The subject of career path development is creating a culture within the company so the employees can advance to higher position. Career path development is a very important subject to study because it helps leaders and managers get their employees to the next level. Current research into career path development is diverse and multi-faceted and ever changing. Organizations need to create comprehensive employee career path development so they can advance the more senior employees and bring in new ones that bring new ideas to the company. Every employee in a leadership position in the company should take part in career path development and make it a companywide initiative. A career is broadly defined as a lifelong process of work‐related activities
“Culture can become a “secret weapon” that makes extraordinary things happen” (Katzenbach, J. n.d)’s In recognition of a talent retention problem, (Late 1990’s) Bubba Gump Shrimp set out to two goal’s, 1). Improving unit level management retention and 2) Increasing same store sales. (Aamondt, M. 2012) The tasks to achieve these two goals required a change for the status quo, create a culture all employees could embrace, reinvent the hiring process to attract the right individuals and empower the teams to succeed.
10. Pink, Dan, “RSA Animate – Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc, 2010.
Employees who participate in job training, continuing education and other types of professional development can refine and acquire new skill sets that could help advance their career Developing employees will better prepare them be successful in their roles and helps the organization become more effective and efficient (cit3). Employees that feel they have the ability to advance within the company through different positions or climbing the cooperate ladder to management have a higher job satisfaction. Developing career paths and ladders are two methods that can encourage employees to advance in their career. Career paths are characteristically seen as more horizontal movements and career ladders are viewed as more vertical movements, both options serve to help employees grow their skills and knowledge and can lead to higher levels of job satisfaction (cit3). More companies are offering internal internships to employees a way for cross training and allowing employees to try a new job before applying for it. Eighty two percent of organizations have hired at least one intern as a full-time employee after their internship ended. More organizations are recognizing the benefits of internship programs, such as gaining additional help with operations and building the talent of the future workforce
Part of providing for your people is ensuring they are established for proper career expansion and progression. While most career development involves vertical progression such as a promotion, employees should also have the ability to expand their expertise laterally. Combining those two types of progression will serve to foster a sense of purpose for employees, as well as mold them into more rounded leaders later in life (Walker, p. 24). Vertical progression in the traditional sense, is career progress through promotion. Nothing can negatively affect employee motivation like knowing that they are in a position that has little to no vertical development potential. Lateral progression can be done through cross-sectional training, professional education, and mentorship as stakeholders broaden their horizons through an increase in organizational knowledge. Creating a more well-rounded workforce must be a leadership priority as it will not only generate immediate results in a more motivated force while also being an investment in the future leaders of the
Lack of motivation is the main cause of the turnover of employees from Google who leave despite the reputation the company possesses. The generous salaries and fringe benefits that Google workers get at their place of work is inadequate to satisfy their humanistic needs and this is a testimony to the arguments set across by Maslow and Herzberg. Diagnosis and development of a comprehensive career development program by the human resources department has the potential of improving employee retention at Google.
Career management plays important role in career development. Career management is done with involved taking some necessary steps to reach the career plan and commonly more focusing on the ability of the organization able to do for their employee to increase their career development (Werner & DeSimone, 2009). Career plan is usually able to be performed, at least in some apart, through the training program which implemented by the organization. Career management process contained four steps which are self-assessment, reality check, goal setting and action planning (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
Greenhaus, Callanan & Godshalh (2000, p.9) write that a career can be defined as a “property of an individual” instead of an “occupation or Organization”, seeing that we all “accumulate a unique series of jobs, positions and experiences”. This notion acknowledges that everyone “pursues a unique career”. Our careers need to develop or take on a unique series of experiences by going through “different phases or stages” in our careers therefore, this concept is called career development.
One of the most important things that a company can strive toward is reducing their turnover by retaining valuable talent. The people a company retains may be the most important question, special programs to hold onto high-producing employees are a wise investment for organizations, across-the-board. Turnover cost is something that all companies need to consistently evaluate. Henemann, et, al. (2012) points out, “Although turnover is often seen as a detriment to organizational performance, there are several positives. An extremely important part of employee retention strategy and tactics, thus must involve careful assessment of both retention costs and benefits at a reasonable cost to the organization (p. 68).
Finding and retaining high performing employees is a challenge all business organizations face. Employees search for jobs where they can be successful, appreciated, and have the opportunity to grow and advance. Effective employers develop career plans that are easy to follow, sustainable, customizable, and provide rewards and recognition when appropriate to entice and retain high performing employees. Using competency models management and human resources can define attributes of top performers that are important to the company for short term and long term success. There are numerous variations of competency models and several methodologies to build the appropriate competency model for an organization. Input from executive management, human resources, top performing employees, and external sources will assure the ideal skills, abilities, knowledge, and personal attributes are defined for the competency model. Successful career paths follow a structure of competencies outlining the needs of each level. Through the teamwork of human resources, management, and each employee the career path will be reviewed, evaluated, and updated for the employee’s needs in line with the company’s values and goals using the defined competencies.
Career Management is sensible planning of one’s engagements and activities in the jobs a person undertakes in the course of his or her life for better achievement, growth and financial permanence and stability. Managing careers is a life-time, self-monitored way of planning one’s career goal that involves selecting one’s career aim, to set target and personal goals strategizing ways in achieving one’s career goal. It is also the process through which employee become aware of their values, interest, strengths and weaknesses, to identify one’s career goals, to obtain information about job opportunities from the company and to establish action plans to achieve one’s career.
Today, It has become the fundamental gainsay for the organizations to retain the most talented employees. Hiring knowledgeable employees on the job is essential for an employer but keeping those employees even more important than that of hiring. There are many companies who are always searching for talented employees so such employees have no shortage of opportunities. In this era, employee retention is becoming a critical issue as the result of shortage of skilled labor, economic growth and employee turnover. Many of the companies are facing problems in retaining employees. Although it is hard to measure the exact cost of turnover because a current employee holds with him the knowledge about company, costumers and the past history so when he leaves the organization everything is gone with him, sometimes to competitors, so the exact loss cannot be realized but the industry experts often quote 25% of the average employee salary as conservative estimates. (Importance Of Employee Retention) So we need to understand that basically itself employee turnover is not a disease but it is a symptom of the disease i.e. Failure to retain employees.
With focus on training, the internal stakeholders would feel that they can achieve career growth and also make their work fun. Employees’ turn-over is reduced, and this is because one of the major complaints has since been addressed. Studies have concluded that employees complain about lack of career progress and they feel motivated to remain with an organization is progress is assured through continued training as well as emergence of opportunities right within the firm (Chen and Wang 850; Pinosova et al. 222).
Hall, T. Douglas (1996). Protean careers of the 21st century. Academy of Management Executive, 10(4), 8-15.