PART THREE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER
T Ten
Managing Careers
10
Lecture Outline
Strategic Overview
The Basics of Career Management
Careers Today
Career Development
Roles in Career Development
The Employee’s Role
The Employer’s Role
Innovative Corporate Career Development Initiatives
Managing Promotions and Transfers
Making Promotion Decisions
Handling Transfers
Enhancing Diversity Through Career Development
Sources of Bias and Discrimination in Promotion Decisions
Taking Steps to Enhance Diversity
Career Management and Employee Commitment
The New Psychological Contract
Commitment-Oriented Career Development Efforts
Retirement
In Brief: This chapter gives good advice and tools for managing careers. It also covers the issue of building communications with employees through guaranteed fair treatment programs and employee discipline. Proper handling of dismissals and separations, including retirement are explored.
Interesting Issues: While today many employees are retiring earlier, many experts believe that the next generation will have to retire later in order to continue to fund the retirement of those retiring now. Social Security has already increased the ages at which future generations will be eligible for benefits.
ANNOTATED OUTLINE
I.
The Basics of Career Management
A.
Careers Today
Career planning and development is emphasized more strongly today than in the past. Table outlines the differences.
B.
Career Development
Career development used to focus on the employee’s future with that firm. The emphasis now is on facilitating self-analysis, development, and management.
NOTES
Educational Materials to Use
II.
Roles in Career Development
A. The Employee’s Role
The individual must accept responsibility for his/her own career; assess his/her own interests, skill, and values; and take the steps required to ensure a happy and fulfilling career.
When You’re On Your Own, HR for Line Managers and Entrepreneurs: Employee Career Development – There are several things that the manager can do to support his or her subordinates’ career development needs.
B. The Employer’s Role
1.
Provide Realistic Job Previews that describe both the attractions and possible pitfalls to help minimize reality shock and improve long-term performance.
2.
Provide Challenging Initial Jobs
3.
Provide Career-Oriented Appraisals to help employees review and practically channel their careers.
4.
Provide Periodic Job Rotation so that new employees can experience a selection of challenging jobs.
5.
Provide Mentoring Opportunities – Mentoring can have positive effects on employees’ careers, including faster promotions and salary progression and reduced anxiety; but it can be a two-edged sword.
C.
Innovative Corporate Career Development Initiatives
The author provides a list of 9 innovative initiatives on pages 355 – 356.
Improving Productivity Through HRIS: Integrating Career Planning into the Employer’s HRIS – Career planning should not be compartmentalized from performance appraisals, training, and other HRIS activities.
NOTES
Educational Materials to Use
III.
Managing Promotions and Transfers
A. Making Promotion Decisions – Promotions usually provide opportunities to reward the exceptional performance of tested and loyal employees. However, unfairness, arbitrariness, or secrecy can diminish the effectiveness of the promotion process for all concerned.
1.
Decision 1: Is Seniority or Competence the Rule? Today’s focus on competitiveness favors competence. However, union agreements and civil service regulations often emphasize seniority.
2.
Decision 2: How Should We Measure Competence? Define the job, set standards, use one or more appraisal tools to record the employee’s performance, and use a valid procedure for predicting a candidate’s potential for future performance.
3.
Decision 3: Is the Process Formal or Informal? Each firm will determine whether the promotional process is formal or informal.
4.
Decision 4: Vertical, Horizontal, or Other? Promotions can be vertical (within the same functional area) or horizontal (in different functional areas).
B. Handling Transfers – Transfers are moves from one job to another, usually with no change in salary or grade.
1.
Effects on Family Life – The frequent relocating of transfer employees has been assumed to have a damaging effect on transferees’ family life, but research does not support this.
Know Your Employment Law: Establish Clear Guidelines for Managing Promotions – To avoid discrimination lawsuits, employers need to have clear guidelines for promotions.
NOTES
Educational Materials to Use
IV.
Enhancing Diversity Through Career Management
A.
Sources of Bias and Discrimination in Promotion Decisions – There are many sources and types of bias. Women and minorities tend to face more hurdles and obstacles in their career development.
B.
Taking Steps to Enhance Diversity: Women’s and Minorities’ Prospects
1.
Eliminate Institutional Barriers
2.
Improve Networking and Mentoring
3.
Eliminate the Glass Ceiling
4.
Institute Flexible Schedules and Career Tracks
V.
Career Management and Employee Commitment
A.
The New Psychological Contract – Yesterday’s contract was “do your best and be loyal to us and we will take care of your career.” Today it is “do your best and be loyal to us as long as you are here, and we’ll provide you with the developmental opportunities you’ll need to move on and have a successful career.”
B.
Commitment-Oriented Career Development Efforts
1.
Career Development Programs – Many firms support their employees’ professional and career development through various company-sponsored developmental activities.
2.
Career-Oriented Appraisals provide potential useful opportunities for the supervisor and employee to meet and to link the employee’s performance, career preferences, and developmental needs into a career plan.
3.
Career Records/Jobs Posting Systems ensure that the firm matches inside candidates’ career goals and skills openly, fairly, and effectively with promotional opportunities.
The HR Scorecard Strategy and Results: The New Career Management System – By implementing a career management system, the Hotel Paris was able to noticeably improve various measures of employee commitment and guest services.
NOTES
Educational Materials to Use
VI.
Retirement
Some employers are instituting formal pre-retirement counseling aimed at easing the passage of their employees into retirement. Part-time employment is an alternative to outright retirement.
NOTES
Educational Materials to Use
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
What is the employee’s role in the career development process? The manager’s role? The employer’s role? The employee must understand that it is their role to take charge of their own career development. The manager should support the employee’s career development needs and schedule regular performance appraisals. The employer’s role depends on how long the employee has been with the organization, but should include providing a process and a structure to develop their careers.
2.
Describe the specific corporate career development initiatives that the employer can take.
3.
What are four specific steps employers can take to support diverse employees’ career progress? These could include mentoring programs, increasing opportunities for networking and interaction, providing realistic job previews, provide challenging first jobs, and implementing career-oriented appraisals.
4.
Give several examples of career development activities that employers can use to foster employee commitment. The steps listed in number 3 above and the list on pages 355-357 of innovative corporate career development initiatives are a pretty comprehensive list.
DESSLER COMPANION WEB SITE
We invite you to visit the Dessler homepage ( on the Prentice Hall Web site for the best online business support available. This site provides professors with a customized course Web site, including new communication tools, one-click navigation of chapter content, and great resources, such as Internet Resources, an HRCI Exam Prep Guide, assessment exercises, and more.
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP ACTIVITIES
1.
Write a one-page essay stating “where I would like to be career-wise 10 years from today.” Look for realistic expectations
2.
Explain the career-related factors to keep in mind when making the employee’s first assignments. Providing realistic job previews, challenging first jobs, and mentors can help prevent reality shock.
3.
In groups of four or five students, meet with several administrators and faculty members in your college or university, and, based on this, write a two-page paper on the topic, “The faulty promotion process at our college.” What do you think of the process? Could you make any suggestions for improving it? Look for students to integrate the principles in this chapter in their analysis and suggestions.
4.
In groups of four or five students, at your place of work or at your college, interview the HR manager with the aim of writing a two-page paper addressing the topic, “Steps we are taking in this organization to enhance diversity through career management.” Again, look for students to display an understanding of the topics and fundamentals of this chapter.
5.
Develop a résumé for yourself, using the guidelines presented in this chapter’s appendix. Form, format, and content are all important.
6.
Working individually or in groups, choose three occupations (such as management consultant, HR manager, or salesperson) and use some of the sources described in the appendix to this chapter to make an assessment of the future demand for this occupation in the next 10 years or so. Does this seem like a good occupation to pursue? Why or why not? Students should be able to support their conclusions with data and information from these sources.
7.
The HRCI “Test Specifications” appendix at the end of this book lists the knowledge someone studying for the HRCI certification exam needs to have in each area of human resource management (such as in Strategic Management, Workforce Planning, and Human Resource Development). In groups of four to five students, do four things: (1) review that appendix now; (2) identify the material in this chapter that relates to the required knowledge the appendix lists; (3) write four multiple choice exam questions on this material that you believe would be suitable for inclusion in the HRCI exam; and (4) if time permits, have someone from your team post your team’s questions in front of the class, so the students in other teams can take each others’ exam questions. Material that would be relevant to the exam includes the sections on career development programs, career records/job posting systems, managing fair treatment, grounds for dismissal, avoiding wrongful discharge suits, termination interviews, layoffs and the plant closing law, and retirement.
8.
A 2003 survey of recent college graduates in the United Kingdom found that although many hadn’t found their first jobs, most were already planning “career breaks” and to keep up their hobbies and interests outside work. As one report of the findings put it, “the next generation of workers is determined not to wind up on the hamster wheel of long hours with no play.” Part of the problem seems to be that many already see their friends “putting in more than 48 hours a week” at work. Career experts reviewing the results concluded that many of these recent college grads “are not looking for high-pay, high-profile jobs anymore.” Instead they seem to be looking to “compartmentalize” their lives; to keep the number of hours they spend at work down, so that they can maintain their hobbies and outside interests. So, do you think these findings are as popular in the United States as they appear to be in the United Kingdom? If so, if you were mentoring one of these people at work, what three specific bits of career advice would you give to him or her? The advice needs to be relevant to the issues surrounding the blending of this world view with the political realities of the work force.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES & CASES
Experiential Exercise: Where and I Going and Why?
This exercise asks students to analyze their careers. They have to determine their career interests, examine the prospects of that career, and write a one-page career plan.
Application Case: The Mentor Relationship Turns Upside Down
1. What is Carol’s role in Walter’s career development now? Should Larchmont have any such role? Why or why not? The students should review the roles that a manager and the employer should play in a seasoned employee’s career development. The students should then decide and justify what role, if any, Carol and/or Larchmont should play in Walter’s career development at this stage of his career.
2. What advice would you offer Carol for approaching Walter? Carol will likely feel a debt of gratitude to Walter for his help. She will likely want to maintain a positive working relationship with Walter. She might be able to help Walter process some of his feelings and frustrations by asking him about difficulties they might encounter in their working relationship? She may wish to ask a general question like, “How do you think you will respond if I feel I need to undo some of your original decisions. Carol has shown skills in the past at helping subordinates get over the initial awkwardness of the situation by meeting one on one.
3. If Carol has to dismiss Walter, how specifically would you suggest she proceed? The students should review the Managing Dismissals section of the chapter to come up with their answers. The answers should include specifying the grounds for dismissal, make sure the dismissal is fair, and have a termination interview.
4. Assume Carol has heard a rumor that Walter has considered resigning. What should she do about it? Though Walter was not successful in this venture, his position suggests he has had many other successes in the firm. Most companies would not want to lose someone with Walter’s experience and expertise. She may wish to consult with her supervisors and inform them what she has heard and discuss strategies for retaining Walter. If her personal relationship with him is strong, she may wish to confront him with the rumor directly, probe his reasons for leaving and try to identify what it would take to keep Walter and his expertise with company.
Continuing Case: Carter Cleaning Company The Career Planning Program
1.
What would be the advantages to Carter Cleaning Company of setting up such a career planning program? Some examples of the advantages of setting up a career planning program for employees include: increasing their job satisfaction, helping them navigate through the company, and helping them think about and plan their careers.
2.
Who should participate in the program, and why? All employees? Selected employees? Students should justify why they think certain employees should or should not participate in the program.
3.
Outline and describe the program you would propose for the cleaners, pressers, counterpeople and managers at the Carter Cleaning Company. Based on the career planning activities discussed in the chapter, students should design a tailored career planning and development program for the employees.
PART-ENDING VIDEO CASE
Training and Development
The cameras in the opening segment zoom in on Loews’ Marketing Director, who is responsible for rolling out the hotels new guest packages. She has come to HR not just to express her concern that there have been customer complaints lately, but to place blame on the newly hired personnel and moreover on HR’s latest training efforts. The second portion of the show touches on how to make employees part of the solution to corporate problems during times of change and highlights the training and development options available to HR management today.
For full video case and discussion questions, please visit the Faculty Resource section of the Dessler Companion Web Site at:
KEY TERMS
career
The occupational positions a person has had over many years.
career management
The process for enabling employees to better understand and develop their career skills and interests, and to use these skills and interests more effectively.
career development
The lifelong series of activities that contribute to a person’s career exploration, establishment, success, and fulfillment.
career planning
The deliberate process through which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge, motivations, and other characteristics; and establishes action plans to attain specific goals.
career
planning and
The deliberate process through which a person becomes aware of
development
personal career-related attributes and the lifelong series of stages that contribute to his or her career fulfillment.
reality shock
Results of a period that may occur at the initial career entry when the new employee’s high job expectations confront the reality of a boring, unchallenging job.
job rotation
Moving an employee through a pre-planned series of positions in order to prepare the person for an enhanced role with the company.
mentoring
Formal or informal programs in which mid- and senior-level managers help less experienced employees – for instance, by giving them career advice and helping them navigate political pitfalls.
promotions
Advancements to positions of increased responsibility.
transfers
Reassignments to similar (or higher) positions in other parts of the firm.
retirement
The point at which a person gives up one's work, usually between the ages of 60 to 65, but increasingly earlier today due to firms' early retirement incentive plans.
pre-retirement counseling
Counseling provided to employees who are about to retire, which covers matters such as benefits advice, second careers, and so on.
career cycle
The various stages a person’s career goes through.
growth stage
The period from birth to age 14 during which a person develops a self-concept by identifying with and interacting with other people.
exploration stage
The period (roughly from ages 15 to 24) during which a person seriously explores various occupational alternatives.
establishment stage
Spans roughly ages 24 to 44 and is the heart of most people’s work lives.
trial substage
Period that lasts from about ages 25 to 30 during which the person determines whether or not the chosen field is suitable; if not, changes may be attempted.
stabilization substage
Firm occupational goals are set and the person does more explicit career planning.
midcareer crisis substage
Period during which people often make major reassessments of their progress relative to original ambitions and goals.
maintenance stage
Period between ages 45 and 65 when many people slide from the stabilization substage into an established position and focus on maintaining that place.
decline stage
Period where many people face having to accept reduced levels of power and responsibility, and must learn to develop new roles as mentors or confidantes for younger people.
career anchors
Pivots around which a person’s career swings; require self-awareness of talents and abilities, motives and needs, and attitudes and values.
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