8 steps to a colossal career

Summary: Are employees responsible for their career development? How can employers help ensure they are continually challenged and motivated? In this article I explore how employers can create and monitor a culture of continuous learning and self-development.

"The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay" (Henry Ford)

It is very clear from my research experience that employee engagement is directly influenced by Learning and Development. Almost every single employee survey that I come across has ‘Personal Growth’ as a leading driver of employee engagement. This normally involves: sense of achievement, professional advancement and training/learning opportunities. This is because Learning and Development is intrinsic and personal to the employee, a tangible benefit that directly relates to the ‘I’ and ‘me’ of the employee - a very powerful individual motivator indeed! (Read more: Employee Motivation).

Having said that, it is important to highlight the fact that every employee and organisation is different - there is no ‘magic pill’ or ‘silver bullet’ for engaging employees. There are other important drivers of employee engagement such as leadership, values & behaviours, communication, customer centricity, innovation, external reputation (brand/CSR), empowerment, etc. That said, I need to emphasise that Learning and Development constantly comes up as a relevant driver of employee engagement, irrespective of geographical location, demography and/or cultural background of employees.

Every successful business strives to foster a workforce which seeks to improve on knowledge and expertise; not just for the employee's individual performance and success, but also for the benefit of the whole organisation.

Engaging Employees through ‘Learning & Development’

Yes, in most cases employees pay special attention to personal growth and professional advancement. Throughout their professional lives they want to polish and improve their professional skills and personal growth. This is why companies that encourage the concept of lifelong learning and continuous development show higher levels of employee engagement, talent attraction and retention (Read more: Employee Opinions and the Culture of 'Continuous Improvement').

Quite simply, employees want to see that they are growing in the organisation they work for. If an employee feels that two years from now they will be performing exactly the same old role and tasks without any growth or development prospects, they will soon become disconnected and will start to consider their options by seeking external development opportunities.

If employees don’t feel they are making progress in their own personal growth at work, it will be very difficult for employers to encourage discretionary effort in their daily responsibilities. On the other hand, if employees are given opportunities for growth and development, in return they are likely to be more committed and loyal towards their employer and managers. The employee is more likely to stay in the organisation longer and dedicate extra time and effort to meet objectives and obtain results.

Empowering employees to take control of their destiny

Some people still think that as long as they have a job they don’t have to work on their careers. This is wrong! Unfortunately, a few employees still have that reactive approach to their own professional development. They tend to take care of their career only when they realise it is already broken: when suddenly unemployed or just plain miserable at their current workplace.

This lack of proactivity is a very unfortunate misconception that seriously limits people’s development. With constant corporate mergers, downsizings, outsourcing and an uncertain economy, no job is secure. Employees must take full responsibility for their own career security and their own development if they are to personally progress. 

The reality is employers are not responsible for developing employees’ long-term career paths, unless of course, selected individuals are part of the chosen few in the corporate talent pool (hopefully not an 'Old Boys Club') who are already lined-up and groomed for succession planning purposes. 

The sooner employees realise and embrace that fact, the faster they can take control of their own destiny by implementing a clear career plan and working hard towards achieving their development objectives. This realisation will eliminate any potential professional stagnation and a situation where employees' learning-curves stay flat for too long. Remember, time wasted with the wrong employer is something employees will never get back!

Organisations need to empower people to take responsibility for their own professional development. This can be done by guiding people in setting realistic expectations for their future growth and by actively supporting the career development of all their employees. The greater an employee’s belief in their own power to influence an outcome, the more likely they are to be motivated to succeed with their own aspirations and professional development. 

The Career Development Process Model

The Career Development Process Model that I propose is an ongoing intervention that consists of eight recurring stages that influence people’s professional development. The more employees understand the whole process, the more control they will have in managing their own careers and destiny. The HR department should be there to help employees navigate these eight stages, no matter where employees are in the process. It should be a shared effort. Implementing these stages will significantly improve employee engagement, morale, and boost productivity in the organisation (Read more: Employee Engagement).

This Career Development Process needs to be treated as a journey, where employees constantly analyse, understand and refine their own career aspirations and professional goals. People need to incorporate a Continuous Career Management approach into their professional lives: keeping examples of achievements up to date, networking regularly with professionals in the industry, attending seminars, reading trade journals, pursuing qualifications, etc. Employees need to be networking all the time, no matter what’s going in their professional lives. 

The employees’ journey unfolds as they gain knowledge and experience. Although it is not a linear process, it often starts with employees learning about themselves, exploring their personal interests, understanding potential obstacles at their workplace, narrowing their development options, and finding the right fit for their growth ambitions. The image below depicts the eight learning and development stages that we discuss in this article.

STAGE 1 – Assess current skills

• I know what skills I need to develop to improve my performance.
• This company provides career planning tools and resources that are helpful to me.

Research shows that career success depends on the quality and availability of information on performance and career opportunities, presence of good advice, manager feedback and the support of those in leadership who can open doors for employees. 

At this stage many employees are still oblivious to what opportunities are out there, and they don’t know what their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses related to their own technical, management and entrepreneurial skills are. This is the initial investigation of their career development process. It can be very much a harsh reality check for many employees, a kind of wake-up call.

Working with a career counsellor or career coach, employees should focus on a variety of performance appraisals and assessment instruments: self-evaluation to judge their own performance against predetermined criteria; behavioural checklists; management by objectives; performance appraisals; informal peer reviews or one-to-one manager feedback; competency ratings scale methods; voluntary 360-degree feedback with colleagues, direct reports, line-managers and even clients and providers.

In this stage employees should be curious to learn about what else they can do to succeed professionally - i.e. have they developed enough transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills? Regardless of the selected assessment methods, make sure all evaluations are mainly rooted in metrics and not so much on personal opinions.

STAGE 2 - Manage career expectations

• I have a good idea of my possible career paths in this company.
• I have a good idea of how I can influence my career advancement.

Now that employees have a good idea of what their own strengths, limitations and preferences are, it is time to face reality and evaluate what sort of job opportunities are available to them. At this stage people match their individual skills and potential against their aspired career goals. There might be better or alternative options to match people’s own personal interests and career expectations – people just need to stop, think and plan where they want to be in the next five, ten, fifteen years.

This is the sort of knowledge that will help employees think with their feet on the ground, far away from dreamland. Employees just need to eliminate standard misconceptions and stereotypes of professional success and any unrealistic career expectations that they may have for the short term. 

In this respect, if you think that managing people is the only way to advance your career, you are very wrong. There are different ways to move up the ranks in title, status, responsibility and influence without having to lead a group of people. The ‘individual contributor’ track is recognised as an established, equally valuable career path alongside the manager track. You don’t necessarily need to be a manager! In fact, nowadays organisations are more interested in people who bring money into the organisation (or directly contribute to it); they simply don’t care if these are individual contributors or managers.

If you chose the individual contributor path, the idea is to build your reputation, establish a solid network within your organisation and become an indispensable subject matter expert, possibly work as an internal consultant, or move to a company with a flatter structure, or even become an independent contractor to your current employer. 

There are lots of options available for people who are very creative or more technically minded who simply don't have the patience, interest, skills or strength to manage others. This should not be considered lack of ambition, some people simply hate managing different personalities and team dynamics. Some people just like to be responsible for their own results which is much more appealing to them than being held accountable for the results of a whole team.

STAGE 3 - Explore career paths

• This company offers long-term development opportunities for me.
• I am developing professionally working here.

At this stage, employees are just getting ready to find what’s out there for them; they need to use the self-knowledge gained through the initial assessments to discover potential career options that would be a good fit for their personality, interests, skills, and values. 

If an employee is unhappy with their current career, it’s important that they are conscious of their choices and the opportunities around them, not only internally but also externally. This way employees have a better chance at becoming successful in changing career paths. 

These sort of reality checks are a blessing for employees who otherwise would stay at a professional dead-end for years. It is important for employees to recognise these potential dead-end jobs and take immediate corrective action on their future professional growth. Non-supportive employers, personal comfort-zones and complacency are the biggest obstacles for growing professionally and personally.

Employers need to offer easy ways to pursue a career path within the organisation based on the employee’s preferences: look for opportunities to reshape the employee’s current job, clarify vertical and horizontal movements, research different occupations, business units, divisions and lines of business, geographic region alternatives. Consider temporary assignments outside the employee’s job description or department. Employees need to read professional publications and talk to those working in occupations that are of interest to them. Employees can also request to job shadow professionals in the target job. They need to connect with people in the field. 

Finally, if all internal options available do not meet the employee’s expectations, then evaluate potential external career options. Don’t only concentrate on traditional jobs, explore emerging career options too. Don’t limit employees to a restricted pool of opportunities! If there are no alternatives, it is better to let employees go rather than keeping them unhappy (and possibly disruptive) at work.

STAGE 4 – Evaluate the workplace 

• Management supports equal opportunity for all employees.
• Promotions go to those who best deserve them.
• Management does a good job of supporting poor performing colleagues.

At this stage, employers need to clearly explain all formal and informal promotion and transition processes, related policies and potential challenges to successful professional growth.

Employees need to ensure all internal promotion processes are fully transparent: Are there solid promotion policies in place? Is the employer specific about all performance requirements in order to be considered for a promotion? Are there systematic rules for eligibility (i.e. consistent performance appraisal processes)? Are all processes fair and equitable? Are all promotions fully based on meritocracy? Are there elements of favouritism within the organisation? In the organisation that you work for, do you notice that some people are given special considerations or privileges? Are some employees made to defend their presence and participation constantly? Does the organisation demonstrate a culture that promotes a diverse workforce and respects equality and inclusion for all? (Read more: The best qualitative metrics to create a more inclusive workplace).

Employees need to be critical and recognise potentially uneven playing fields as early as possible. Those workplaces where the concept of equal opportunities for all is not sufficiently developed due to culturally ingrained unconscious bias towards certain employee groups (i.e. older employees, women, people of different ethnic background, sexual orientation, religious belief, etc) need to be identified. Sometimes, it does not matter how good an employee is, if he doesn’t fit the mould of what senior management sees as high leadership potential they will be unfairly passed over for promotion or a pay raise (Read more: The journey from Diversity to Inclusion). 

Employees need to remember that knowledge is power - the more knowledge they have about any target employer the more powerful their ability to make the right career decisions will be.

STAGE 5 – Decide on your next career move

• I am satisfied with my career progress in this company to date.
• In this company I have all the necessary information and resources to manage my career effectively.

What occupations surfaced on your career assessments? By now employees should have the confidence to know what they want to do. So now, employees need to choose among alternatives, commit themselves, and take action! 

Whatever option is chosen, there will always be the question: Is this option right for me? What are the preferred job responsibilities, salaries, and work environments for my selected careers? This decision-making stage is challenging for employees; they may feel a career decision is an either/or situation - if they decide on one career then they eliminate all the other options they were considering. That is a big commitment, especially for people with families/caring responsibilities. Sometimes the decision is so huge that many put off making the decision for as long as they can.

The use of decision-making techniques to develop a career plan and to clarify career goals may be a good start. It will help to decide on alternative career paths, determine pros and cons, choose among alternatives, set career goals, timelines and key milestones. This process would of course also include the option to stay put in the organisation where the employee currently works – maybe there are simply no internal or external career move options available to them – or maybe take a one-year sabbatical and travel the world - of course finances permitting. 

With the constantly changing business landscape of many industries, the ‘job for life’ principle is no longer relevant. Still, there is a misconception among many employees who think that as long as they continue to work hard for their current employer their role will be secure. That is simply wrong; remember, jobs for life are something of the past – employees need to be prepared for change!

STAGE 6 – Plan your education

• Management offers me opportunities to learn new skills to develop myself.
• I am aware of learning and development opportunities that are available to me.

What skills do you need to develop to be successful in the career you decided to pursue? What educational requirements / training are necessary to reach your desired goals? This stage is all about commitment. Employees are excited about their decision, the new possibilities, and are thrilled to finally do something different and more meaningful to them. Now they are making all the necessary preparations to finally access their dream job. They need to identify all necessary developmental goals and evaluate the training required to meet their career aspirations. Employees need to be aware that there is still much to be done, so they have to build resilience for a potentially long process.

Technological changes, consumer demand and an evolving, highly competitive marketplace mean that employees cannot afford to be complacent about continuous learning. Resting on their laurels and staying in their comfort zone will lead to outdated skills and eventual career atrophy. The right thing to do is to pursue ongoing professional development opportunities so that employees are constantly learning and expanding their skills and knowledge and are at the forefront of their industry.

Employers need to offer employees the opportunity to grow and develop their skills year after year through mentoring, coaching and support at work. Training and internal growth programs such as access to seminars, conferences, online courses and other educational resources - as well as professional counselling and non-work-related seminars and training programs - are highly desirable perks on employees’ list of priorities. Employees may also want to become involved in special company projects that include working directly with people outside of their department. This will allow employees to learn from people in other divisions and to get to know and develop mutual trust with them.

STAGE 7 - Monitor your progress

• My performance reviews are conducted on a timely basis. 
• The goals and objectives against which I am evaluated are clear to me.
• My performance reviews support my career development. 
• My performance on the job is evaluated fairly.

How I am doing? At this stage, employees feel more confident about their target career path. More than ever, employees focus all their energy and keep their eyes on their chosen target. By now employees know how things work and believe they can overcome whatever obstacles they may face in the process. They will be making an effort to monitor their performance and update their skills so that they remain current with the industry developments and on target for an internal promotion.

Employers should assist employees in achieving their objectives by implementing development reviews to chart progress until they are ready to make the internal move. Employers need to provide feedback by administering monthly or annual progress reviews and give positive suggestions to help employees strengthen their performance. 

Employers will mainly evaluate employees’ quality of internal and external customer service and review the skills and competencies being employed in the current job. Has employee performance improved? Are there still performance gaps? Are employees making use of all the recently acquired knowledge and training provided in their current jobs? 

Employers need to focus on improving positive work flow, time management and introducing new skills and responsibilities. This will keep employees versatile and able to adapt to changes and any new working conditions quicker.

Just be careful not to over-monitor your employees’ performance by only concentrating on areas for improvement as this may encourage more mistakes and disengagement - emphasize and recognise achievements and improvements as well!

STAGE 8 – Transition

• Compared to 12 months ago, my ability to advance in my career has improved.
• I fully apply my skills and abilities in my work.
• I want to work here for a long time.

Now employees must implement conscious changes to impact their career direction. At this stage of the process employees need to make it happen by proactively getting ready for the actual move. For whatever reasons, employees at this stage have always known what they were supposed to do but could never commit to the process of actually making it happen. Possibly because they feel uncomfortable and uncertain about how things will go in the new job and/or if they will be happy with the change process.

The CV / resume / cover letter is just one of many tools that help employees in their transition into a new job. To land a quality position, employees will also need: strong presentation and interviewing skills, solid accomplishment stories, credible positioning and departure statements, a professional biography, a target company list, current knowledge of the company, market and industry, among many other vital components for a smooth transfer. 

Internal candidates need to be aware that impressive qualifications and expansive experience do not necessarily guarantee that they will get alternative jobs. Opportunities are often offered to the better communicator, the one with the better personal marketing skills, those who can connect and convey relevant skills and achievements in a professional and articulate manner. So it’s time to polish presentation and interviewing skills. 

Internal and external employers expect candidates to have done some sort of salary research and anticipate dynamic negotiations. In fact, employers are disappointed if candidates don’t negotiate. Employers usually state a low salary offer merely as a test, to see how the candidate reacts. Remember, there is almost always room to improve on the initial compensation offer.

If you are exploring an external career path, don’t solely rely on recruiters, even though they can be helpful. The most successful way to find new opportunities is through personal networking. Research shows that most job opportunities are never advertised, so consider leveraging your internal and external professional network of contacts as a vital part of your job search. 

Final thoughts…

Organisations need to become great places to learn and grow for all employees. It is vital for employees to be empowered to take control of their careers, rather than letting their careers take hold of them, particularly with the dramatic changes that many industries now face. 

For this purpose, employees need to have a clear career management and development plan to ensure they are constantly evolving and expanding their skills and knowledge, and employers need to support them in this process. 

No matter what career stage employees find themselves in, they can be sure that they will enter and re-enter these eight development stages many times throughout their work lifetime.

By understanding this Career Development Model and leveraging it, organisations can improve the engagement / motivation levels and overall work experience of their employees.

Thanks for reading my blog. Were any of the insights provided of value to you? I would welcome your feedback - please ‘Like’ or ‘Comment’ your experience on this subject in the space provided! Thanks for your kind support - Follow me on LinkedIn!

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of any other entity.