Unleashpotential!–Ifyouwanttokeepyourtalent,setthemfree…Retainingandengagingtalentisachallengeacrossindustries.Millennialsareextremelyvolatilewhileothersmightstayintheirjobsbutseverelylackmotivation.IncollaborationwiththeglobalengineeringcompanyFLSmidth,HR7haseffectivelybeenabletoinspireemployeesandacceleratetheircareers.Thisarticletellsthestoryofadevelopmentprogramthathasshownhowpeoplewillstayintheorganisationwhentheyaregiventheframeworkforproactivelyfocusinginward,outward,andforward.Retainingtalent,andparticularlyspecialisttalent,isoneofthemostimportant

challengesintoday’sorganisations.FLSmidthhasbuiltitsbusinessonspecialistengineeringresourcesandtheyaredependentonretainingandattractinghighlyskilledengineerstosafeguardcompetitiveadvantages.Sincethelate90sPCDP(ProfessionalCareerDevelopmentProgram)hassuccessfullyhelpedhundredsofFLSmidthemployeesdeveloptheircareersandmakevisibleprofessionalandpersonalgrowthwithintheorganisation.InDenmarktheprogramiscustomizedandconductedbyHR7withPartnerLeneThomsenatthehelm.“Theprogramoffersasharedstructureforindividualcareerdevelopmentinclosecollaborationwiththeorganisationandtheorganisation’sneeds”,shesays.PCDPstretchesover18monthscombiningseminars,coaching,mentorteam

meetings,andnetworkingeventswithapersonaldevelopmentplanthatkeepstrackthroughoutthetalentprogram.ThegenesisofPCDPPCDPwasestablishedinthemid-1990sattherequestoflinemanagementwhowasconcernedwiththeretentionofhighvalueengineeringtalent.Theprogramwasfurtherdevelopedin1999,inresponsetotheneedsoftheorganisationandtothegenerationoftalentthatwasmostatrisk.ThiscustomizationwasdoneincollaborationbetweenFLSmidth’sHRdepartmentandMarlaMosser,atthetimeanexternalconsultantandcoachwholaterjoinedtheorganisationasheadofpeopleandorganisationdevelopmentforNorthAmerica.“FLSmidthsawtheneedtoexpandtheprogramtodevelopandengagehighvaluetalentacrossfunctionsandtoevolvetheircapabilitytoproactivelyplanandmanagetheircareerswithinthecontextoftheorganization.Wewantedtoensurethattheseemployeeswereequippedtoassumeprimaryresponsibilityfortheirowncareermanagementandcouldpartnerwithmanagementinforgingcareerdevelopmentandcareerpathsthatconcurrentlyaddressedindividualandorganisationalneeds”,sherecalls.WhilechangesandadjustmentshavebeenmadesincethePCDPwaslaunchedmorethan15yearsago,theoverarchingobjectivehasstayedthesame.“Thepurposehasbeentoprepareandempowerpeopletoplanandmanagetheircareerssuccessfullywithinthecontextoftheorganisation.Employeesneedtoconcurrentlyconsidertheirownvalues,interestsandaspirationsinviewofthedirectionofthecompanyandtheimplicationsforthecompetenciesand

positionsneededtofulfilthebusinessstrategy”,MarlaMossersays.LeneThomsenadds:“Itpushesforproactivityandforward-lookingdialoguesacrosstheorganisationandthehierarchy.Inthatwayitsupportsretention,mobilityandcareerbuildingwithintheorganisation,sothatyoukeepknowledgeandengaged,resilientemployeesovertime”.ThePCDPencouragesparticipantstofocusinward,focusoutwardandfocusforward.“Byfocusinginward,participantslearnthatself-awarenessisreallyimportanttodevelopment.Thenwehelpthemacquireastrategicperspectivebyaskingquestionssuchas:‘WhatisgoingonintheexternalenvironmentandhowmightthatimpactFLSmidth?’Andlastly,“Sharingtheirviewsonfocusingforwardgivesvoiceandvisibilitytotheaspirationsofthisindividual”,MarlaMosserexplains.Coachingis(the)keyOvertheyears,ithasbeenapparentthatespeciallythecoachingcomponentofPCDPresonateswithparticipants.MichaelSchrederwasoneofthefirsttocompletethePCDPabout15yearsago.TodayheisDirectorofProjectManagementinFLSmidth’sSaltLakeCity,Utah,USoffice.“Asamanager,intheory,youwanttoeliminatechoicesoeverybodypursuestheexactcareerpathyouwantforthem,butthatisnotrealisticandthisapproachisnotgoingtobesuccessful.ThroughmycoachingsessionsIlearnedthateverybodyalwayshasachoice.Ithinkthatbothhashelpedmehirebetterpeople,andhashelpedmekeepthem”,hesays.KasperSkriver,DevelopmentEngineerinFLSmidthinDenmark,remembersfromhistimeintheprogram:“Tome,themostvaluableaspectwastheconversationsI

hadwithmycoach.Itmeantalottomethatshewasabletogivemeadviceandsolutionsinrelationtomypersonalchallenges.”

CanIseemyselfasamanager?DanishFLSmidthemployeeAndersJosefsenrecentlycompletedtheprogram.Tohimitwasaprofessionalandpersonalexperience,whichopenedhiseyestomanagement,althoughhewasinitiallyhesitant.“UponenteringtheprogramIwasunsurewhetherIshouldstrivetobecomeamanagerornot.Ihaddifficultiesseeingmyselfinthemanagerrole.Tome,thePCDPwasapersonaldevelopmentprojectandIwasguidedbyexcitementandinterest,notpromotion.”AlthoughAndersJosefsenwasunsureabouttakingonthemanagerrole,throughcoachinghewasabletoidentifyandacknowledgehisownleadershipskillsandaspirations.“DuringthecoachingsessionsIsensedwhatwasrightandwrongformepersonally,andcompetenciesIdidnotthinkIhadwererecognized.SotogetherwiththecoachIwasabletoclarifythatIwantedtoexplorethemanagerrole.”Today,AndersJosefsenisGeneralManagerofSalesinDenmark.

PCDPparticipantsmaybespecialists,projectmanagers,peoplemanagersorhaveotherfunctionsattheendoftheprogram.“Thereisnocareerpromise,however,theprogramoffersatoolboxforhowtomakethebestcareerfitormatch”,saysLeneThomsen.AssessmentsandepiphaniesInthePCDPthecareerassessmentDecisionDynamicsCareerViewisconductedalongwiththeMyers-BriggsTypeIndicator,apersonalityassessment.Whilereceivingassessmentfeedbackcanbechallengingtomakesenseof,itmightalsoprovideepiphanies.MichaelSchredersaysabouthisexperiencewiththeassessment:“ThefocusonthepersonalityprofilewasthefirsttimeIhaddonethat.Assomebodywithanengineeringbackgroundthatseemsalittlebitlikeblackmagic,youknow,whentheyareanalysingsomebody’spersonalityandyoulookatitandgo‘wow,that’srighton!’”KasperSkriveralsogainedtremendousbenefitsfromtheself-awarenesspartoftheprogram:“Today,IoftenthinkofmypersonaltraitsandwhatstrengthsIhave,sothatIcanbenefitfromcertainsituations.ThePCDPalsodefinedarangeofcapabilitiesthatneededtobeimproved,whichIamdoingbytakingdifferentcoursesandtherebyIamcontinuouslydevelopingmyknowledgeandgainingabroaderfoundation.”NetworkingthatworksTheprogramstructureoffersanopportunitytomeetemployeesfromtheentireorganisationasclassesarecomposedofemployeesacrossbusinessunits.

“Igottoknowpeoplefromotherpartsofthecompanyandtherebybecameawareofhowtheyworkonadailybasis.FLSmidthisabigorganisationandthereisnotonesingleculture,noteveninFLSmidthDenmark.Thereisdefinitelyacorporateculture,howevertherearemanysubcultures,whichI,asaconsequenceofthePCDPlearnedalotabout”,AndersJosefsenexplains.MichaelSchrederexpands:“Theprogramcreatesagoodplatformfornetworkingacrossthecompany.Ithink,foracompanyoursizeanddistributedasitis,thatisevenachallengeupinthemanagementlevels.Sonetworkingreallyhelps.”GrowingemployeeswillgrowtheorganisationLookingatthebroaderpicture,howcanorganisationsbenefitfromaprogramsuchasthePCDP?OvertheyearsFLSmidthhastrackedretentionratesintheUSorganisationandhasfoundthatthePCDPpopulationhistoricallyhashigherretention.Theprogramalsohelpsattractedyoung,highvaluetalent,includingrecentuniversitygraduates.MarlaMossernotes:“ThePCDPisaprogramthatappealstothoseofallgenerations,especiallytheMillennials.Itisdefinitelyafactorinattractingnewtalent”.

ForKasperSkriverthePCDPwasofferedtohimatatimewhenhewasinarigidpositionandwantedtochangehistasksortrytofigureoutwhichwayhewantedtogo.IfthePCDPhadnotbeenpresentedtohim,heisnotsurewhetherhewouldhavestayedinFLSmidth.“IwouldhaveamorestressfulworkdayhadIstayedinmyoldrole.IwouldhaverunoutofsteamandmostlikelyIwouldbelookingforsomethingelsetodo.”“I’venominatedalotofpeoplefortheprogram.IdoitbecauseIthinkitisagreatwaytorecognizesomebodywhoisshowingpotential”,saysMichaelSchreder.Hecontinues:“Intoday’sdownmarket,wherebusinessconditionsmightdiscourageemployees,youcanrecognizesomeoneandsay:‘Look,themarketisgoingtoturn,thereisnodiscussionthere.Itisabouthowwekeepyouengageduntilthenandmakeyoufeelthatyouareapartofthelong-termplanofthecompany’.IthinktheMillennialgenerationneedsmorehands-onattentionandalsovisibilityinthecompanysothattheyknowthattheyarenotforgottenorjustanumber”.Inessence,thePCDPisverymuchaboutbeingabletoprovideyourtalentaplatformforexploringandgettingtoknowthemselves,theorganisationandthebusinessmuchbetter.Theemployeegainsfocusandmomentumbyknowingthebusinessandhowtonavigateintheorganisationinordertomatchownpersonalstrengthsandpotentialwiththeneedsoftheorganisation-forthemutualgood.

Formoreinformation,pleasecontact:

LeneThomsenPartner,HR7lt@hr7.dk+4522673046

AboutFLSmidthFLSmidthisaleadingsupplierofequipmentandservicestotheglobalcementandmineralsindustries.FLSmidthsupplieseverythingfromsinglemachinerytocompletecementplantsandmineralsprocessingfacilitiesincludingservicesbefore,duringandaftertheconstruction.Witharound13,000employeesandlocalpresenceinover50countries,FLSmidthisaleadingengineeringcompanylistedonNASDAQOMXExchangeCopenhagen.

AboutHR7HR7isaBusinessPsychologyConsultancyCompanybasedinCopenhagen,Denmark.WeresolveassignmentsforpeopleandorganisationsinthebalancefieldbetweenProduct,PassionandProfession.Wedothisbydeliveringtailoredconsultancyservicesandprogramstobothprivateandpublicorganisations,localaswellasinternational.

PCDPandSKARPWithPCDPassolidfoundation,HR7hascreatedtheprogramSKARP(SpecialistCareerAcceleration-andReflectionProgram)tofocus,engage,andchallengehighlyeducatedspecialists.AsPCDP,SKARPstretchesover18monthscombiningbothgroupandindividualactivitiessecuringalignmentwiththeorganisationalneedsandaspirationsthroughmanagerinvolvementandapersonaldevelopmentplan.