Career Development

Final Examination in Career Development in Organization

NAME: Jircy Marie G. Reyes Dr. Catalino N. Mendoza
MBM - BA March 16, 2013

Career development involves managing your career either within or between organizations. It also includes learning new skills, and making improvements to help you in your career. Career development is an ongoing, lifelong process to help you learn and achieve more in your career.
Whether you are looking at making a career change, or moving up within a company, planning your own career development will help you succeed.
By creating a personal career development plan, you can set goals and objectives for your own personal career growth.
Don't make the mistake of leaving your career development future in the hands of your employer, hoping that you will get the next promotion or pay raise. This misconception can lead to job dissatisfaction and resentment.
You may have already experienced this...
You work for so long for a company, hoping that your hard work and efforts will be rewarded. After a while, you're burned out, and you become disappointed and jaded, not understanding why you can't seem to get ahead. While many employers do have career development programs in place, there is no guarantee that your dream position will be open when you're ready, or that all your efforts will finally be rewarded.
Just realizing that you need to take control of your own career future is the first step to career growth and job satisfaction.
The following are some questions about career development:

1. Describe the term career development in Organization.

People are the sources of all productive effort in organizations. Organizational effectiveness depends on the performance of people working in organizations. Better people achieve better results. Every organization should acquire and retain skilled, competent, and motivated employees, because the full potential of human resources needs to be achieved for the growth of the organization. For the purpose of retaining skilled employees, management should assist individuals to plan their careers with realistic information about career opportunities that exist within a particular organization. The tremendous growth of organizations in recent times due to technological improvements and tough competition in global market necessitates the organizations not only to select the right type of staffs, but also to retain them in the organizations. The dynamic and growth oriented employees should be allowed to grow through career development programs because the high turnover of such potential staff leads to great loss in terms of cost, quality and productivity.

2. Using your knowledge of the stages of life and career development, explain how the career issues of a twenty-seven-year-old differ from those of a forty-five-year-old. What are the organizational implications of the issues you identified?

The age twenty seven is in the stage called establishment stage where in some people have found their suitable jobs and these helped them have long and settled standings in their career lines but there are still many people considering that this stage is only a trial period to continually test their skills and incentives for advancement in career. Once a person moves into the establishment stage, they need to be able to develop more advanced skills and gain higher levels of knowledge in their field. This development needs to be targeted towards their career goals and towards the achievement of the

organization’s objectives. The emphasis is on 'putting runs on the board' in terms of achieving objectives and the development of desirable skills and knowledge.
Career development strategies at this stage will probably include such things as:

• leadership workshops; • project management workshops; and • Specialist skills development programs offered internally and externally.

For example, in the health area a nurse may be offered the opportunity to specialize in oncology, and will be given specific training in chemotherapy as a requirement. Organizations develop assistance programs for employees wishing to take up tertiary study at this career stage. While the forty five years old which belong to the ageing stage where in most of them pass the mid-career crisis period this is the stage where the employees become more loyal to the company and are needed to be trained to catch up with the new and younger employees who is more technology advance.

3. Discuss in detail the steps in conducting career development program of an organization.

Training is one of the most profitable investments an organization can make. No matter what business or industry you are in the steps for an effective training process are the same and may be adapted anywhere. If you have ever thought about developing a training program within your organization consider the following four basic training steps. You will find that all four of these steps are mutually necessary for any training program to be effective and efficient.

STEP 1: ESTABLISHING A NEEDS ANALYSIS. This step identifies activities to justify an investment for training. The techniques necessary for the data collection are surveys, observations, interviews, and customer comment cards. Several examples of an analysis outlining specific training needs are customer dissatisfaction, low morale, low productivity, and high turnover.

The objective in establishing needs analysis is to find out the answers to the following questions:

-"Why" is training needed?
- "What" type of training is needed?
- "When" is the training needed?
- "Where" is the training needed?
- "Who" needs the training? and "Who" will conduct the training?
- "How" will the training be performed?

By determining training needs, an organization can decide what specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes are needed to improve the employee's performance in accordance with the company's standards.

The needs analysis is the starting point for all training. The primary objective of all training is to improve individual and organizational performance. Establishing a needs

analysis is, and should always be the first step of the training process.

STEP 2: DEVELOPING TRAINING PROGRAMS AND MANUALS.

This step establishes the development of current job descriptions and standards and procedures. Job descriptions should be clear and concise and may serve as a major training tool for the identification of guidelines. Once the job description is completed, a complete list of standards and procedures should be established from each responsibility outlined in the job description. This will standardize the necessary guidelines for any future training.

STEP 3: DELIVER THE TRAINING PROGRAM.

This step is responsible for the instruction and delivery of the training program. Once you have designated your trainers, the training technique must be decided. One-on-one training, on-the-job training, group training, seminars, and workshops are the most popular methods.

Before presenting a training session, make sure you have a thorough understanding of the following characteristics of an effective trainer. The trainer should have:

- A desire to teach the subject being taught.

- A working knowledge of the subject being taught.

- An ability to motivate participants to "want" to learn.

- A good sense of humor.

- A dynamic appearance and good posture.

- A strong passion for their topic.

- A strong compassion towards their participants.

- Appropriate audio/visual equipment to enhance the training session.

For a training program to be successful, the trainer should be conscious of several essential elements, including a controlled environment, good planning, the use of various training methods, good communication skills, and trainee participation.

STEP 4: EVALUATE THE TRAINING PROGRAM.

This step will determine how effective and profitable your training program has been. Methods for evaluation are pre-and post- surveys of customer comments cards, the establishment of a cost/benefit analysis outlining your expenses and returns, and an increase in customer satisfaction and profits.

The reason for an evaluation system is simple. The evaluations of training programs are without a doubt the most important step in the training process. It is this step that will indicate the effectiveness of both the training as well as the trainer.

There are several obvious benefits for evaluating a training program. First, evaluations will provide feedback on the trainer's performance, allowing them to improve themselves for future programs. Second, evaluations will indicate its cost-effectiveness. Third, evaluations are an efficient way to determine the overall effectiveness of the training program for the employees as well as the organization.

The importance of the evaluation process after the training is critical. Without it, the trainer does not have a true indication of the effectiveness of the training. Consider this information the next time you need to evaluate your training program. You will be amazed with the results.

The need for training your employees has never been greater. As business and industry continues to grow, more jobs will become created and available. Customer demands, employee morale, employee productivity, and employee turnover as well as the current economic realties of a highly competitive workforce are just some of the reasons for establishing and implementing training in an organization. To be successful, all training must receive support from the top management as well as from the middle and supervisory levels of management. It is a team effort and must implement by all members of the organization to be fully successful.

4. Explain how both organizations and individuals can benefit from a well-designed career management system.

Career development programs are most effective when they are integrated with the organization’s ongoing training and development strategies. For being able to do this, an organization must have a carefully designed career development system especially designed to meet its own unique needs and requirements. An automated and well-designed career management system not only benefits organizations but also help employees and managers or supervisors in establishing effective communication with

each other. All the parties gain different benefits and combining which they can together set an organizational culture that supports such types of activities in an organization.

Benefits of a Career Development System to Organization

▪ Once organization has a fair idea about employee’s strengths and weaknesses, attitude and behavior, values and future aspirations and skills and competencies, they are able to make better use of employee skills and put them at the right place.

▪ The organization can disseminate all important details and information at all organizational levels in order to ensure effective communication at all levels. It fosters and lays emphasis on better communication within the organization as a whole.

▪ It also helps organization retain valued employees by providing them what they want. Since the organization is able to collect all necessary information about a specific individual, it can make efforts to retain them. ▪ It establishes a reputation of the organization in the market. More and more working professionals see it as a people developer and get attracted towards it.

Benefits of a Career Development System to Employees

▪ The major benefit of career development system to employees is that they get helpful assistance and guidance with their career decisions. They get to know about their own aspirations, objectives and desires and understand how to shape their career.

▪ By using this system, they can set more realistic goals and objectives that are feasible to be accomplished over the span of one’s life.

▪ It fosters better communication between the employee and the manager as well as at all levels of the organization.

▪ The best part is that they can get feedback on their performance. This helps them improve their working style and compels them to upgrade their skills.

▪ The process leads to job enrichment and enhanced job satisfaction.

Benefits of a Career Development System to Managers/Supervisors

▪ A career development system helps managers and supervisors in improving and upgrading their skills in order to manage their own career. Even they get to where they are heading to and what their aspirations are.

▪ It fosters better communication between managers and employees.

▪ It helps them in retaining valued employees as they get to know about their skills and competencies and future aspirations as well.

▪ It helps in discussing productive performance appraisal of employees and planning their promotions as well as their career graph.

▪ It leads to greater understanding of the organization as a whole and cultivate a supportive and conducive culture in the organization.

▪ It helps managers in understanding the hidden aspects of employees and guides them to allocate employees the right job that matches to their skills and competencies.

5. Discuss the value of self-assessment tools and activities to effective career development.

Self-assessments are usually among the first techniques implemented by organizations in their career development efforts. Thus, it is important for managers to become familiar with the different self-assessment and career exploration instruments available. Typically, individuals completing self-assessment exercises for career-planning purposes go through a process where they think through their life roles, interests, skills, and work attitudes and preferences. They try to plan their short- and long-term goals, develop action plans to meet those goals, and identify any obstacles and opportunities that might be associated with them. Hewlett-Packard employees at the Colorado Springs Division complete a variety of self-assessment exercises, including a written self-assessment, vocational interest tests (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory), and 24-hour diaries before meeting with their managers for career counseling. Six months after the course, 40 percent of the participants had planned internal career moves and 37 percent had already advanced to new positions in the firm. Of those, 74 percent stated that the career-development program played a critical part in their job change. Two tools often used to assist individuals in their self-assessments include career-planning workshops and career workbooks.

After individuals complete their self-assessments, they may share their findings with other individuals in career workshops. For example, General Electric provides career training to its engineering staff followed by periodic meetings to share results. In general, most workshops use experiential exercises in a structured, participative group format to educate individuals on how to prepare and follow through on their career strategies. A group format allows participants to receive feedback from others so they can check the reality of their plans and consider other alternatives. In addition, workshops are beneficial in helping employees gain greater self-awareness and insight and learn more about career opportunities in the organization. TVA offered career planning workshops to many of its employees, and employees found them to be helpful in better understanding their career needs and insights. At NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, career awareness workshops are conducted to educate employees about alternative career paths and to provide counseling to them. Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis uses workshops with executives and managers to give them feedback on their own career concepts and motives, as well as advice on how to provide career counseling to their subordinates.
Career workbooks consist of questions and exercises designed to guide individuals to figure out their strengths and weaknesses, job and career opportunities, and necessary steps for reaching their goals. One popular example of a generic career workbook is the annual book “What Color Is Your Parachute?” Individuals use this manual to learn about their career possibilities since it provides suggestions for job hunting and making career changes. Many workbooks are tailor-made for a particular company and can be completed in several sessions. If “homegrown” workbooks are used, they should contain a statement of the organization’s career policy, a description of the career options in the organization, and the strategies available for obtaining career information. The workbooks should also illustrate the organization’s structure, career paths, and job qualifications for jobs along the career ladders. Check out the self-assessment tool available through O*NET (go to www.onetcenter.org). There are also other Internet-based career services available for free, often through university and corporate career centers (e.g., Career Leader). These are useful for finding jobs, posting résumés, networking, and learning about careers. For example, the Talent Alliance is an Internet-based resource cosponsored by member companies that provides support for the self-initiated, self-paced career exploration. Personal inventory tools prompt self-discovery of leadership style, motivation, technical skills, and work context.

6. Explain why career counseling services be considered in an organization?

Personal problems are part of life, stress, alcohol, drug abuse, cardiovascular disease, obesity, mental illness, financial problems and emotional problems are some of the things that employees suffer or experience, and this may affect behavior at work where it can cause accidents, absenteeism, turn-over, poor decision, decreases productivity, and increased costs. These problems are some the reasons why counseling should be

considered in an organization. Employee counseling programs such as employee assistance program, stress management programs and wellness and health program will ensure that employees will continue to become an excellent contributor to the organization.

7. Why is it important to coach an employee with performance problems, as well as employees who are performing well?

Let me first define the term coaching, as stated coaching defined as:

• An interactive process that helps another person improve, learn something, or take performance to the next level • Working as a trusted counselor, guide, tutor, or mentor • Involves someone with more wisdom and experience sharing his/her knowledge and expertise. • An ability to diagnose an issue and propose a solution, as well as to motivate the others to achieve their best. • A form of feedback that helps another person realize what is not working and takes steps to get on the right track.

Coaching is important to an employee with performance problem, because coaching often provides positive feedback about employee contributions. At the same time, regular coaching brings performance issues to an employee's attention when they are minor, and assists the employee to correct them, the goal performance coaching is not to make the employee feel badly, or to show how much the HR professional or supervisor knows but to work with the employee to solve performance problems and improve the work of the employee, the team, and the department. When it comes to the employees performing well coaching is still important because even though they are in the peak of their performance, once they feel comfortable that’s when the time they become relax and feel less satisfied with their job, that’s why continuous caching.

Reference:

Infande, A. (n.i). The four basic steps in the training process. Retrieved March 14, 2013 from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Infande4.html

Career Development. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http://answers.mheducation.com/management/human-resource-management/ career-development

Self-Assessment Tools. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http://alis.alberta.ca/ec/cp/cpt/planning-tools.html

The Role of Assessment. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/the-role-of-self-assessment/article.aspx

Components of Career Development System. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/components-of-career-development-systems.htm

Tenham, Tom (Feb. 26, 2013). The 5 Five Career Stages. Retrieved March 12, 2013 from http://blog.timesunion.com/careers/the-5-career-stages/385/

Werner, Jon M. and DeSimone, Randy L., Human Resource Development 6e. Retrieved March 12, 2013.

Final Examination in Career Development in Organization
2nd Semester 2012 – 2013

Submitted to:

CATALINO N. MENDOZA, DMS, Phd. BDA (c)
University of Batangas Graduate School

Submitted by:

Jircy Marie G. Reyes
March 16, 2013