Systems for Career Management
Employee development is most likely to meet the organization’s needs if it is part of
a human resource system of career management. In practice, organizations’ career
management systems vary.
A basic career management
System involves four steps : data gathering, feedback, goal setting, and action planning and follow-up.
Data gathering Feedback Goal setting Action planning and follow-up.
Ways to make this system more effective include gathering data in areas associated with success, keeping feedback confidential and specific, involving
higher-level management in planning and follow-up, and crafting action plans that
are realistic and targeted to building expertise needed for the person’s career path.
Human resource professionals can also contribute to the system’s success by ensuring
that it is linked to other HR practices such as performance management, training,
and recruiting.
Data gathering
Employee development, we highlighted several assessment tools. Such tools may be applied to data gathering, the first step in the career management process.
Self-Assessment The use of information by employees to determine their career
interests, values, aptitudes, behavioral tendencies, and development needs.
Self-assessment tools can include exercises. The self-assessment can help employees identify a development need. Such a need can result from gaps between current skills or interests and the type of work or position the employee has or wants.
Focus on competencies needed for career success. Include a variety of measures.
Feedback
In the next step of career management, feedback, employees receive information
about their skills and knowledge and where these assets fit into the organization’s
plans.
Information employers give employees about their skills and knowledge and where these assets fit into the organization’s plans.
Usually the employer conducts the reality check as part of a performance appraisal
or as the feedback stage of performance management. In well-developed career management systems, the manager may hold separate discussions for performance feedback and career development.
Goal Setting
Based on the information from the self-assessment and reality check, the employee
sets short- and long-term career objectives. These goals usually involve one or more
of the following categories:
• Desired positions, such as becoming sales manager within three years.
As in these examples, the goals should be specific, and they should include a date by
which the goal is to be achieved. It is the employee’s responsibility to identify the goal
and the method of determining her or his progress toward that goal.
Usually the employee discusses the goals with his or her manager.
Action Planning and Follow-Up
During the final step, employees prepare an action plan for how they will achieve
their short- and long-term career goals. The employee is responsible for identifying
the steps and timetable to reach the goals. The employer should identify resources
needed, including courses, work experiences, and relationships. The employee and
the manager should meet in the future to discuss progress toward career goals.
For example, suppose the program manager in an
information systems department uses feedback from performance appraisals to determine
that he needs greater knowledge of project management software. The manager
plans to increase that knowledge by reading articles (formal education), meeting with
software vendors, and contacting the vendors’ customers to ask them about the software
they have used (job experiences). The manager and his supervisor agree that six
months will be the target date for achieving the higher level of knowledge through
these activities.