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As businesses grow, so must their people. For Orange Clove Catering, the challenge was not finding talent, but helping employees see how far they could go. By creating clear career pathways and preparing managers to nurture future leaders, Orange Clove took a deliberate step towards building talent from within.
Founded in 2008, Orange Clove serves corporate clients through restaurant-quality cuisine, event planning, logistics support and creative catering. As the business prepared for further growth, it recognised a people challenge: job descriptions existed, but career pathways were less clearly defined. Managers also lacked a consistent process for assessing readiness for broader responsibilities, identifying competency gaps, and linking training to career progression.
“We want to design clear career pathway that help staff understand their possible vertical and horizontal career trajectories within the organization,”
Sally Liew, Chief Executive Officer, Group Catering
For Orange Clove, the challenge was not finding talent, but helping talent see a future. Clearer career pathways would give employees greater visibility of growth opportunities, while equipping managers with a structured approach to identifying, developing, and advancing talent from within.
Connecting Skills to Career Progression
Orange Clove partnered with the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) through a Learning Enterprise Alliance consultancy project. The work focused on its Marketing and Branding Strategy and Human Resources departments, where the team could develop a practical approach before extending it more widely.
IAL’s consultant worked closely with HR, department heads and managers to review organisational structures, clarify role expectations and identify capability requirements across key functions. Instead of delivering a framework for Orange Clove, the project centred on transferring capability to the organisation. Through co-created templates, practical tools and iterative coaching, the team gained the confidence and skills to develop and implement career pathways independently.
The team applied three connected tools. Skills maps defined the work functions, tasks and competencies required for each role. Individual Development Plans (IDPs) translated competency gaps into development goals and targeted training plans. Career pathways showed possible vertical and lateral moves, together with indicative salary ranges. Used together, the tools connected what employees do today with what they would need to progress tomorrow.
For Ng Shi Hui, Assistant Director, Marketing (Catering), building the framework prompted a closer look at what each role required.
"The IAL project provided a clear guide in thinking through what is required of each team member in their respective role,” she said.
She added that the assessments gave both managers and employees greater clarity and helped them align expectations more objectively.
From Framework to Action
The most significant outcome was not the creation of templates or frameworks, but the capability built within Orange Clove’s leadership team to apply the methodology independently. By the end of the project, the team had developed a competency framework spanning six job roles across Marketing, Digital Marketing, Learning & Development, Payroll, and Performance & Rewards. It also created Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for six employees and curated targeted training pathways covering both technical competencies and critical core skills.
At the project evaluation, heads of department presented the skills maps, IDPs and career pathways they had developed for their own teams. They explained how the components worked together to identify competency gaps, guide development conversations and support employee progression. This demonstrated that capability had been transferred to the people who would continue using the framework after the consultancy ended.
A survey provided another measure of progress: the project team’s average familiarity with the Skills Framework increased from 4.3 to 8.33 out of 10. Based on observations, presentations and survey results, 100% of participants met the project’s capability benchmark, exceeding the 75% target. More importantly, participants demonstrated this capability in practice through frameworks and development plans created for their own teams.
Wu Yukun, Senior Executive, Training, described the practical change in how development needs can be addressed:
“Based on the skills maps and Individual Development Plans (IDPs), after the competency gaps are identified, I am able to look for suitable training programmes, and develop targeted learning interventions that support both employee development and organisational goals.”
Taking the Approach Further
Orange Clove now has a strong foundation for organisation-wide implementation. The next phase is to extend the framework across functions, align competency expectations for similar roles, and adapt it to the unique demands of operational teams. The company is also exploring digital solutions to streamline competency management, track learning progress, and support continuous workforce development at scale.
The immediate impact is clear: Orange Clove’s managers can now systematically map role requirements, identify capability gaps, and provide employees with visible pathways for growth. What was once an informal discussion has evolved into a structured, manager-led approach to career development, supporting capability building, internal mobility, and longer-term workforce planning.
What happens when employees can clearly see how they can grow within your organisation?
Orange Clove’s experience shows how workplace learning can turn career development into a structured system that supports capability building, internal mobility and business growth. If your organisation is looking to strengthen talent development or build clearer career pathways, connect with IAL to explore how workplace learning consultancy can support your next phase of growth.