CAREER DEVELOPMENT The functions of human resources management have a fairly long history In the 1970s more and more employers recognized the need employees have for satisfying careers and they tended to establish programs that enabled employees to attain their personal goals within the organization By the 1980s the emphasis had changed Organizational career development was seen as a tool for addressing business needs in a vastly changed corporate environment In the 1990s the focus is on a balance between the two Organizational career development is now viewed as a strategic process in which maximizing an individual s career potential is a way of enhancing the success of the organization as a whole Increased competition for promotion constant innovation in technology pressures for equal employment opportunities corporate rightsizing and restructuring globalization of our economy and employees desire to get the most out of their careers are all major forces pushing organizations to offer career development programs The desire of employers to make better use of their employees knowledge and skills and to retain those who are valuable to the organization are also important considerations Career development as an HRM function provides some suggestions for one s own career development as well as benefits to the organization Phases of a Career Development Program Organizations have traditionally engaged in human resources planning and development This activity involves charting the moves of large numbers of employees through various positions in an organization and identifying future staffing needs Career development programs with their greater emphasis on the individual introduce a personalized aspect to the process A common approach to establishing a career development program is to integrate it with the existing HR functions and structures in the organization Integrating career development with the HR program reinforces both programs For example in planning careers employees need organizational information information that strategic planning forecasting succession planning and skills inventories can provide Similarly as they obtain information about themselves and use it in career planning employees need to know how management views their performance and the career paths within the organization Determining Individual and Organizational Needs A career development program should be viewed as a dynamic process that attempts to meet the needs of managers their employees and the organization Individual employees are responsible for initiating their own career planning It is up to them to identify their knowledge skills abilities interests and values and seek out information about career options so that they can set goals and develop career plans Managers should encourage employees to take responsibility for their own careers offering continuing assistance in the form of feedback on individual performance information about the organization job information and information about career opportunities that might be of interest The organization is responsible for supplying information about its mission policies and plans and for providing support for employee self assessment training and development Significant career growth can occur when individual initiative combines with organizational opportunity Career development programs benefit managers by giving them increased skill in managing their own careers greater retention of valued employees increased understanding of the organization and enhanced reputations as people developers As with other HR programs the inauguration of a career development program should be based on the organization s needs as well Assessment of needs should take a variety of approaches surveys informal group discussions interviews etc and should involve personnel from different groups such as new employees managers plateaued employees minorities and technical and professional employees Identifying the needs and problems of these groups provides the starting point for the organization s career development efforts Organizational needs should be linked with individual career needs in a way that joins personal effectiveness and satisfaction of employees with the achievement of the organization s strategic objectives Creating Favorable Conditions While a career development program requires many special processes and techniques some basic conditions must be present if it is to be successful These conditions create a favorable climate for the program Management Support If career development is to succeed it must receive the complete support of top management Ideally senior line managers and HR department managers should work together to design and implement a career development system The system should reflect the goals and culture of the organization and the HR philosophy should be woven throughout An HR philosophy can provide employees with a clear set of expectations and directions for their own career development For a program to be effective managerial personnel at all levels must be trained in the fundamentals of job design performance appraisal career planning and counseling Goal Setting Before individuals can engage in meaningful career planning they must not only have an awareness of the organization s philosophy but they must also have a clear understanding of the organization s more immediate goals Otherwise they may plan for personal change and growth without knowing if or how their own goals match those of the organization For example if the technology of a business is changing and new skills are needed will the organization retrain to meet this need or hire new talent Is there growth stability or decline in the number of employees needed How will turnover affect this need Clearly an organizational plan that answers these kinds of questions is essential to support individual career planning Changes in HRM Policies To ensure that its career development program will be effective an organization may need to alter its current HRM policies For example a policy of lifelong job rotation can counteract obsolescence and maintain employee flexibility Another policy that can aid development involves job transfers and promotions A transfer is the placement of an employee in another job for which the duties responsibilities status and remuneration are approximately equal to those of the previous job A transfer may require the employee to change work group workplace work