Career Development - Essay Example

08-02-2007 Career Development Today’s organizations are struggling to service in fiercely competitive global markets. They are restructuring, outsourcing, re-engineering, downsizing, subcontracting and forming alliance (Marken, 2000). Successful firms find they need to be lean, agile and quick to respond organization that don’t or won’t accelerate their change will disappear. The same is true for business professionals at every level who work in this information age. No one owes or guarantees pay increase, promotions in a job or even career future. In this new environment, people have to take complete control of their own lives, their own careers and their own future. People have to come to grips with the hard fact that there are limits on how loyal an employer can be. Firms can no longer throw money and people at problems. They have to find better solution faster with less money. Socio economic changes have altered the relationship between organizations and employees. For many organizations the traditional contract, based on an exchange of lifelong employment and steady career progress in return for commitment and loyalty, no longer fits with their strategic objectives. Increasing needs for adaptability, flexibility and creativity in responding to global markets and customers have resulted in new type of relationships. For the perspective of employees also, there is a changing attitude towards the employment relationship, organization can no longer consider, the commitment of their employees as a given they have to earn it offering the right mix of employment conditions has become a necessity in stimulating commitment and willingness to use one’s talents for the sake of the company. Moreover, demographic changes in the workforce will force organization to anticipate changes on the labour market in the forthcoming years and prepare them to retain best suitable talent. It is a known fact that most professionals leave an organization due to lack of career growth. Active career development initiatives by a company are a key retention tool to keep the best talent within its fold. It is one of the greatest motivators to keep an employee happy and engaged. Most organizations consider career development as part of their critical human resource strategy. Form the employee’s point of view career development initiatives gives them a clear focus about their career track. Economic and technological changes have resulted in working careers becoming more unpredictable. Presently, career opportunities tend to be seen in the light of employability (van Dam, 2004) recognizing that career development frequently goes beyond the boundaries of one organization (Boundary less careers; Arthur, 1994). Career development can be understood as an enumeration of consecutive job and training. In continuation with demands of the modern labour market, there is increased emphasis on employees’ active role and level of involvement with respect to his or her career. This is reflected in concepts such as personal initiatives (Frese, 2001), employability (Van Dam, 2004), or preparedness to change (Schyns, 2004). Career development is taken as active career actualization, which we can define as the realization of personal goals and values in one’s career vis-à-vis the facilitation and constraining conditions of the work situation. Today’s employees are more responsible for their own career development and cannot rely on organizations to provide lifelong employment and career growth. The changing nature of jobs and tasks and environment forced employees to update their knowledge and skills regularly to be more relevant and matching to the organization need. Career development is dependent on various determinants. The individual factors of employees such as gender, age, position (Forret & Dougherty, 2004), education, skills, career ambitions, adoption to change and mobility ambition, are the major influencers in career development. Some individuals are more likely to be able to move to other jobs. Reflecting on ones desires and values will also help with making realistic choices with respect to ones career, especially when motivation reflection is connected to exploring the competencies needed for and values incorporated in certain job opportunities (Mcijers, 2002). Veiga (1983) found that marketability is related to the propensity to move, which in turn will influence how much responsibility a person is able to take for his or her own career. A typical employee views a career development programme as a path to upward mobility. Godshalk and Sosik (2003) found that learning-goal orientation, that is, the tendency of individuals to strive for development and learning, is positively related to career satisfaction and development. Lifelong learning has become increasingly important in the current labor market situation. Individuals who are willing to learn about and train for their desired career will enhance not only their intrinsic career success but also their extrinsic career success (status and salary). For better career development employees have to develop their skills, knowledge, professional relationships and expertise to take advantage of opportunities that arise. In today’s flattened organizations and reduced hierarchies, organizations cannot be waited to empower employees but it is the employee’s duty and requirements to empower themselves. There will be gaps between employees’ competency levels and those required by employers. Now it is the aim of strategic career management to maximally match needs to employees and organization. Organization with a successful career management succeeds in offering their employees career paths and development opportunities that correspond to their long-term strategic human capital needs. At the same time organizations succeed in fostering a desired level of motivation, commitment and performance from their employees, by providing them the opportunities to realize their personal ambitions and expectations. Intense communication and exchange of information about mutual expectations is a central feature of effective career management policies. It has often been debated weather all the organizations do understand the advantages of career management in the process of accomplishing their business goals. To some extent they do understand the advantages of career management but due to certain constraints in practice, methodical visible attention has not been given. It is not just enough to understand the significance of career development programme but managing it well. But does career planning and development of employees actually make a difference to the productivity of a worker? Most organizations think so, and consider it a part of their critical human resource strategy. The whole process should be well organized to receive full support from employees who will clearly see the advantages. Aspects like what, when, why, where, who all and how, have to be clearly captured as a part of the development plan and communicated effectively. It is mutually beneficial to the employers as well as the employees. Candid communication helps manage expectations better and once plans are finalized and rolled out, there should be zero tolerance around consistency, commitment, compliance and credibility, unless business encounters something unusual and things that could not be foreseen. Implementation of these plans helps companies earn credibility amongst employees and commitment towards building intellectual capital. The importance of a match between the person’s values and an organization value in reflected in research on person organization fit (Herriot, 2002). Each organization has to develop a career development strategy that fits its own specific needs. Career development and management must be part of the overall drive to develop manager/employees at all levels. It requires successful planning and ongoing commitment of high-level management. Assessment tools such as assessment centers, tests, interviews and a performance appraisal process allow on organization to development an accurate career development and management policies. Best organizations have well defined career development plans and they have adopted best practices to continuously develop employees’ knowledge and skills and integrate career management strategies with recruiting, selection, retention and development to their human resource policies. New global economy and its challenges affected the organization. Organizations have adopted various strategies to reward high performers with opportunities for development. Non-stop unpredictable organizational change has caused organizations to quickly identify growing gaps in talent and emerging needs for new types of talent. Best organizations always adopt good career development approach, which is easy to use. They are developmentally oriented and provide best opportunities to employees to develop their talent. They provide best options for achievers to attract and retain them. Best career development management systems in the organizations effectively spot the gap in talent and effectively fulfill it. It enables the company to ensure that the right people are moving into the right jobs at the right time. The most successful organizations develop and built around continual reinvention. They continually refine and adjust their systems as they receive feedback, monitor developments in technology and learn from other leading organization. Career development programme enable a deeper focus on an employees aims and aspirations. This focus acts as a significant motivator for employees to excel and exceed the targets. Possibility and hope for career development motivate employee to perform better. It is an ongoing, dynamic process; employees may need encouragement and support in reviewing and re-assessing their goals and activities. It is an ongoing dynamic process. Employees may need encouragement and support in reviewing and reassessing their goals and activities. An organization focused on developing the career path of its employees boosts the morale and ultimately the productivity of its staff. Organization objective of showing well articulated, growth oriented yet flexible career path to its employees. Strong senses of direction coupled with responsibility, boosts motivational levels and hence performance. Organizations normally plans for employees career development taking into consideration of short term employee loyalty and long term viability of investing time and resources but cannot give up career development programmes. Such programmes are seen as long-term value addition to the organization. Organizations have to launch a career management framework built around the fulcrum of personal development plans and career mentoring. Due to proper career development plans and management techniques adopted by organizations, employee must have a degree of clarity of what he wants to pursue and finds his job as the correct fit. Once this happens, employee is fully engaged and becomes highly productive and less likely to switch jobs. The goal of career development thus becomes a plan to retain and promote employees who are strategic to the company’s success. Organizations have today begun and understand the effectiveness of mentoring among all career development initiatives like promotions, job rotation, training etc. Organizations have the opportunity to affect the career success of employees by actively supporting the career actualization of employees and by offering opportunities to change work content(Marinka, 2006). In this sense, organizations can make a difference in career development. Organizations adopt various approaches to developing careers. Some of the approaches are like creating opportunities for the employees in the organization, employees friendly work environment with high learning curves and leadership mentoring, understanding broad corporate goals as well as industry requirements and aligning the career development initiatives, creating friendly work culture and transparent environment for better career growth and salary growth and benefits to match the role specific requirement and ability to perform as per the job requirement. Opportunities for mobility, the dynamics of the present job, and moral support in the private context, proved to contribute positively in career development. Although careers are more in the hands of employees these days, employers may want to support their staff in their career development. Finally the growth of employees is intrinsically linked with the growth of an organization and vice-versa. No organization can develop without taking its employees on the growth path and an individual’s development is meaningless if it does not align with the organizational goals and strategy. Organizations have their own vision and individuals their own aspirations. Alignment and congruence of both create a win-win situation. Every organization needs to retain people with the right skills and talent. This can be enabled by investing in their future growth and showing them the path to fulfill their dreams. In this process the effort put by employees gives a fillip to their performance and transforms into greater organizational productivity. References: 1. Arthur, M. B. (1994) The boundaryless career: A new perspective for organizational inquiry. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 15, 295-306. 2. Frese, M. (2001) Personal initiative (PI): The theoretical concept and empirical findings. In M. Erez, M. Kleinbeck, & H. Thierry (Eds.), Work motivation in the context of a globalizing economy (pp. 99-110). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. 3. Forret, M. L., & Dougherty, T. W. (2004) Networking behaviors and career outcomes: Differences for men and women? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 419-437. 4. Godshalk, V. M., & Sosik, J. J. (2003) Aiming for career success: The role of learning goal orientation in mentoring relationships. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63, 417-437. 5. Herriot, P. (2002) Selection and the self: Selection as a social process. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 11, 385-402. 6. Schyns, B. (2004) The influence of occupational self-efficacy on the relationship of leadership behavior and preparedness for occupational change. Journal of Career Development, 30, 247-261. 7. Mcijcrs, F. (2002) Career learning in a changing world: The role of emotions. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 24, 149-167. 8. Marinka, A.C.T. Kuijpers (2006) “career competencies for career success". Career Development Quarterly. Dec accessed on 05th feb. 07 from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JAX/is_2_55/ai_n17114100. 9. Van Dam, K. (2004) Antecedents and consequences of employability orientation. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 13, 29-51. 10. Veiga, J. F. (1983) Mobility influences during managerial career stages. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 64-85. 11. Marken, G.A. (2000) A New Approach to Moving Up the Corporate Ladder Accessed on 04th feb 2007 from http://www.markencom.com/. Read More