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As we approach the New Year, the topic of careers is often on everyone’s mind. From an organizational perspective, management is thinking about their staffing plans and where they are going to fill positions. Will we have to hire people from the outside? Or do we have internal talent that are ready to take on new roles?
Meanwhile, employees are thinking about their careers. What do I want to focus on in the year ahead – improving skills, building relationships, or maybe identifying new opportunities? Those things don’t happen overnight, and employees have to plan how they will accomplish their goals.
Ideally, both the organization and the employee are working together on career management. This allows the organization to accomplish its goal of finding and retaining the best talent. And it allows employees to accomplish their goals of finding rewarding work.
This year, we’ve published several articles talking about both the organization’s and the employee’s roles in career management.
Career Planning: The Organization’s Role in Creating Employee Success
Career planning is the process of matching an employee’s career goals with their capabilities. Simply put, it’s about connecting what people do well with what they want to do. Ideally, we want employees to enjoy their chosen career. If they do, it can translate to higher employee engagement, which ultimately has a positive impact on productivity and the bottom line.
Servant Leadership: Excellent Leaders Focus on People and Profits
There is no clear path to being a good leader. If there was, we’d all have an index card with the steps to be a good leader and the conversation would be over. Leadership takes time and practice. But if there was one thing that we could all focus on to improve our leadership skills, maybe first serving the people around us is a good place to start.
Should Managers Be Coaches or Is There a Better Option
What if the organization said, “Asking managers to manage and be coaches is too much. Let’s hire some coaches to supplement what the manager is doing.” Remember the functions of management include planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. It is very possible that managers just have too much on their plate. And to do employee coaching well, the organization might want to consider having dedicated coaches.
Encourage Employees to Manage Their Career
While organizations need to encourage employees to manage their career, employees also need to take an active role in their careers. They need to learn how to evaluate their own performance and identify things they want to learn. Then they should set goals for themselves and monitor their progress.
Career Planning: The Employee’s Role in Driving Their Success
Employees are an equal partner in their own career planning. Remember the definition of career planning is “the process of matching career goals with capabilities”. That can’t happen without employee involvement. Then it becomes the employee’s responsibility to communicate those goals to management. Ultimately, that’s how managers can support the employee and their future plans.
Deciding to have a mentor(s) is a great thing. But it takes some planning. Decide what you’re hoping to accomplish. Think about who might be able to help and determine their qualifications. Be prepared to talk about these things when you ask someone to take on a mentoring role. Oh, and consider whether your mentoring relationship needs to be in-person or could it be virtual. This could impact who you ask to be a mentor.
5 Qualities Found in Excellent Mentors
According to the site MentorCliq, 92% of all U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 100% of the top 50 U.S. Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs . Mentoring is an incredibly popular activity because it works. It feels great to share your experience and knowledge with others, and you can also learn a lot along the way. But that will only happen if the mentoring relationship is built on the right foundation. That’s why it’s worth the time to learn how to do it well.
While we’re not talking about quiet quitting and loud leaving anymore (thank goodness!), this doesn’t mean that employees are completely content in their careers. Employees want to know that the organization values them and will make investments in their career success. In an article on the American Psychological Association site, 91% of respondents said it’s important to have a job where they can consistently learn. But only 47% say their employer offers that.
As organizations and individuals are setting goals for the year, discuss where career management falls in those goals. Put a plan in place. Allocate resources to make it happen. Not only will it make employees more engaged, but it will help the business thrive.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Washington, DC
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