The traditional take on ‘a career’ is that it is a climb upwards in terms of position and pay, but such traditional career pathways are rapidly disappearing. Today, organisations place emphasis on learning, adaptability, and flexibility. Attempts to redefine 'career' as a personal development have not been adopted by most employees. When stable working conditions; employment contracts; and predictable, transparent career pathways disappear, this results in insecurity and the impression that there is no reward for increased effort. This, in turn, creates dissatisfaction and frustration. To re-establish the balance between effort and reward, organisations need to revise the career pathways that they offer their employees.