and Zoë Schofield deep-dive into the organisational and individual benefits of integrating career conversations into company culture. Tune in to hear how the Career Equation equips managers, employees, and leaders with the tools they need to drive engagement, retention, and productivity—while supporting individuals to thrive in their roles.

Erica and Zoë discuss how world-leading organisations have implemented this model and the measurable benefits they’ve seen. Whether you’re an HR leader, line manager, or just someone passionate about career development, this episode delivers practical insights you can use to build a people-centric, high-performing workplace.

Key Topics Discussed

1. The Conundrum

• Why would an organisation host career conversations when they risk prompting flight?

• The answer lies in understanding that career conversations reduce attrition, increase engagement, and steer talent into roles that matter.

• Post-pandemic shifts in employee expectations around personalisation and purpose.

2. Why Career Conversations Matter

• Data-driven evidence that career development is the number one reason for employee attrition.

• The risks and costs of surprise resignations versus the benefits of proactive career planning.

• An organisation’s opportunity to adapt roles, align with personal career goals, and retain talent.

3. The Career Equation in Action

• The four components of the Career Equation—skills, passion, impact, and environment—and how they form the foundation of effective career planning.

• Real-life applications, including graduate retention at Dassault Systèmes, which reduced programme attrition from 40% to just 9%.

• Helping employees identify gaps, build development pathways, and co-design career strategies that align with business needs.

4. Benefits for Managers

• How structured career conversations alleviate pressure on managers by reducing surprises and creating opportunities for delegation.

• The ability to unearth new motivations, aspirations, and potential in their teams.

• Practical tips on using career dialogue to foster confidence, alignment, and collaboration.

5. The Business Case for the Career Equation

• Improved employee retention, with significant savings on recruitment and onboarding expenses.

• A scalable, agile model with applications across all organisational levels and industries.

• Leveraging career conversations to build diversity in leadership pipelines and support internal talent mobility.

Inspiring Takeaways

• “A career conversation is a check-in before they check out.” – Erica Sosna

• “When you co-design careers and tailor opportunities, your firm becomes the employer of choice.” – Zoë Schofield

• “Offering agility and personalisation in career pathways supports growth for individuals and organisations alike.” – Erica Sosna

Actionable Insights

• Equip managers and mentors with a simple framework to have meaningful career conversations.

• Use the Career Equation to drive structured discussions around skills, aspirations, and opportunities for development.

• Proactively monitor flight risks by introducing regular and intentional career dialogue.

• Design programmes that embed the Career Equation to ensure alignment and reduce post-programme attrition.

Case Studies Highlighted

• Savills – Integrated career conversations to foster long-term engagement with senior talent.

• Dassault Systèmes – Boosted graduate retention rates and increased internal mobility for senior leadership roles by 50%.

• Capital One Diversity Programme – Used the Career Equation in accelerator programmes to empower underrepresented groups to thrive in leadership pipelines.

Resources & Links

• Discover the Career Equation framework at www.thecareerequation.com. 

• Buy Erica Sosna’s book The Career Equation for deeper insights.

• Stay connected on LinkedIn for updates and tips.

Erica and Zoë want to hear your thoughts! Drop them a message or suggest topics for future episodes. Keep tuning in for more insights on creating fulfilling careers and thriving businesses. Share this episode with colleagues who want to embed career conversations in their organisation!