Purpose – Demonstrates how to build commitment and retain employees through a career-development strategy. Design/methodology/approach – Shows how organizations often mismanage career development and how they could do better. Findings – Describes the five “Ps” of poor career development, the foundations of a career-development strategy and a number of career-development activities. Practical implications – Highlights the importance of beginning early, communicating clearly, partnering employees, facilitating internal movements and taking action frequently. Social implications – Advances the view that employee disengagement and high employee turnover are expensive and often avoidable. Originality/value – Argues that the lack of career development continues to be a major cause of employee dissatisfaction and turnover and shows how this can be avoided.