Stretch assignments are a powerful tool for developing early-career talent—but only when the value is clearly communicated and rewards are distributed fairly. Without structure, organizations risk reinforcing inequity instead of building potential. Here’s what to focus on.

Communicate the assignments’ importance clearly. Many employees don’t realize how critical stretch assignments are until after they’re passed over for a promotion. Simply assigning high-stakes work or encouraging employees to seek it out isn’t sufficient. Give managers the tools to explain how these projects support advancement. Enable managers to track whom they’re developing—for example, using prompts in performance reviews and tools for documenting development conversations—and train them to consistently encourage initiative-seeking behaviors across the team. 

Clarify how the assignments lead to advancement. Even when employees complete stretch work, they don’t always see how it connects to career growth. Fix that by linking assignments to specific outcomes: what skills are being developed, what success looks like, and how the work will be rewarded. Use performance frameworks and regular reviews to track progress—and recognize strong performance—to signal the assignments’ value.

Adapted from The Right Way to Implement Stretch Assignments by Shannon K. Gilmartin et al.

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