Career Management

Why is career management necessary?• To meet the immediate and future HR needs of

the organization on a timely basis.• To better inform the organization and the

individual about potential career paths w/i the organization.

• To utilize existing HR programs to the fullest by integrating the activities that select, assign, develop, and manage individual careers w/i the org.’s plans.

Definitions

• Career Development is an ongoing, formalized effort by an organization that focuses on developing and enriching the org’s HRs in light of both the employees’ & the org’s needs.

• Career Planning is the process by which an individual formulates career goals & develops a plan for reaching those goals.

Who is Responsible for Career Development(CD)

• Successful CD requires actions from three sources: the organization, the employee and the employee’s immediate manager.

The org. is the entity that has the primary responsibility for instigating and ensuring that CD takes place.

• To develop and communicate career options w/i the org. to the employee.

Organization’s Responsibilities(C’d)

• To advise employees concerning possible career paths.

• To ensure that this info is kept current.• To ensure that accurate info is conveyed and

that the interrelationships among different career paths are understood.

• To promote the conditions and create the environment that will facilitate development of career plans by employees

Employee’s Responsibilities

• Career planning requires a concious effort on the part of the employee.

• Only the individual knows what she/he really wants out of a career, and these desires vary from person to person.

• The organization should encourage and guide the employee.

Manager’s Responsibilities

• serves as a catalyst

• facilitates the development

• shows an employee how to go about the process

• helps the employee evaluate the conclusions

But many managers do not perceive career

counseling as part of their managerial duties

Implementing Career Development

Four basic steps in the individual level:

1) The individual’s assessment of her/his abilities

2) Organization’s assessment of the individual’s abilities and potentials

3) Communication of career options and opportunities w/i the organization.

4) Career counseling for goals and plans

Individual Assessment

• The career planning process means matching individual strenghts and weaknesses with occupational opportunities and threats.

• People never stop to analyze their abilities, interests, and career goals.

• Self-assessment materials, tailor-made forms and training programs are available.

Assessment by the Organization

• Performance appraisal process

• The assessment center

• Personnel records (education, previous work experience..)

• It is a good idea not to depend on only one source of info but to use as many as available.

Communicating Career Options

• To set realistic career goals, an individual must know the options and opportunities.

• Career pathing is a sequence of developmental activities involving formal and informal education, training and job experiences that help make an ind. capable of holding more advanced jobs.

Career Counseling

is the activity that integrates the different steps in the career development process.

Developing a caring attitude toward empl’s and their careers is of prime importance.

* may be performed by an employees immediate manager, an HR specialist or a combination of the two.

Suggestions for Managers

• Recognise the limits of career counceling

• Respect confidentiality

• Establish a relationship

• Listen effectively

• Consider alternatives

• Seek and share information

• Assist with goal definition and planning

Organizations Focusing on their Own Maintenance and Growth

Career Paths represent logical and possible sequences of positions that could be held, based on an analysis of what people actually do in an organization.

Creer paths should • Represent real progression possibilities, whether

lateral or upward.• Be tentative and responsive to changes in job

content, work priorities, organizational patterns, and management needs.

Career Paths

• Should specify the skills, knowledge, and other attributes required to perform effectively at each position along the paths and specify how they can be acquired.

Dealing with Career Plateaus

• “the point in a career where the likelihood of additional promotion is very low”

• Plateaued employess are those who “reach their promotional ceiling long before they retire”.

• Because fewer positions are available as one moves up the hierarchical ladder, plateauing doesn’t always indicate failure.

Classifying Careers

• Learners: Individuals with high potential for advancement who are performing below standard (e.g.,a new trainee)

• Stars: Individuals presently doing outstanding work and having a full potential for continued advancement

Classifying Careers (c’d)

• Solid citizens: Individuals whose present performance is satisfactory but whose chance for future advancement is small (the bulk of the employees in most organizations).

• Deadwood: Individuals whose present performance has fallen to an unsatisfactory level.

Rehabilitating Ineffective Plateauees

“Why should we try and help ineffective plateauees; don’t they often have an overall negative impact on the orgnztion?”

• Job knowledge

• Organizational knowledge

• Loyalty

• Concern for the well-being of plateauees

Rehabilitation Possibilities

• Provide alternate means of recognition

• Develop new ways to make their current jobs more satisfying

• Effect revitalization through reassignment

• Utilize reality-based self-development programs

• Change managerial attitudes toward plateaued employees

Career-Related Myths

Myths Held by Employees

• There is always room for one more person at the top

• Good subordinates make good superiors

• Career development and planning are functions of HR personnel

• All good things come to those who work long, hard hours.

Myths Held by Employees(C’d)

• Rapid advancement along a career path is largely a function of the kind of manager one has.

• The way to get ahead is to determine your weaknesses and work hard to correct them.

• It is wise to keep home life and work life seperated.

(C’d)

• The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

There are myths held by managers.• Career development will raise expectations• We will be overwhelmed with requests.• Managers will not be able to cope.• We do not have the necessary systems in

place.