Career Plateauing and Employee Performance in the County Government of Nyandarua, Kenya.

Career plateauing is the point in an employee’s career at which further advancement, job enrichment or personal career growth is perceived to have become limited. It is increasingly regarded as a critical human resource management concern because it can shape motivation, commitment and performance, particularly in public organizations with formal hierarchies and fixed establishments. Empirical evidence from banks, universities and hospitals largely associates career plateauing with lower performance, burnout and withdrawal. However, in the County Government of Nyandarua, development-budget absorption stood at only 62.90% in FY2024/25 and several approved positions remained unfilled, raising concerns about whether employees experiencing career stagnation sustain the performance required for devolved service delivery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the effect of career plateauing on employee performance in the County Government of Nyandarua, Kenya. It examined four dimensions of career plateauing, namely hierarchy plateau, work content plateau, personal plateau and gender plateau. The study was anchored on Career Plateau Theory and supported by Social Exchange Theory, Self-Determination Theory and Feminist Theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and targeted 2,448 employees of the County Government of Nyandarua drawn from ten departments. The unit of analysis and observation was the individual employee. A sample size of 96 employees was determined using the Nassiuma (2000) formula and selected through stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyse the data, which were presented in tables and discussed. The findings revealed that hierarchy plateau was the strongest predictor of employee performance in the County Government of Nyandarua. The study also found that personal plateau had a significant positive effect on employee performance. The study further found that gender plateau significantly predicted performance. Finally, the study established that work content plateau was a significant but comparatively weaker predictor of employee performance. Jointly, the four dimensions explained 44.0% of the variation in employee performance, and the positive direction of the effects indicates that employees sustained their immediate performance despite career stagnation. The study, therefore, recommends that the County Government establish transparent, merit-based promotion systems, clear career progression pathways and internal mobility opportunities. The County Government should introduce job rotation, task enrichment, challenging assignments and continuous professional development. The County Government should strengthen career counselling, mentoring and individualized development plans. The County Government should ensure gender-equitable access to promotion, training, rewards and leadership opportunities.