SPE-177537-MS

Career Development:Empowering the Business with Talent Management

Tools in Effective Career Discussions
Dr Santhosh Koyadan Veettil and Ashwaq M. Al Mehairbi, ZADCO - Zakum Development Company

Copyright 2015, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 9 –12 November 2015.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
Managing one’s own career has become a challenge for any employee working in organisations where the
emphasis is more on anything other than individual development. The lack of right tools and awareness
of those – how to place it at the right level, how to interpret and use it - among managers add to this
challenge as well. Only very few organisations have a well-established and robust systems and process in
place which helps an employee to manage their own career within the organisation creating a win-win
situation. ⬙Individuals working for organisations have a pressing need to manage their own careers
effectively. They need to do this to progress within their current employing organisation towards more
interesting, more responsible and more highly rewarded work. This is the conventional, and still often
relevant, meaning of ’career’. But individuals also need to manage their own careers to make sideway
moves as well. Organisations who manages these expectations effectively and create an engaging
workforce will stands out from the rest⬙. [Dr Santhosh Koyadan Veettil, Why Career Development
Discussions?, Drsanmantra:Exploring Synergies. 19 April 2015 https://drsanmantra.wordpress.com/]
This paper highlights the importance of Career Conversations in organisations and how to make it
effective by using the various tools of Talent Management by managers in engaging his/ her employees.
Although Career Conversations happen between a manager and the employee, but rarely one may find this
as a well-structured process. It rather ends up in a very casual conversation, most of the time without
managing any expectations. These short conversations may help but it may fire back due to the unclear
nature of the discussions and expectations. In this paper, an attempt is made to give a structure to the
Career Discussion process explaining the critical components of the process.
Introduction
When managers fail to support their employees career development, the organisation will end up having
people who don’t see their work satisfying and who are not likely to be creating value for the organisation.
A study from Deloitte found that 60% of organisations don’t have any form of employee engagement
programmes. This is concerning for an organisation, as fight for top talents in the market by head hunters
makes enough room for the best people to leave. There has never been more pressure for line managers
to come up with more creative ways to keep high performing individuals motivated, productive and
adaptable to the future needs of the business.
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One of the productive approach in this direction will be to get managers think of their role as an
employee’s ‘career coach’. Although Career conversations between managers and employees are the
single most important factor in building, motivating and developing a highly skilled professional work
force as important as ever, but are becoming more difficult as well. It is in this context the importance of
Human Resources / Manpower Development department’s (HR/MD) role surfaces.
In order for these courageous career conversations to be effective, it is essential that the line managers,
with assistance from the HR department, develop career discussion skills that teach them how to better
engage and challenge their teams. It is not HR alone, but the key stake holders responsible for establishing
or nurturing a culture where adequate emphasis is given to ‘employees career development’ are, executive
management, line managers, employees and HR. While managers and employees play a key role in this
process, executive management provides the needed support to make the change happen and HR helps to
implement and facilitate.
How well are the employees and especially the manager equipped to take on these kinds if Career
Conversations? Even if they have been engaging their employees, are they familiar with the tools and
techniques to make these discussions more structured and effective? In what way HR can play a major role
to provide the needed support for the manager and the employee?.
If we go by available statistics and data from the industry, there may not be a clear positive answer to
the above questions. The authors here have made an attempt to solve this puzzle and throw light on some
of the practical approach that can be adopted by organisations.
The objective of this paper is to bring out the importance of Effective Career Development Discussions
(CDD) and its place in the people development process in organisations. The paper focuses on how
managers can be empowered to do a CDD, what are those tools of talent management that will support
them and the importance of having a visual representation of career paths. The paper will also discuss a
workable structure and importance of various components of a career development discussion.
The People Development Process
A people development process can be represented in many ways. One such representation which
incorporates the key elements in a development pathway is depicted below (Fig:2.1).

Figure 2.1—People Development Activity Chain.

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The picture shows the various sequence of events starting with work force and career stage analysis
where a comprehensive list of employees is prepared based on eligibility criteria and business priorities.
High Potential Detection
The next activity in the sequence is High Potential (HiPo) detection. Why does organisation detect their
High Potentials at an early stage?. In today’s international market place, the widely accepted grim reality
remains as if it is going to stay. Competition for the best talents is at its peak. Even in a trailing economy
where the supply may far exceeds the demand, the crunch is felt for the ‘best fit’ or ‘top talents.
‘Over the next two decades, 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 every day, leaving a cavernous hole in
the talent market. As the economy continues its slow path to recovery, 34% of companies globally report
having trouble filling vacancies due to talent shortages. This statistic is up from 30% in 2009, indicating
that as the economy improves, the war for talent will become even more fierce. With the convergence of
an amplified focus on growth and a graying workforce, the strain on the available pool of talent will be
immense. This crisis is global in scope and currently affects employers all over the world’. (White Paper,
AON Hewitt, January 2013)
For example, we are aware that the oil and gas industry is going through the rough tide of price war.
Nevertheless the need for skilled engineers are on the rise. Big players will continue to expand their
production as well the small ones. Then the fight for talent will be even more worse. There is a clear
urgency for organisations to focus on identifying, developing and retaining the best talent. The cut-throat
competition out there can be only won with a high caliber leadership lineup. It can’t be a democracy when
it comes to developing employees in the organisation. High potential needs to be nurtured and exposed
to more challenges for them to develop and fast track.
There are different way by which organisations can detect their HiPo employees. The most popular
method is by assessing the performance and potential of a prospective employee and see where he/she get
placed on the 9-box grid. Calibrating the plotted data with the business will make the results more reliable.
An example of a 9 box grid is below (Fig:2.2).

Figure 2.2—
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Career Development Discussions

This is the most critical element in the activity chain shown in Fig:2.1. ⬙Career development has emerged
as a pressing issue in organizations today to attract and retain talent. Millennials—who are experiencing
slowed career progression from streamlined organizational structures and Baby Boomers delaying
retirement—are certainly key drivers, but the issue cuts across multiple generations. Employers acknowl-
edge that their career development initiatives are not achieving desired results. Less than half of them say
that they are managing this effectively, according to Towers Watson, and lack of opportunities for career
advancement is cited by employees as a top reason they leave organizations⬙ [Derven, M. 2015. From
Career Conversations to Deliberate Action. Association for Talent Development podcast, https://
www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2015/02/From-Career-Conversations-to-
Deliberate-Action].
‘Career Development Discussion’ is a critical engagement piece most often overlooked by organisa-
tions which if carried out effectively can yield great results in terms of employee motivation, engagement
and retention. Although career discussions might happen between a manager and his/her employee which
may not be done intentionally by both parties, a guidance to an effective discussion will help in bringing
out tangible results for the employee as well as for the organisation. The change management piece shown
above is crucial since it involves engagement of managers and supervisors in this process. An under-
standing and ‘how to read and use’ of the various tools of talent management (PDP / IDP- Individual /
Personal Development Plans, Various Formats, Career Paths, Talent Tools) will empower them in making
effective career discussions.
Role of a Manager
There are efforts by many organisations to encourage or even mandate their managers to do career
development discussions with their employees. As reported in the 2013 Gallup report State of the
American Workplace, managers have a unique role to empower employees and to help them discover their
strengths. Although the structure of Career Conversations may vary the objective is to create self-
awareness or discovery, identify those areas which are essential and priority for his/her to develop, chalk
out action plans and agree to activities to fulfill those development gaps finally leading to drafting an
Individual Development Plan.
This conversation becomes important due to various reasons:
y Employees need to commit to their own development and drive their development plan.
y Managers gets an opportunity to discuss and understand the employee better in terms of his/her
aspirations and suggest improvements/solutions.
y Manager can serve as a conduit between the employee and the larger organisation, providing
information, access and support.
y Manager becomes a people’s manager and champion the cause of employee engagement.
If we take a look at the current scenario we may find Career Conversations being done by managers
with their employees, but not serving the above purpose mentioned. These conversations end up as some
casual talk on the office floor without any tangible outcome and are forgotten in the flow.
What could be those ‘stoppers’ for a manager in carrying out structured and effective Career
Development Conversations?. There could be many reasons associated. Some of the most common
reasons are:
y Lack of knowledge on the benefits and positive outcome of the Discussion.
y Lack of required skill and knowledge to carry out a Conversation.
y Fear of facing the employees to resolve or answer their career concerns.
y Fear of losing employees to other departments if they are exposed to tasks for Career Development.
y Lack of knowledge and use of various people development tools in strengthening his/her team.
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We can agree that a ‘Career Development Conversation’ is not the final destination but a starting point
where both manager and employee are involved and committed to progress for the benefit of the
department as well for the organisation.
Talent Management & Tools
There are several definitions available in the literature for ‘Talent Management’. Corporates and
individuals use it with flexibility to suit the their context but fundamentally resting on the same meaning.
Development Dimensions International (DDI), one of the pioneers in Talent Management Consulting
defines talent management as a mission critical process that ensures organizations have the quantity and
quality of people in place to meet their current and future business priorities. The process covers all key
aspects of an employee’s ⬙life cycle⬙: selection, development, succession and performance management.
As per DDI, Key components of a highly effective talent management process include:
y A clear understanding of the organization’s current and future business strategies.
y Identification of the key gaps between the talent in place and the talent required to drive business
success.
y A sound talent management plan designed to close the talent gaps. It should also be integrated with
strategic and business plans.
y Accurate hiring and promotion decisions.
y Connection of individual and team goals to corporate goals, and providing clear expectations and
feedback to manage performance.
y Development of talent to enhance performance in current positions as well as readiness for
transition to the next level.
y A focus not just on the talent strategy itself, but the elements required for successful execution.
y Business impact and workforce effectiveness measurement during and after implementation.
Let’s look at the some of the tools that helps HR to effectively manage their talents. The knowledge
of these tools and how to apply them at the right time and at the right level makes all the difference. Some
of the most common tools or methods in place are being discussed here.
Psychometric Tests ⬙According to the British Psychological Society, a psychometric test is ⬙any pro-
cedure on the basis of which inferences are made concerning a person’s capacity, propensity or liability
to act, react, experience or to structure or order thought or behaviours in particular ways.⬙ Psychometric
tests therefore provide in-depth information about the mind-set of individuals with the potential talent,
identifying their strengths and weaknesses so these can be improved to ensure they reach their full
potential in the future⬙.
[Asset Skills. 2013. Talent Management Glossary: Employer Toolkit. London, UK: Asset Skills 3.2.2
360 Degree Assessment]
360 Degree Assessment ⬙An assessment tool that gathers feedback on an individual from a number of
sources, such as supervisors, peers, direct reports, external customers and a self-assessment, and can be
used to identify skills gaps/training needs⬙.
[Asset Skills. 2013. Talent Management Glossary: Employer Toolkit. London, UK: Asset Skills 3.2.2
360 Degree Assessment]
Individual Development Plan (IDP) An IDP helps you to set out how you would like to develop. For
example, it can look at where you would like to be in 5 years’ time and what you need to do in order to
get there. A simple IDP, apart from candidate’s details, usually has three main areas – Areas for
Improvement, actions to fulfill those gaps and measurement of outcome.
Succession Planning Is the process of identifying talented individuals within your workforce that could
step up to fill key business roles in the future when positions become available. The focus here is on the
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critical positions which HR with the business identifies as an yearly activity. Usually organisational KPIs
are linked to these critical positions.
9 Box Grid ⬙Is an individual assessment tool that evaluates both an employee’s current contribution to
the organization and his or her potential level of contribution to the organization. It is a simple table graph
that rates ⬙potential⬙ on the Y, or vertical axis, and ⬙performance⬙ on the X, or horizontal axis. In other
words, the vertical columns of the grid identify an individual employee’s growth potential within the
organization, and the horizontal rows identify whether the employee is below, meeting or exceeding
performance expectations in his or her current role. If applied correctly with robust data, 9 box grid can
become a versatile tool for the organisation in identifying ‘Future Leaders’ or their top talents⬙ [Dr
Santhosh Koyadan Veettil. 2014. Talent Management: The 9 Box Grid, A Handy Tool for Managers,
Drsanmantra: Exploring Synergies. 6 July 2014, https://drsanmantra.wordpress.com/tag/succession-
planning/]. (as depicted in Fig:2.1).
Assessment Centre or Development Centre Assessment Centres are considered to be the fairest and
most accurate method of assessing a candidate than using a single method of assessment. It is an
opportunity to see what one can do, rather than what one say one can do, in a variety of situations.
Assessment Centres will measure one against a series of competencies that are relevant to the organisa-
tion, and each activity will be carefully designed to assess one or more of these areas. Examples of some
of these activities are - Psychometric and Aptitude Test, In-Tray /E-Tray Exercises, Case Studies,
Interviews, Information Sessions Etc. Assessment Centres are also called Development Centre when
organisation want to focus on development of their employees rather than selection.
Career Paths Career Paths are guideline documents to give a sense of direction to the employee. An
increased visibility of cross functional opportunities helps both the manager and employee determine the
exposure required. Overall a Career Path frame expectations of current and future roles. An example of
a simple skeletal layout of a career path is depicted below (Fig:3.1)
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Figure 3.1—

Role of Human Resource (HR) / Manpower Development (MD)

As enablers and facilitators, HR’s role in bringing about the change is crucial. As change agents HR need
to support the business by putting in place timely interventions to meet the objectives of the plan.
With the knowledge of right tools, how to interpret results from these tools and a wider company
perspective, a manager could very well take on the challenge of engaging his/her employee in a positive
Career Conversation. The skill to conduct a ‘Career Conversation’ with the right tools and techniques is
lacking most of the time which leads to abstinence of a manager from doing this. So an obvious solution,
as part of the change management is to start with engaging managers – to create awareness, educate and
motivate to engage their people. To start with a well thought workshop or a training programme which
will suit the organisational culture and maturity may help. Following this short sessions HR need to
provide constant support to the managers in terms of monitoring Career Conversations and providing
adequate feedback/coaching until they are comfortable to handle the task independently.

Structure of a Career Development Discussion

It is worth at this juncture to look at how to structure a ‘Career Development Discussion (CDD)’. The
below figure shows an ideal structure of a CDD (Fig:5.1).
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Figure 5.1—

The above figure (Fig:5.1) Shows a four-stage model of an effective Career Discussion adapted from
the works of CIPD, UK. From ‘setting up the discussion’ to ‘agreeing actions’ there are important
preparatory elements for both the ‘Giver’ (Manager) and the ‘Receiver’ (Employee).

Manager as a Career Coach

Manager often becomes a Career Coach particularly in Career Development Discussions. There are some
people skills which a managers already possess but need polishing when attempting these discussions with
an employee.
This has been rightly highlighted by Nicolas Deas in her recent article ⬙Active listening is one example.
Like most people, while line managers think they are listening attentively, they are really listening through
filters such as their own biases or ambitions for their team. Managers need to learn to be active and
attentive listeners, using both their eyes and ears. While an employee might say, ⬙I want to stay with the
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organisation and I understand its goals⬙, their tone of voice or facial expressions may hint that this isn’t
the whole truth.
Effective questioning is another important skill that needs to be mastered. Line managers will often
frame development sessions around ‘issue’-focused questions such as, ⬙What is the problem you’ve found
with your work?⬙ While these often seem direct and focused, they can put the employee on the defensive
and don’t invite engagement. A ‘solution’-focussed question might be, ⬙In what ways would you like to
change your daily work?⬙ Solution-focussed questions are much better at prompting the lightbulb moment
for employees, helping them see things differently and take ownership of removing barriers to their career
progression.
Managers must be skilled negotiators who are able to establish a clear contract with their employees.
Getting employees to be open with their ambitions is helpful, but bringing about meaningful change also
requires their commitment to deliver and objectives to reach for. Effective career coaches know how to
secure this commitment and to establish clear standards to strive towards.
Getting direct feedback on their own coaching skills in practice helps managers to understand how they
come across and become better at adapting their style and HR departments play a big role in receiving
such input from employees⬙. [Deas, N. 2015. Managers must start having ‘brave career conversations’.
HR Zone. (published online 22 June 2015). http://www.hrzone.com/engage/managers/managers-must-
start-having-brave-career-conversations].
Benefits & Outcome
An effective Career Discussion has a number of positive and practical outcomes for individuals:
y A clear sense of career direction:
Not necessarily a detailed career path but an idea where they are going in the future.
y Increased self-insight:
A more realistic view of own abilities and potential
y Better information:
Broader understanding the organisation and various career options
y Increased confidence and motivation:
An emotional impact, which often lasts a long time
Individual Development Plan (IDP)
An IDP should be a natural outcome of a Career Development Discussion. Individual Development
Planning is the process of creating an action plan based on the current and future competency require-
ments, values, goal-setting and planning for personal development within the context of a career.
Organisations are increasingly using IDPs as a way to form the basis of training and career development
of individuals. While drafting an IDP, it is important to align development plans with organisational goals
and Individual needs and aspirations.
The process shouldn’t end with an IDP as commonly seen among organisations. A well thought
through plan need to be put in place to make sure that the required development as agreed on an IDP is
implemented whether it is – on the job training, self-study, coaching, certifications, conferences, class
room training etc. This requires conscious effort on the part of the employees, managers and HR.
There are organisations who put in place robust monitoring mechanisms, track progress of employee’s
IDPs and link it to their Career Advancement like grade changes, promotions etc. These are, no doubt,
organisations who are setting standards for others to follow.
Conclusion
Establishing trust between both the parties is the key to an effective Career Conversation. Although both
have their conscious role in it, most of the time it’s the Manager who will set the scene for such a healthy
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conversation to happen. A manager who is willing to listen and understand the employees concerns, who
has a knowledge of wider company perspectives and opportunites available, who is committed to the
cause of his teams development will surely make a better and benefiting Career Conversation than any
other.
Employees will stay for today if offered challenge and empowerment; they will stay for tomorrow if
offered the chance to grow. Employees tend to stay when there is clarity and required support for their
future career in their organisations. This paper attempted to explain the link between the various pieces
of employee engagement and how a manager/ supervisor can leverage on all the available tools to help
their employees grow. The entire process and structure to career conversations discussed in this paper will
for sure add value to the existing literature in this area which could be adopted by HR/MD practitioners.

Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to all those who helped us in writing this paper for the ADIPEC
Conference.
y We would like to thank our department head VP-MD (Manpower Development) Ms. Fatima Al
Najjar for her continuous support and encouragement.
y We also thank our Manager Mr Ahmed Faraj, Manager – MDTM & MDCA for his valuable
guidance and support in completing this paper.
y We also thank all our colleagues and MD team for their encouragement and support. They were
ready to help us during their busy schedule with their ideas.
Finally we would like to thank the ADIPEC organizers who gave us an opportunity to present this paper
at the ADIPEC conference 2015.

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