The postdoctoral workforce comprises a growing proportion of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) community, and plays a vital role in advancing science. Postdoc professional development, however, remains rooted in outdated realities. We propose enhancements to postdoc-centred policies and practices to better align this career stage with contemporary job markets and work life. By facilitating productivity, wellness and career advancement, the proposed changes will benefit all stakeholders in postdoc success—including research teams, institutions, professional societies and the scientific community as a whole. To catalyse reform, we outline recommendations for (1) skills-based training tailored to the current career landscape, and (2) supportive policies and tools outlined in postdoc handbooks. We also invite the ecology and evolution community to lead further progressive reform.

博士后劳动力在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）社区中所占比例不断增加，并且在推动科学发展方面发挥着至关重要的作用。但是，博士后专业发展仍然植根于过时的现实。我们建议增强以博士后为中心的政策和做法，以更好地使这一职业阶段与当代的就业市场和工作生活保持一致。通过促进生产力，健康和职业发展，拟议的变更将使博士后取得成功的所有利益相关者受益，包括研究团队，机构，专业协会和整个科学界。为了促进改革，我们概述了以下方面的建议：（1）针对当前职业情况量身定制的基于技能的培训，以及（2）博士后手册中概述的支持性政策和工具。