Career Planning

Meaning of term CareerIt denotes all the jobs that are held during ones working life.It consists of a series of properly sequenced role experiences leading to an increasing level of responsibility, status, power and rewards.It represents an organized path taken by an individual across time and space.

Career Related TermsCareer Goals: The future positions one strives to reach as part of a career.Career Path: The sequential pattern of jobs that form a career.Career Progression: Making progress in ones career through promotions.Career Counselling: Guiding and advising people on their possible career paths and what they must do to achieve promotions.

Career Related TermsMentoring: The process wherein an executive or senior employee serves as a guide, friend, philosopher and supportive confidence to the new entrant.Career Anchor: The basic drives that give the urge to take up a certain type of career. E.g. Technical competency, creativity, managerial competency,

Career Anchor (Drives)Technical Competence continuous learning and updating ones expertise in a technical or specialized area such as quality control, advertising, public relations etc.Managerial Competence opportunities for higher responsibility, decision-making, control and influences over others.

Career Anchor (Drives)Security and stability of career.Autonomy and independence of action.Creativity, innovation and risk-taking.

Concept of Career PlanningCareer Planning the systematic process by which one selects career goals and the path to these goals.From the organizations viewpoint it means helping the employees to plan their career in terms of their capacities within the context of organizations needs.

Concept of Career PlanningIt involves designing an organizational system of career movement and growth opportunities for employees from the employment stage to the retirement stage.It is managerial technique for mapping out the entire career of young employees.

Career Plan for MBA GraduateManagement trainee 22Asst. Manager 25Deputy Manager 30Manager 35Deputy General Manager 40General Manager 45

Features of Career PlanningIt is a process of developing human resources rather than an event.It is a continuous process due to an ever changing environment.It is not an end in itself but a means of managing people to obtain results.

Features of Career PlanningIt is the responsibility of an organization to provide guidance and counseling to its employees in planning their careers and in developing and utilizing their knowledge and skills.The basic aim is integration of individual and organizational needs.

Objectives of Career PlanningTo attract and retain the right type of persons in the organization.To map out careers of various categories of employees suitable to their ability and willingnessTo ensure better use of human resources through more satisfied and productive employees.

Objectives of Career PlanningTo have a stable workforce by reducing turnover and absenteeism. To increase the utilization of managerial reserves within an organization.To improve motivation and morale of employees.

Relation between Career Planning and Manpower PlanningManpower Planning provides an inventory of skills and potentials available within an organization. But Career Planning determines who (on the basis of Performance and Potential) could be groomed for higher level assignments, where, when and how (i.e. after what kind of training).

Relation between Career Planning and Manpower PlanningManpower Planning provides information about the human resources available within the organization for expansion, growth and technological innovations. But Career Planning only tells as to who could succeed in case of retirement, death, resignation, etc. of existing personnel.

Manpower Planning provides following information for Career PlanningInventory of Human ResourcesManpower needs in terms of number, type, skills, levels and timeChanges in functions and activities, two, five or ten years hence..Nature and extent of behavioral changes required to meet manpower needs.Availability of human resources within and outside the organization, training opportunities, training resources and training time.

Steps in Career PlanningPreparation of Personnel Inventory status, duties, qualifications, age, aptitude, ability and acceptability (surplus or shortage)Identifying Career Needs (HR Manager may assist)Identifying career OpportunitiesMatching of Employees Aspirations with Career Opportunities

Steps in Career PlanningFormulating and Implementing StrategiesChanges in the career systems by creating new career pathsChanging employee needs and aspirations to help scale down unrealistic goals and/or creating new aspirationsSeeking new basis of integration through problem solving, negotiations and compromiseTraining and development to meet individual and organizational needsReviewing career Plans

Advantages of Career PlanningKnowledge of various career opportunitiesHelps to select the career which is suitable to his life style, preference, family environment and self developmentHelps to identify talented employeesInternal promotion, up gradation and transfers boost up motivation and moraleLowers employee turnoverEnhances job satisfactionImproves employees performance

Limitation of Career PlanningNot suitable for small organizationsNot suitable for unskilled and semi-skilled jobsLong term planning not feasiblePolitical interventionSome careers do not have much scope for advancementTechnological and economic factors may lead to declining stage to some career

Requirements of Effective career PlanningTop management supportGrowth and expansionClear goalsProper selectionProper age balanceManagement of Career StressFair promotion policyAdequate publicityMotivated and hardworking staff

Succession Planning

Succession PlanningA Succession Plan is to fill key positions over time.It is essential for the survival and success of an organization.The purpose of Succession Planning is to identify and develop people to replace current incumbents in key positions in cases of resignation, retirement, growth etc.Succession can be from within or from outside the organization.

It is the process of ensuring a suitable supply of successors for current and future senior or key jobs

It includes complicated activities like

Determining the projected need for managers and professionals by company level functions and skills

Auditing current executive talent to project the likely future supply from internal sources

Planning individual career paths based on objective estimates of future needs and assessment of potential

Career counseling in the context of the future needs of the firm as well as those of the individuals

Relation between Career Planning and Succession PlanningCareer Planning and Succession Planning appear to be similar but not synonymous.Career Planning covers all levels of employees whereas Succession Planning is generally required for higher level of executives.Succession Plan involves identification of vacancies that are likely to occur in the higher levels and locating the probable successors.

Relation between Career Planning and Succession PlanningSuccession Planning facilitates continuity of the organization.Career Planning may consist of charts showing the career paths of different categories of employees showing how they can advance up in the organization.Succession Plan consists of a runner up chart or succession chart for a particular position such as General Manager.

Career Development

Career DevelopmentEssential for implementing Career PlansUndertaken by individual employees and the organization to meet career aspirations and job requirementsEvery employee must accept his responsibility for developmentCareer Planning and Organizational Career Planning will prove really useful if they are properly integrated

Organizational Career Planning

Integrate short-term and long-term human resource needsDevelop a career plan for each individual

Individual Career PlanningAssess personal interests and abilitiesCollect data about organizational OpportunitiesSet career goalsDevelop a strategy to achieve careergoalsIntegrate organizational needs and individual career plansDesigning individual career paths, create developmentalStrategies and provide career counseling

Career DevelopmentImplement career plansPublicize job vacanciesAppraise employee performanceEmployee development through on-and-off the job experiencesEvaluate career progression

Elements of career DevelopmentCareer Need AssessmentDeveloping and Publishing career Development OpportunitiesNeed-Opportunity Alignment a) Management by Objectives b) Career CounselingMonitoring Career Moves

Problems in Career DevelopmentDual Career FamiliesChanging Family NeedsLow Ceiling CareersDeclining Career Opportunities

Steps to Handle ProblemsImprove Manpower planning and forecasting systemsImproving dissemination of career option informationInitiated career counselingDeveloping effective internal and external Assessment CentresSupporting educational and training programsIntroducing more flexible reward and promotional systems

*Career Development InitiativesCareer planning workshopsCareer counsellingMonitoringPersonal developmentCareer workbooks

Career Counseling

Career CounselingCareer Planning involves counseling individuals on their possible career paths and what they must do to achieve promotions. The need for such counseling arises when employees want to plan their own careers and develop or train themselves for career progression in the organization

Objectives of Career CounselingTo help individual concerned to develop himself by giving him some idea of the direction in which he ought to be headingTo help individuals to study and understand the world in which they live To provide guidelines to help him understand more clearly and develop his thinking and outlookTo provide guidance about opportunities for greater personal satisfaction, pleasure and happinessTo understand the forces and dynamics operating in a system

Career StressMany employees experience stress at work which may be damaging to the individual and to the organization.

Symptoms of Career StressApathyWithdrawalDissatisfactionAbsenteeismIncreased accident pronenessHypertensionHeart disease

Causes of Career StressBlockage of careerLack of control on himself as he feels that he is on the way outImpending retirementOut-paced by younger employees

Management HelpStress Management ProgramClarification of uncertaintyIncreasing the level of participationJob switchGainful occupation after retirement

TO REVIEW ..

CAREERA Career is all the jobs that are held during ones working lifeA Career path is the sequential pattern of jobs that form a careerCareer goals are the future position one strives as a part of a careerCareer Planning is the process by which one selects career goals and the path to these goals

Career DevelopmentCareer Development is those personal improvements one undertakes to achieve a personal career planCareer management is the process of designing and implementing goals plans and strategies to enable the organisation to satisfy employee needs while allowing individuals to achieve their career goals

Accelerated promotions with development targets against future needs of the businessPerformance related training and development to prepare individuals for future roles as well as current responsibilities Planned strategic recruitment to fill short term needs and to provide people to meet future needs

Career DefinedThe sequence of positions held by a person during his or her lifetime.The Way It WasCareer DevelopmentProvided for information, assessment, and trainingHelped attract and retain highly talented peopleNowIndividualsnot the organizationare responsible for designing, guiding, and developing their own careers.Boundaryless CareerA career in which individuals, not organizations, define career progression and organizational loyalty

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