Managing Careers & Retention

Learning Objectives

• what is meant by
career management
Explain and employee
retention

• principles of
Discuss employee
turnover
• career
Identify management with
and the role of
explain employees and
employer
Learning Contents

01 Career Management
02 Employee Turnover & Retention
What would you do if you were Paul?
• Paul had been an engineer for a civil engineering
firm for 12 years when it began to dawn on him that
his career was going nowhere. He wanted to move
into management, a desire he had mentioned many
times in the past five years to his boss, Fred, the
company’s founder and CEO.
Fred seemed receptive, but always found a way to
change the conversation. Today, at the annual
performance appraisal, Paul decided to press the issue
and was astounded at what Fred said: “You’re a good
engineer, Paul, but you do not have what it takes to be
a manager. It’s up to you whether you go or stay.”
 Career Management

Concepts
career ▷ the occupational positions a person has had over many years
career ▷ the process for enabling employees to better
management understand and develop their career skills and
interests, and to use these skills and interests more
career ▷ effectively
the lifelong series of activities that contribute to a person’s
development career exploration, establishment, success, and fulfillment
career planning ▷ the deliberate process through which someone becomes
aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge, motivations, &
other characteristics and establishes action plans to attain
specific goals
 - What the employer and employee expect of each other
is part of what psychologists call a psychological
contract.
- This is an unwritten agreement between employers and
employees that identifies each party’s mutual
expectations.
For example, one unstated expectation is that
Psychological management will treat employees fairly and provide
contract satisfactory work conditions, hopefully in a long-term
relationship. Employees are expected to respond by
demonstrating a good attitude, following directions, and
showing loyalty to the organization.
- With today’s tumultuous labor markets, few employers
or employees can count on long-term commitments. That
undercuts the traditional psychological contract and
makes managing one’s career even more critical.
The role of employees and employer in career management

employees
employers
managers
▷ accept responsibility for
▷ Provide promotional
his/her own career ▷ provide performance opportunities
▷ assess interests, skills,
feedback timely ▷ offer career
and values ▷ offer developmental information and
▷ seek out career
assignments & support career programs
information resources ▷ participate in career ▷ give employees
▷ take all steps required to
development discussions career options
ensure a happy and with employees
fulfilling career ▷ coaching & mentoring
 Employer Career Management Methods

• Many employers provide employee career development support.

• American Express opened career counseling centers for its call-center
workers
• Genentech and AFLAC hired career counselors ,and are preparing their
line managers to give career advice. Google has employees who volunteer
as career coaches and mentors for other employees, and whom Google
officially designates “career gurus.”
• Career development needn’t be complicated. Even just receiving
performance feedback from supervisors, getting individual development
plans, and having access to training is enough for many employees.
• job postings, formal mentoring with managers, and individual succession
planning for high potential employees are valuable .
• Systems are widely available
• For example, Halogen Software Company offers an online performance
management system (go to
www.halogensoftware.com/solutions/performance).
• This system enables the employer and employee to choose employee
development activities that support both the company’s staffing needs and
the employee’s career aspirations.
• A career planning workshop is “a planned learning event in which
participants are expected to be actively involved, completing career
planning exercises and inventories and participating in career skills
practice sessions.”
• A typical workshop includes self-assessment exercises (skills, interests,
values, and so on), an assessment of important occupational trends, and
goal-setting and action-planning segments
1- Career Management

Supporting employees’ career-development needs invariably requires

tapping the manager’s coaching and mentoring skills

COACHING ▷ means educating, instructing, and training

▷ focuses on teaching shorter-term job-related skills
▷ often touches on the ability to relearn

MENTORING ▷ means advising, counseling, and guiding

▷ focuses on helping employees navigate longer-term
career-type hazards
▷ often touches on the person’s psychology
2- Employee Turnover & Retention

Managing Turnover

Turnover ▷ the process in which employees leave an organization and have to be

replaced.
▷ the rate at which employees leave a firm
▷ often, start with poor selection decisions, compounded by
inadequate training, insensitive appraisals, and inequitable pay.

types of employee turnover o involuntary turnover o uncontrollable turnover

o voluntary turnover o controllable turnover
o functional turnover
o dysfunctional turnover
Employee Retention

A comprehensive approach to retaining employees

❖ periodically tracking the number of employees who leave the company, and
identify the issue
❖ selecting the right employees
❖ providing adequate career prospects and professional development
❖ clarifying what employees’ expectations are regarding their performance
❖ emphasizing on job recognition
❖ high-performance/ involvement work practices
Employee Retention

To retain employees, the organization can

build “ career development program”

- Training and Development

- Advancement Opportunities
- Mentorship and Coaching
- Performance Reviews and Goal Setting
- Employee engagement and Recognition
IN SUMMARY
Career management
• the process for enabling employees to better understand and develop their career skills and
interests, and to use these skills and interests more effectively

The employees’ role in career management

• accept responsibility for own career; assess interests, skills, and values; seek out career information
resources; take all steps required to ensure a happy and fulfilling career.
The employer’s/ manager’s roles in career management
• manager: provide performance feedback; offer developmental assignments & support; participate in
career development discussion with employees; coaching and mentoring
• employer : provide promotional opportunities; offer career information and career programs; give
employees career options.
Turnover
• the process in which employees leave an organization and have to be replaced;
often start with poor selection decisions; compounded by inadequate training,
insensitive appraisals, and inequitable pay.
• periodically tracking the number of employees leaving & identifying the issues,
improving HRM practices.
CRITICAL THINKING

Self-Assessment Questions

◆ Why is it advisable for a career management effort to be

comprehensive?
◆ Why is an exist interview important? How does the information from
that interview contribute to the retention solution?
 Carter Cleaning Company: The Career Planning Program
Read The case study ‘Carter Cleaning company’ in your Textbook, pg. 313).

Questions:
1. What would be the advantages to Carter Cleaning of setting up a
career planning program?
2. Who should participate in the program? All employees? Selected
employees?
3. Outline and describe the career development program you would
propose for the cleaners, pressers, counter people, and managers at
CASE STUDY the Carter Cleaning Centers
ANALYSIS