Corporate Career Management Programs Emerge as Benefit for Both Organizations and Employees

By Michèle Pankratz

It’s not news that the workplace is undergoing turbulent change. The number of permanent, full-time/full-year jobs is steadily declining while the number of work opportunities being offered as project, part-time, and temporary assignments is climbing. The percentage of individuals choosing self-employment is also rapidly growing. The average length of service for employees today is just three years and most of us are expected to change careers—not just jobs—five to seven times. In addition to this, a significant percentage of the workforce is projected to retire within the next 5-10 years, at a time when there’s greater demand for highly skilled top performers. Meanwhile, more and more individuals are insisting on meaningful work and work/life balance, putting increased pressure on employers to offer fulfilling work experiences.

It’s a tumultuous period that has many workers—and the organizations that employ them—struggling to adapt. Among workers, such a complex work environment is resulting in a rising demand for help with career management. For organizations competing in a globally competitive marketplace, the need to find new ways to recruit and engage top talent is becoming essential.

Towards a New Solution

One of the emerging solutions to today’s workplace challenge is the introduction of corporate or ‘in-house’ career management programs. While the current emphasis on career self-responsibility is holding strong, progressive organizations concede that helping employees with their career development has definite business benefits.

Corporate career management programs assist employees with defining career goals, mapping career paths, creating action plans, and navigating through their career development and challenges. Companies are finding that by supporting employees this way, they’re seeing their employees’ commitment to and satisfaction with their jobs increasing, resulting in improved job performance and productivity. Organizations also gain the ability to get ‘the right people into the right jobs’ more quickly due to greater awareness of employee capabilities and more targeted employee training and development. As well, more hiring of internal versus external candidates occurs because employees are better prepared for internal job opportunities. Likewise, because employees become more conscious of their goals through the career management process, they have more informed career-related conversations with their managers.

What Companies Are Doing

A number of examples demonstrate the growing attention career management is receiving from organizations. In a recent article in Canadian HR Reporter¹, TD Bank’s vice-president of learning and development, Jane Hutcheson, is quoted as saying that employee career assistance has become a “huge priority” for her organization. It had to, she contends, because the bank wants to be an employer of choice, an important designation among organizations fiercely competing for top talent. According to the article, TD’s employee research indicated that the number-one reason why employees want to work at TD and what will keep them there and motivated to give their “discretionary effort”—is the opportunity for skill and career development.

To help meet employees’ needs, TD partnered with Canadian career-management guru Barbara Moses to create a stand-alone, self-serve web site that supports employees in all aspects of their career management. The site, which offers complete confidentiality and isn’t connected to any other bank systems or programs provides personal diagnostic tools and reports, advice, and action planning resources. It allows employees to freely and privately explore their personal career journeys. Already, more than 5,000 of the company’s 35,000 employees have tried the system, reports Canadian HR Reporter.

In TD’s case, the impetus for introducing their career development program was to offer something “just for staff.” At Envision Financial, based in Langley B.C., the choice was to design a comprehensive, integrated ‘talent management’ program, including employee career management, that delivers returns to both the organization and employees.

Envision’s then-Manager of Organizational Development, Carol Hama, spent nine years custom-designing and developing a powerful, in-house system that incorporates career management as well as employee learning and development, performance management, succession planning, and much more. It was a challenging undertaking, says Hama, but today the comprehensive, award-winning ‘Envision U’ site offers employees access to self-assessment tools, an online career management workbook and detailed career paths, as well as job profiles and learning and development curriculums for every position in the credit union. Employees can also complete personal gap analyses to see where they need to develop in order to qualify for desired positions.

In addition to the online resource, Envision also provides career coaching through their in-house certified career practitioners, Lori Jackson and Joan Beldam. Other support includes a print and online library of career development materials and workshops on such topics as resume writing, information interviewing, and ‘dressing for success.’

The qualitative and quantitative business results Envision achieved with the introduction of ‘Envision U’ and the career management program are impressive: a reduction in employee turn-over from 14 percent to 11 percent; a 24-percent increase in employee satisfaction in the area of career management; and, a fully booked career coach’s schedule. These initiatives have also contributed to the company being ranked among the ’50 Best Employers in Canada.’ Envision has now been on the ‘Best Employers’ list three years’ running.²

Similarly to TD and Envision, British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has a compelling vision to be, “An employer of choice with a high-performance workforce passionately driving the success of our business.” This critical business goal has led BCLC to begin developing an internal career management program for its 650 employees as a component of its people strategy.

BCLC’s planned program will include employee self-assessment resources, career goal-setting and planning support, a ‘map’ of career paths available within the organization, refreshed job profiles indicating competencies needed, career development resources and tools, career coaching services, and career management workshops.

“One of the messages that came through loud and clear from our employee engagement surveys is that employees want to know they have meaningful career opportunities within our organization, and that they can have our help in developing their careers,” says BCLC’s Manager of Organization Development, Matt MacEachern. “We’re responding to that. As part of our overall talent management approach, we’re looking to our career management program to help our employees develop their capabilities so they’re ready for future opportunities when they arise. We’re also convinced it will increase our employee engagement—meaning employees will strive to do their best, stay with us, and say good things about the organization. If a person is going to spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week at work, why shouldn’t it be a great experience, a ‘great place to work’?” And, MacEachern adds, “it also makes good business sense. We know it will improve performance, support our succession plan—and get the right person in the right job, doing the right things quickly, while retaining that knowledge and passion for our business.”

What It All Means for Career Management Practitioners

What the above examples indicate for career management professionals is that there’s a growing opportunity to work with a new clientele—corporate organizations and their employees.

At this relatively early stage, many companies will be looking for career practitioners who can offer assistance with planning and developing career management strategies and programs, and linking them to key business goals. As the trend takes greater hold, more and more career practitioners will also be sought out to provide their specialized career management expertise. Opportunities include providing career coaching, conducting assessments, developing and delivering career-related workshops, producing career management resources and tools (print and/or online), coordinating internal career fairs and more. As well, for those who provide career management education, there’s a significant audience of human resources professionals who will require skill development in this burgeoning area of corporate need.

For career management professionals looking for new avenues for their owncareer growth, it all makes for exciting times!

References:

¹Canadian HR Reporter, “TD gives employees tools to chart career paths.” June 20, 2005.

250 Best Employers in Canada, http://was7.hewitt.com/bestemployers/canada/best.htm

Links:

Canadian HR Reporter online journal
www.hrreporter.com

Sample menu pages from Barbara Moses’ Career Advisor online career management site for organizations (originally developed for TD, the Career Advisor is now available to other organizations)
www.bbmcareerdev.com/main_menu.html

Internet radio station site featuring programs on leaders in the human resources, career management, coaching, learning and development, and change management fields
www.landed.fm

Michèle Pankratz is a senior organizational consultant and coach specializing in employee career management, change management, and strategic communications. As principal and senior consultant for CHANGES Ltd., she has been working with organizations for the past 21 years. She’s currently assisting BC Lottery Corporation with the design and implementation of their employee career management program. Michèle has a degree in Communications from Simon Fraser University and has completed the Career Management Practitioners Program through Life Strategies Ltd. and Yorkville University. She has written a number of articles on career management and the changing workplace and has served as a speaker on such topics as the ‘art and soul of making a living’ for conferences, professional associations, and educational institutions. Her passion is helping people lead meaningful, fulfilling work lives. Michèle can be contacted at michele_pankratz@telus.net.