Career
Development Today:
The Long and Winding Road
Today's changing career landscape promises endless
possibilities. At the same time, as organizational priorities constantly shift,
it features unexpected twists and turns while offering few road markers. As a result,
your employees may suffer from what Paul Smith describes as a new strain of "blind ambition."
Smith,
who is Director of Training and Development for the Consumer
Health Care Products division of a global pharmaceutical firm,
explains, "We found that employees understood they needed
to take charge of their careers. Some, at our encouragement,
took the initiative and tried to figure out the answers to
'How do I do this?' 'Who do I talk to?' 'What are the unwritten
rules?' Unfortunately, they didn't receive a lot of help from
us, and they often got it wrong."
Getting it wrong includes mismatched
skills or interests, misery, failure, or a dead-end role that doesn't deliver what the organization needs most. Yet no one is suggesting a return to
a more traditional, linear notion of careers. Not organizations, which need to realign and redeploy talent nimbly in response to changing market
conditions. Not employees, who come to work each day with new expectations and the desire to make the most of their unique skills.
Both sides crave elements of the old system. The
same talent who may not want to be "managed" do look for career opportunities and a sense of what lies beyond the next hill. The same organizations who can't
promise lifetime employment require a return on their investment in that talent, making sure that the right skills are in the right place, focused on the
right priorities, at the right time.
Enter "career development" — redefined.
Unfortunately, too many career development initiatives either
create a free-agent mentality that doesn't support the organization's
priorities or flip responsibility over to individual employees
without the appropriate support from the organization. Neither
works. In fact, HR managers surveyed for The Society for Human
Resource Management's 2006 Talent Management Report identified
"creating policies that encourage career growth and development
opportunities" as being among the top four areas of improvement
needed in their organization's talent management systems.
Effective
career development programs are designed to provide employees
with the information, tools, and development they need to
move into roles the organization needs them to play. The recommendations
that follow reflect the best practices of two organizations
that are successfully addressing the needs of both the organization
and the workforce.
Provide a process, not a path.
Today's unpredictable business climate dictates the demise of the definitive "next step" on the career ladder. As Allen & Overy, a law firm with 26 offices in 19 countries,
experienced significant shifts in its business, new opportunities for associates were created. The challenge was, according to Julian Tutty, Head of Performance,
Learning, and Development, "With new opportunities came uncertainty. The paths taken by senior partners no longer apply." In response, the firm is rolling out a
comprehensive career management program for associates 3 to 4 years into their tenure to help them identify and develop for the career moves most appropriate for
their talents and goals as well as the firm's priorities.
Smith says his division experienced
similar business shifts, which resulted in the creation of new opportunities. Yet employees were stymied without a road map. He explains, "We wanted to provide a process
to help individuals identify their interests, determine their strengths and development areas, and make better decisions about their options."
Provide useful information.
Employees need more than permission to seek lateral moves or a process for managing their career. The more information your organization can provide about
options available to employees, the better. Allen & Overy detailed new positions and laid out alternative paths to becoming a partner. The firm is also working
on a competency framework to help associates better identify the skills they need to develop into desired roles.
Competency
definitions also figured prominently in the approach of Smith’s
organization. Position "brochures" were created that described
the various levels of responsibility, and examples of possible
development paths were included. He explains, "We asked high
performers 'What was your path?' and found that they often
held a series of jobs but did not follow the same path. So
we included these examples to emphasize that there is no one
route. We wanted to send the message that thoughtful 'bouncing'
is not only okay; there is evidence that the high performers
have moved the most."
Prepare managers.
Managers should not drive career development initiatives,
but they can derail them if they're not part of the process.
Smith made sure his division’s career management implementation
featured a top-down rollout to create manager buy-in. Half-day
workshops, focused on coaching fundamentals such as establishing
trust, were also offered to ensure that managers were better
equipped to coach employees in their development. Tutty has
addressed skepticism at Allen & Overy directly with a communications
strategy and briefings. After all, he explains, "The senior
partners never had this type of support themselves, and helping
others find their own answers is very different from their
day jobs."
Provide accountability and incentives.
Both firms implemented career development initiatives in the
context of performance management and bonus structures. By
doing so, they underscored the organization's commitment to
employees and ensured that employees' career moves benefited
the organization. Smith notes an additional payoff: After
employees completed the initial phase of the career management
process, the Talent Management Meetings (in which managers
discussed skill sets and the potential of employees) were
more productive and accurate.
Take a multifaceted approach.
As with any strategic workforce initiative, success is unlikely to come from one tool or one day of training, as these initiatives
illustrate. Tutty is in the process of supplementing the steps taken so far with a Coaching Center to provide one-on-one career guidance. Smith reports plans to revisit
the on-boarding process to reflect the competency and career management tools implemented so far.
Reap the rewards of retention and competitive advantage.
Both organizations have enjoyed anecdotal reports of
success and increased alignment. They expect increased retention of top talent to follow. According to Smith, "Not enough companies invest in career development.
Those that do will achieve competitive advantage. We want to attract top talent by showing that this is a good place to work. We also want to retain top talent — by
keeping them pursuing what they're interested in doing and becoming better at it."
For more information on how BlessingWhite can help your talent achieve career success while delivering the results you need, call 1.800.222.1349.
|
