“As HR professionals we can really support businesses, hold the mirror up to managers and create tools, programmes and initiatives which enable people to navigate what can seem sometimes complex businesses.”
Do you remember the Game of Life? A board game that played a really significant part in my childhood.
I remember playing this game every Christmas and being told that I would go to university, get married, have kids, buy a house and retire at 55! Well some of that has happened to me but there is no way I will retire at 55 which, while slightly depressing, makes me more determined than ever to build a strong career!
However it made me think that career management for individuals and businesses has actually changed completely and, with most businesses having at least four generations, how we develop our people’s careers in companies needs to adapt.
I have categorised it, as the old world vs the new world.
In the old world career management
- Was all about linear upward movement
- You would move from one job to another
- Your company would have set paths to follow
- HR would own career development
- A believe would exist that “If I do a good job, I’ll be taken care of”
In the new world career management
- Movement sideways & diagonally (as well as up)
- Creating opportunities to acquire new skills / experience
- Career development has to be and should be owned by you
- Must be supported by your line manager
As organisations we need to develop our managers to support their people and create environments where individuals have the permission to drive their careers.
This is where as HR professionals we can really support businesses, hold the mirror up to managers and create tools, programmes and initiatives which enable people to navigate what can seem sometimes complex businesses.
Let’s think of our role instead of giving people the map and the compass and telling them how to get from A to B..we give our people a satellite navigation device and show them the routes and allow them to plan their own journey!
Managing your career requires time and effort and sometimes a willingness to feel uncomfortable as in those moments it is when we learn the most about ourselves.
Jo Taylor will be speaking at the Mission Critical HR Analytics 2015 on 2 July in London.
- Buzz word bingo -
- Are we listening or just talking? -
- Is leadership development worth investing in? -
- Career management… The Game of Life -
- 5 drivers of employee engagement -
- Are you using HR Analytics to effectively succession plan? -
- The 5 drivers of employee engagement -
- Career management – the game of life -