advancing careers driving results
TRANSCRIPT
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Advancing Careers,Driving ResultsCareer Development for Business Success
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Table of Contents
A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT 02
INTRODUCTION: HEIGHTENING THE CHALLENGE AND MEANING OF WORK 03
HOW THIS RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED 04
KEY FINDINGS: DEVELOPMENT PERFORMS 05
Regional Variations
IMPLICATIONS: RE-ENGAGING THE DISENGAGED 09
Career Development Linked to Individual Engagement Drivers
Career Development and Talent Attraction
Underlying World of Work Trends
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVICE: ALIGN TALENT WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY 14
Keys Drivers of Learning and Development
Be Systematic in Your Approach
Make It Cultural
CONCLUSION: THE DEVELOPMENT IMPERATIVE 18
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A Word From the PresidentJob dissatisfaction doesnt just destroy morale; it destroys businesses.
At Right Management, we have been seeing increasing signs that
employees in workplaces worldwide are becoming dissatisfied and
disengaged, with inevitable consequences for productivity and
business performance.
This white paper not only investigates the extent of discontent in theworkplace, but also offers a view, based on groundbreaking research,
of how the issue can be effectively addressed. In a major study of
organizational effectiveness involving more than 28,000 employees
around the world, we found that providing employees with learning
and development opportunities expands their capabilities and,
just as importantly, enhances their engagement with both their job
and organization.
Read on to discover what your organization can do to drive its results
by creating more satisfying jobs and careers for your most important
assetyour people.
Dougla J. Matthew
President & Chief Operating Officer
Right Management
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS3
rdc
Heightening the Challengeand Meaning of Work
Boredom and discontent in the workplace is a serious business
performance issue. In a major international study of organizational
effectiveness involving more than 28,000 respondents, Right
Management has found that two-thirds of employees globally are
less than fully engaged by their work and organization. With weak
engagement translating into lower retention, greater absenteeismand poorer productivity, organizations almost everywhere are
simply failing to perform to their true potential.
What can organizations do? Offering employees career development opportunities
provides an important answer. As our study shows, career development not only builds
skills and capacities that can help organizations achieve their strategic goals, but
also addresses the motivators driving employees to put their skills and capacities to
optimal use. Employees are looking for challenge in their jobs. They want to contribute
meaningfully to their organizations success. By equipping employees to find greaterchallenge and meaning in their work, career development promotes engagement and
enhances the performance of the individual and the organization alike.
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS4
Conducted between November 2008 and January 2009, our
study surveyed 28,810 employees across 10 business sectors
in 15 countries to get their views on 11 major topics related to
organizational effectiveness.
Respondents indicated their level of agreement with nearly 100 different statements grouped
according to each of these 11 general topics. We then tested for statistically significant (i.e.
greater-than-chance) relationships between responses to the statement There are career
opportunities for me at my organizationan item belonging to the learning and development
topicand responses to statements addressing engagement and other key determinants of
organizational effectiveness. While the existence of a strong relationship, or correlation, is not
necessarily an indication of a causal link, it does provide reasonable grounds for concluding
that causality may be involved. Over 90% of our respondents worked for private corporations
employing 50 or more people and earning revenues between $1 million and $1 billion. The
study used a stratified sample of employees that matched workforce population in each
country on several factors, including industry, size of organization, gender and age.
15 COUNTRIESUnited States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, UK , France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, China,
India, Japan, South Korea
10 BUSINESS SECTORSAgriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying; Manufacturing; Electricity, Gas and Water Supply; Construction;
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Restaurants and Hotels; Transportation, Storage and Communication; Finance, Insurance,
Real Estate and Business Services; Government, Social and Personal Services
How This Research Was Conducted
NORTH AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA
MIDDLE EAST
AND AFRICA
EUROPE
JAPAN
ASIA-PACIFIC
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS5
Opportunity for learning and development is a top driver of
engagement. Of the 11 general topics, learning and development
opportunities was the second highest ranking item to drive
engagement, more important than leadership, culture and
compensation.
Our research revealed significant correlations between the statement There are career
opportunities for me at my organization and several statements and topics addressing
organizational effectiveness. The key findings include:
Poviing aee oppotunitie ive engagement. Organizations that provide career
development opportunities are six times more likely to engage their employees than
organizations that do not. Fifty-four percent of employees who responded favorably to (i.e.
either agreed with or strongly agreed with) the statement There are career opportunities for
me at my organization reported being engaged. That figure compares to an engagement rate
of only 9% among employees who responded unfavorably to this statement.
y ds
Development Performs
1. Work processes 6. Structure, roles and capability
2. Learning and development opportunities 7. Recognition and reward
3. Culture 8. Customer focus
4. Senior leaders 9. Strategy
5. Communication 10. Immediate managers
ENGAGEMENT DRIVERS BY TOPIC IN RANK ORDER
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS6
Poviing aee oppotunitie ive etention. Organizations that provide career
development opportunities are more than four times less likely to lose talent in the next year
than organizations that do not. Only 5% of respondents who agreed or strongly agreed that
their organization provides career opportunities indicated that they planned to leave within
the next year. By contrast, 22% of those who did not agree that their organization provides
career opportunities said they planned to leave within a year.
Figue 2: Relationship between There are career opportunities for me at my organization and retention
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THERE ARE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FORME AT MY ORGANIZATION AND RETENTION
Plan to stay for
under 1 year
Plan to stay for 1 to
less than 5 years
Plan to stay for at
least 5 years
Favorable
Unfavorable
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Poviing aee oppotunitie ive poutivit. Organizations that provide careerdevelopment opportunities are almost 2.5 times more likely to be productive than
organizations that do not. Seventy-two percent of employees who responded favorably to
the statement There are career opportunities for me at my organization reported that their
organization is productive. Among those who failed to respond favorably, by contrast, only
30% indicated that their organization is productive.
31%
37%
5%
22%
64%
42%
46%
54%Engaged
Not Engaged
Global Benchmarking Study, December 2008
Base: 28,810 Global Employees
IMPACT OF THERE ARE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ME AT MY ORGANIZATION ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Favorable
Unfavorable
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
91%
9%
Figue 1: Impact of There are career opportunities for me at my organization on employee engagement
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS7
Poviing aee oppotunitie ive pefomane. Organizations that are judged to
be a best performer are almost three times more likely to provide career development
opportunities than those that are judged to be a below-average performer. Sixty-three
percent of respondents who identified their organization as one of the best performing
organizations in its sector(s) also responded favorably to the statement There are career
opportunities for me at my organization. By contrast, a favorable view of their organizations
commitment to providing career opportunities was taken by only 23% of those who identified
their organization as a below-average performer.
7%
72%Productive
Unproductive
Global Benchmarking Study, December 2008Base: 28,810 Global Employees
IMPACT OF THERE ARE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ME AT MY ORGANIZATION ON PRODUCTIVITY
Favorable
Unfavorable
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
36%
30%
Figue 4: There are career opportunities for me at my organization by organization performance
Figue 3: Impact of There are career opportunities for me at my organization on productivity
THERE ARE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME AT MY ORGANIZATION
BY ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCE
One of the best performingorganizations in its sector(s)
Above averageperformer
Average
performerBelow average
performer Favoable
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
63%
55%
39%
23%
Global Benchmarking Study, December 2008
Base: 28,810 Global Employees
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS8
Our findings show a connection between providing career opportunities and all the links of
what we might call the performance chain. Career opportunities drive engagement, which, in
turn, drives retention and productivity. Best-performing organizations are significantly more
likely to provide career development opportunities than are below-average, average and evenabove-average performers because best performers recognize that providing such opportunities
works. It yields measurable results.
REGIONAL VARIATIONS
BRIC ountie povie the mot oppotunitie. At 68%, 59% and 53%, respectively,
employees in India, China and Brazil were most likely to agree or strongly agree that their
organizations provided career opportunities. France, Sweden and Japan recorded the lowest
favorable response rates at 38%, 36% and 33%, respectively. The United States favorable
response figure was 52%, the United Kingdoms figure was 44% and Germanys figure was
40%. It shouldnt perhaps surprise us that the countries that appear to be providing the most
career opportunities are three of the four so-called BRIC nations whose economies arewidely recognized for their fast-paced development.
Caee oppotunitie ouble engagement in Japan. At 63%, Canada, the United States
and Denmark showed the highest engagement levels among employees who agreed or
strongly agreed that their organizations provide career opportunities. By contrast, in China,
South Korea and Japan, those who agreed or strongly agreed that their organizations provide
career opportunities reported engagement rates of only 44%, 32% and 23%, respectivelythe
lowest rates of all 15 countries surveyed. Yet it is in these countries dwelling at the bottom of
the opportunities-engagement table that providing career opportunities has the biggest impact
on engagement. In Japan, where only 11% of respondents reported being engaged, extending
career opportunities to all employees would more than double engagement rates to 23%. Theincreases would be comparable in South Korea, where engagement would rise from 18% to 32%,
and in China, where it would rise from 29% to 44%. Extending career opportunities would have
a significant impact even in countries at the top of the table. In Canada, the United States and
Denmark, engagement would increase by more than one-quarter.
Caee oppotunitie ouble etention in South Koea, Bazil an China.German,
Canadian and U.S. respondents who agreed or strongly agreed that their organizations provide
career opportunities were most likely to indicate that they would stay with their employer for
at least five years. The figure for Germany was 73%, for Canada, 71% and for the United States,
70%. The greatest impact on five-year retention, however, was recorded in South Korea, Brazil
and China. While only 21% of South Korean respondents who said that their employers fail to
provide career opportunities indicated they would stay at least five years, 56% of those who
said that their employers do provide opportunities indicated they planned to stay at least five
years. The comparable figures for Brazil were 27% and 60% and for China were 25% and 50%.
Intentions to stay, in short, more than doubled when career opportunities were provided.
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS9
cs
Re-engaging the Disengaged
The true significance of our findings can be appreciated only
when considered in relation to accumulating evidence that a large
and growing number of employees are not satisfied with their
jobs and places of work.
Our organizational effectiveness study itself provides a good deal of this evidence. It found
that only 34% of employees worldwide are fully engaged by their jobs and organizations. In
none of the countries surveyed did engagement levels top even 50%. The highest levels wererecorded in India (45%) and the United States (44%). European countries ranged from a high
of 40% (Denmark and Norway) to a low of 30% (Germany and France). East Asian countries
scored lowest of all, with China at 29%, South Korea at 18% and Japan at a mere 11%.
Figue 5: Engagement by country
ENGAGEMENT BY COUNTRY
India
U.S.
New Zealand
Canada
Denmark
Norway
Brazil
Australia
Sweden
UK
Germany
France
ChinaSouth Korea
Japan
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Global Benchmarking Study, December 2008
Base: 28,810 Global Employees
45%
44%
43%
41%
40%
40%
38%
36%
34%
33%
30%
30%
29%
18%
11%
Percent fully engaged
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Our study approached engagement as a state of mind encompassing an employees
satisfaction with, pride in and commitment to both the job and the organization. It also took
into account an employees willingness to speak well of (or advocate for) his or her job and
organization. Clearly, the low levels of engagement revealed by our study indicate that manyemployees worldwide are not only less than satisfied with their work and workplace, but also
less than committed, less than proud and less than willing to advocate.
Figue 6: Employee Engagement: Four Factors, Two Levels
These indications of dissatisfaction are supported by other research. In a recent poll of more
than 900 workers across North America, Right Management found that a remarkable 60% of
respondents plan to pursue new job opportunities as the economy improves in 2010. A further
21% indicated that they are considering making such a move and are actively networking as a
result. Only 13% said they intended to stay. Our results are largely consistent with the findings
of the Herman Group, which in its Herman Trend Alert: 2010 Workforce/Workplace Forecast
Factors
Commitment
Pride
Advocacy
Satisfaction
JOBENGAGEMENT
I am committed to doing what
is required to perform myjob well.
I am proud of the work I do.
I would recommend myorganization to my friendsand colleagues as a great
place to work.
Overall, I am satisfied withmy job.
FULLY ENGAGED
I am committed to doing what
is required to help myorganization succeed.
I am proud to work for myorganization.
I speak highly of myorganizations
products and services.
Overall, I am satisfied with myorganization as an employer.
ORGANIZATIONENGAGEMENT
1
2
3
4
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More evidence of discontent emerges in a recent Conference Board study involving 5,000
representative U.S. households. Researchers found that only 45% of U.S. employees find their
jobs satisfying and only a slim majority (51%) find their jobs interesting. This study is worth
pausing over since it not only presents a snapshot of employee attitudes at the moment,
but also identifies a long-term trend. Job satisfaction, it reveals, has declined by 16% since
1987, with about a quarter of that decline (nearly 4%) occurring in 2008 alone. The recessionhas clearly had a significant impact on workforce unhappiness, but the trend is not merely
cyclical and the challenge not merely short-term. The Conference Boards figure for U.S. job
satisfaction (45%), we should note, is almost identical to Right Managements figure for U.S.
employee engagement (44%).
It is, then, in the context of extensive disengagement, dissatisfaction and discontent within
workforces worldwide that we need to understand the findings of our organizational
effectiveness study. Career development represents one of the most effective means
organizations have at their disposal of addressing this pressing talent management issue.
Employees are not inspired by their jobs. Career development offers them opportunities to
assume roles of greater interest, challenge and/or variety, while providing greater meaning inwork by linking individual effort to the larger purposes of the organization. Employees want
to understand how they fit into the larger picture and they want to participate meaningfully
in helping the organization realize its strategy. Providing career development makes such
understanding and participation possible.
DO YOU PLAN TO PURSUE NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES AS THE ECONOMY IMPROVES IN 2010?
Yes, I intend to leave
Maybe, so Im networking
Not likely, but Iveupdated my resume
No, I intend to stay
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
60%
21%
4%
13%
Right Management online poll of 236 employees conducted in November 2009.
Figue 7: Most workers want to quit
reports that 54 percent of todays employees are ready to jump, as soon as the economy
improves. Even if many of these employees fail to follow through on their stated intentions, as
may well prove the case, their survey responses reflect a significant degree of unhappiness in
the workplace. Contented, engaged employees are less likely even to consider leaving.
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CAREER DEVELOPMENT LINKED TO INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENT DRIVERS
A consideration of the top individual engagement drivers revealed by our study offers
penetrating insight into just how providing career opportunities can enhance engagement.As stated earlier, our survey consisted of 100 statements grouped into general topics. We
analyzed the correlations not only of each general topic with engagement, but also of
each individual statement. Of all the statements comprising our survey, There are career
opportunities for me at my organization showed the 15th highest correlation. That ranking
alone demonstrates the connection between providing career opportunities and engagement.
It is important to appreciate, however, that providing career opportunities is
also connected with individual engagement drivers even higher on the list .
A well-designed career development program can help employees arrive at a better
understanding of the organization, including its core values (1), and of what it expects of
each employee at work (4). Through such a program, employees can better understand how
they can contribute to customer needs (5) and how their personal work objectives link to
their work areas business plan (10). Providing career development is also a means by which
senior leaders can show that they value employees (7) and by which the organization(when programs are available universally) can demonstrate that they treat everyone with
respect, regardless of who they are (8). Providing career development opportunities, in
short, touches on at least six of the top ten individual engagement drivers.
Providing career
development
opportunities
touches on at
least six of the
top 10 individual
engagement
drivers.
1. I am committed to my organizations core values (strategy)
2. Our customers think highly of our products and services (customer focus)
3. My opinions count (communications)
4. I have a clear understanding of what is expected of me at work(structure, roles and capability)
5. I understand how I can contribute to meeting the needs of our customers(customer focus)
6. I have been fairly rewarded (recognition and reward)
7. Senior leaders value employees (senior leaders)
8. Everyone is treated with respect at work, regardless of who they are (culture)
9. I can concentrate on my job when I am at my work area (work processes)
10. My personal work objectives are linked to my work areas business plan (strategy)
INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENT DRIVERS
In oe of thei anking, the top 10 of thee iniviual engagement iveae a follow:
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CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND TALENT ATTRACTION
An additional benefit of providing career development involves talent attraction. If organizations
do, indeed, begin to see talented employees leaving in large numbers within the next year,implementing effective career development initiatives could play a strong role not only in
reversing the trend, but also in filling vacant positions. Right Management recently conducted a
survey asking, What is most important when considering a new employer? Respondents singled
out career development prospects by a wide margin. Organizations offering career development
opportunities attract new talent by building their brand as an employer of choice.
UNDERLYING WORLD OF WORK TRENDS
Talent mimath iving nee fo oganization to evelop talent. The case for providing
career development must also be understood in conjunction with trends in the world of work tied
to changing demographics. In many countries, the working-age population is either growing more
slowly than in the past or experiencing outright decline. One result is an increasing talent mismatch
as highly skilled employees retire and as the nature of available work shifts, organizations are
already encountering difficulties filling key high-skill positions even as, paradoxically, they reduce
their workforces generally. Since this talent mismatch is only likely to intensify as the population
ages, the importance of developing talent that can help the organizations meet evolving needs
will become ever more urgent. Career development enables employees to proactively own their
career progression in view of the new skills they will need in the changing world of work.
Emploee emaning moe hoie an geate oppotunit. Another outcome of
demographic trends is a more varied, multi-generational workforce composed of individuals
with unique needs and desires. Especially in high-skill work environments, individuals will
expect, and be granted, more choices and greater control over their working lives. Even though
organizations have shed jobs and placed increasing emphasis on employee productivity, they
will increasingly find it necessary to adopt a new model that gives employees a more active
role to play, with higher levels of contribution and participation. Highly talented employees will
look for workplaces where they can express their individuality and realize their aspirations. A
workplace that doesnt promote, enable and support personal interests and creativity, and isnt
interested in listening to new ideas, is unlikely to hold many attractions.
Right Management online poll of 236 employees conducted in November 2009.
EMPLOYEES VALUE CAREER DEVELOPMENT MOST
Career development prospects
Work/life balance
Innovative company culture
Good rapport with manager
Competitive compensationand benefits
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
40%
21%
15%
8%
12%
Figue 8: What is most important when considering a new employer?
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS14
rcds d dc
Align Talent with Business Strategy
What are the building blocks of an effective career development
strategy? How do organizations ensure that they demonstrate
their commitment to employees, that they have the right people
with the right skills to meet current and future business needs,
and that employees understand how they can contribute to the
organizations success? What, in short, do organizations need to
do to provide employees with career opportunities?
KEYS DRIVERS OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Our organizational effectiveness study provides some high-level guidance by identifying key
drivers of There are career opportunities for me at my organization. In order of impact, the
top seven are:
Investing in learning and development (4) and ensuring that individuals receive the development
they need to succeed in their jobs (2) are obvious steps in creating meaningful career
opportunities. So too is providing performance incentives (5): employees must be given reasonsfor advancing their careers. Clearly, organizations that ensure that they have people ready to
move into newly available positions (6) signal their commitment to providing career opportunities
rather than hiring from the outside. The most powerful driver of There are career opportunities
for me at my organization is empowering employees to take ownership of their development
(1). In part, such empowerment must involve ensuring that employees know how to progress (3),
which, in turn, may depend on managers facilitating effective career discussions (7).
1. I am encouraged to take ownership of my own development
2. I receive the development I need to do my job well
3. I know how to progress in my organization4. My organization invests in its peoples learning and development
5. There is sufficient incentive to perform well at my organization
6. My organization ensures that there are people ready to move into jobs whenpositions become available
7. My immediate manager facilitates effective discussions about mycareer development
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS15
These drivers, then, can be reduced to four essential recommendations:
BE SYSTEMATIC IN YOUR APPROACH
How, then, do you invest? How do you make employees partners in their own development?
How do you ensure that qualified people are available internally to fill vacancies? An essential
step is to create a formal career development program. Depending on the needs of the
organization, such a program could take a variety forms, but certain features are universally
applicable. A distinction must first be drawn between the accountabilities of the organizationand those of employees.
Oganization Shoul Conut a Skill an Nee Invento. The organization must
undertake a rigorous analysis of present workforce skills and future talent needs. Creating
an inventory of present skills and future needs is key to giving proper direction to individual
development. Development cannot succeed for the individual, let alone for the organization,
unless it is strategically oriented towards achieving larger business goals. Employees who
develop capabilities of little relevance to their job or organization wont have an active part to
play in the organizations success.
Oganization Shoul Emphaize Meaningful Caee Diuion. The organization must
also take the lead in initiating and facilitating meaningful career discussions. Facilitating careerdiscussions is an essential step in empowering employees to drive their own development.
This point is worth emphasizing because our research shows that career discussions between
employees and immediate managers are rare. In a recent poll involving more than 650 U.S.
employees, 37% of respondents indicated that they neverengage in career discussions with
their managers, while 29% said they engage in such discussions just once a year. Only 16%
reported that they have career discussions once a quarter. Skilling and equipping managers to
have regular, meaningful, career coaching conversations with employees is a foundational step
in a systematic career development program. Just as important is holding managers accountable
for holding those career conversations as part of any systematic career development program.
Career discussions are not only vital to providing career development opportunities foremployees, it offers managers an occasion to address directly many of the top individual
drivers of engagement that were revealed in our organizational effectiveness study
(referenced above). Career discussions, for example, can be used to explore and/or reinforce
the organizations core values; demonstrate that employees opinions count; that senior
leaders value employees; and help employees understand what is expected of them at
work and how they can contribute to meeting the needs of the customer. Ten of the top 15
individual drivers of engagement can, in fact, be tied to career discussions.
1.Prefer developing from within versus hiring from the outside
2.Ensure that your investment in learning and development is meaningful
3.Provide employees with incentives to progress
4.Make employees partners in their own developmentempower them
Ten of the top
15 individual
drivers of
engagement
can, in fact, be
tied to career
discussions.
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS16
Emploee Shoul Be Aountable fo a Poe of Caee Diove.A successful
learning and development program cannot rely on the organization alone. With guidance,
support and tools from their organization, employees must be held accountable for engaging
in a process of career discovery. This process should involve three phases:
Self-iove. Individuals employ reliable assessment tools to help them better
understand their abilities, interests and values. They must receive assistance in evaluating
assessment results.
Oganizational iove. Individuals look beyond their current role and business unit
to explore the needs, success factors, strategy, direction and values of the organization as
a whole. By doing so, they gain a more thorough insight into how their abilities, interests
and values can be aligned with the organizations priorities. It is here that the organizations
inventory of talent needs would come into play.
Caee iove. Individuals evaluate options, develop a career map and hone skills ,enabling them to manage their careers proactively. They receive guidance in the form of
structured career discussions with managers and team members.
This process must be continuous and dynamic. An individuals interests change, as do the
priorities of an organization. Career maps should not be set in stone, but regarded as guides
that will evolve as the individual evolves in his/her role.
Rolling out a formal career development program across an entire organization can be a
complicated and daunting proposition. A proven approach to lessening the burden would be
to build momentum gradually by starting with small pilot projects, moving on to individual
business units and eventually the organization as a whole.
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Case StudyREAL EXAMPLES
Career Management Improves Retention
A leading global consumer products organization began experiencing
retention issues after a downsizing initiative significantly reduced
upward career growth opportunities for remaining employees. In
response, the organization, partnering with Right Management,
introduced a career management program equipping employees to
be more proactive and successful in managing their own careers.
Participants engaged in self-discovery and career planning activities
involving assessments, workshops and one-on-one coaching. In
analyzing results, the company found that attrition among those who
participated in the program fell to less than half of the companys
average and its return on investment exceeded 200%.
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS18
MAKE IT CULTURAL
A formal career development program alone is not enough to provide employees with career
opportunities. If formal development is not to devolve into a set of sterile procedures, it must
be embedded in an organization-wide culture of learning and development. Senior leaders,
immediate leaders and employees all have a role to play in fostering such a culture.
An essential condition is the support of senior leadership. Senior leaders must throw their
weight behind career development, present it as a key strategic imperative and emphasize the
role of employees in taking ownership of their own careers. Doing so provides leaders with
a clear opportunity to demonstrate that they value employees, treat them with respect and
appreciate their opinions. As our organizational effectiveness study has shown, these are all
key engagement drivers.
The role of immediate leaders is to help make the organizations career development
intentions real and impactful. They must approach career development as a key responsibility
and hold themselves accountable for enhancing their career coaching skills, as a means of
supporting employees to realize their career goals. Facilitating varying work responsibilities,
offering stretch assignments, implementing a job-rotation scheme or providing opportunities
to run with new projects or initiatives, can support employees in their learning and growth on
the job. By initiating effective career development discussions, leaders can help employees
better understand the organizations core values and mission, what is expected of them in the
organizations changing landscape, how they can contribute to realizing the organizations
strategy, and how they can access opportunities beyond their immediate role. These, again,
have all been identified as important engagement drivers.
Employees, finally, must develop the capacity and be given the license to manage their
work and careers proactively. They must take the initiative not only in understanding theorganization and its priorities, but also in pursuing the experiences and skills that will help
them grow in their role, and in taking ownership of their work.
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ADVANCING CAREERS, DRIVING RESULTS19
Workforces worldwide are showing increasing signs of being dissatisfied and disengaged,
even as a large and growing body of research has drawn a direct line from engagement
through retention, productivity and, ultimately, business performance. Organizations that
fail to address workplace discontent risk losing their competitive advantage; their ability
to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions; their investment in key
talent with hard-to-replace skills; and whatever productivity gains they have achieved. Our
evidence indicates that career development can make a significant contribution to diffusing
the threat. Career development provides work with interest, challenge and meaning. Aligning
the skills and capabilities of the employee with the business strategy of the organization
satisfies the need of employees to make a difference and invest in the organizations success.
It drives engagement, retention, productivity and performance.
ccs
The Development Imperative
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Right Management Inc. 1818 Market Street, Thirty-Third Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.ight.om
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Right Management (www.right.com) is the talent and career management
expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services. Right
Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing
and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business
strategy. Our expertise spans Talent Assessment, Leader Development,
Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and Workforce
Transition and Outplacement. With 300 offices in over 50 countries, Right
Management partners with companies of all sizes. More than 80% of
Fortune 500 companies are currently working with us to help them grow
talent, reduce costs and accelerate performance.
About Right Management