13-06-2012, 11:17 AM
CAREER PLANNING
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INTRODUCTION
Effective HRM encompasses career planning and career development. An organization without career planning and career development initiatives is likely to encounter the highest rate of attrition, causing much harm to their plans and programmes. With the increase scope for job mobility and corporate race for global headhunting of good performers, it is now a well established fact that normal employment span for key performers remains very short.
The term career planning and career developments are used interchangeably in most of the organizations. It is also correct that but for their subtle difference in the definitional context, their process remains the same.
1.1.1 Definition of Career
Career is a sequence of attitudes and behaviours associated with the series of job and work related activities over a person’s lifetime. In another way, it may be defined as a succession of related jobs, arranged in hierarchical order, through which a person moves in an organization, to be more accurate career, may be either individual-centred or organizational-centred. Therefore, career is often defined separately as external career and internal career. External career refers to the objective categories used by society and organizations to describe the progression of steps through a given occupation, while internal career refers to the set of steps or stages which make up the individual’s own concept of career progression within an occupation. For such two different approaches, in organizational context, career can be identified as an integrated pace of vertical lateral movement in an occupation of an individual over his employment span.
1.1.2 Important Elements of Career
Analysing definitional context, it is clear that career has following important elements-
1. It is a proper sequence of job-related activities. Such job related activities vis-a-vis experience include role experiences at diff hierarchical levels of an individual, which lead to an increasing level of responsibilities, status, power, achievements and rewards.
2. It may be individual-centred or organizational–centred, individual-centred career is an individually perceived sequence of career progression within an occupation.
3. It is better defined as an integrated pace of internal movement in an occupation of an individual over his employment span.
1.2 Career Planning
Making a career decision can often be a confusing and stressful time for many. The choice of career options available to you may be overwhelming or you may not have a clue about the occupations out there. Early career planning can help to alleviate some of the stress and confusion around your career decision.
1.2.1 Organization-Centered vs. Individual-Centered Career Planning
Career planning can be somewhat confusing, because two different perspectives exist. Career planning can be organization centered, individual centered, or both. Organization-centered career planning focuses on jobs and on constructing career paths that provide for the logical progression of people between jobs in an organization. These paths are ones that individuals can follow to advance in certain organizational units. For example, a person might enter the sales department as a sales counselor, then be promoted to account director, to sales manager, and finally to vice-president of sales.
Individual-centered career planning focuses on individuals’ careers rather than organizational needs. It is done by employees themselves, and individual goals and skills are the focus of the analysis. Such analyses might consider situations both inside and outside the organization that could expand a person’s career Figure above shows the different perspectives. Organizational retrenchment and downsizing have changed career plans for many people. They have found themselves in “career transition”—in other words, in need of finding other jobs.29 Small businesses, some started by early retirees from big companies, have provided many of the new career opportunities.
1.2.2 Overview
Career planning generally involves getting to know who you are, what you want, and how to get there. Keep in mind that career planning is a continuous process that allows you to move from one stage to another stage as your life changes. You may even find yourself going back to look at who you are again after exploring how to get there.
If a career plan is to be effective, it must begin with an objective. When asked about career objectives, most managers will probably answer by saying that they want to be successful. What is success? Definition of success depends on personal aspirations, values, self-image, age, background and other different factors. Success is personally defined concept. In order to plan your career, you need to have an idea of what constitutes career success.
Do you want to be president of the company?
Do you want to be the senior executive in your field of expertise?
Would you be happier as a middle manager in your area?
Whatever the choice it must be yours.
Career management is a process by which individuals can guide, direct and influence the course of their careers.
General Periods in Careers
In the course of our career we move from one stage to another setting and implementing appropriate goals at each stage. Our goals differ from getting established on job at early career stage to career reappraisal, moving away from technical areas & becoming more of a generalist. Movement form one career stage to another will require individuals to update self & to appropriate change goals. When required danger exist that individuals may too long stay in a job they don’t like or miss career opportunity
A sensible early step in career planning is to diagnose. You might answer questions:
• What types of positions and career experiences do I need to achieve my goals?
• What personal traits characteristics and behaviors require change in order for me to improve my professional effectiveness?
1.2.3 Career Anchors
According to Schein, the early career of a manager is a period of mutual discovery between the employee and the organization. Over a period of time each learns more about the other. The employee gains self knowledge of an occupational self-concept, which Schein describes as a career anchor.
A career anchor has three components:
♦ Self-perceived talents and abilities;
♦ Self-perceived motives and needs;
♦ Self-perceived attitudes and values
This concept is broader than job satisfaction or the motivation to work. In addition it’s not possible to predict career anchors from tests since they are dependent on work experience. This concept emphasizes evolution, development and discovery through experience.
Career anchor are the result of interaction between the person and work environment. They are ‘inside ‘the person and act as a set of driving and constraining forces on career decisions and choices.
If we find ourselves in a situation which fails to meet our needs or which compromises our values then we will be ‘pulled back’ or anchored of something more congruent. A career anchor therefore is that concern or value which we will not give up easily if choice has to be made. Career anchors are discovered over a number of years in our early career since we cannot know, until we encounter a variety of real life situations, how our abilities, motives and values will interact and so fit the career positions available.
1.2.3.1 Types of Anchors
a) Technical/Functional Competence
Success if indicated is feedback stating that you are an expert in your area and by increasingly challenging work in that area rather than promotion or monetary reward per se. There is a tendency to resist general management or any work that does not permit the exercise of your skills. You would probably leave a company rather than be promoted out of your area of expertise. This may cause internal conflict.
b) Managerial Competence
You believe your competence lies in a combination of three areas:
♦ Analytical
♦ Interpersonal
♦ Emotional competence
Different occupational roles require different kinds of analytical, interpersonal and emotional competencies. In other words the person who wishes to rise to higher levels of management must be simultaneously good at analyzing problems, handling people and handling emotions in order to withstand the tensions and pressures of the executive suite. This type of person is concerned about the size of the tasks, the degree of challenge and the amount of responsibility. They measure their success by promotion, rank and income.
c) Security and stability
People who anchor in security tend to do what is required by their employees in order to maintain job security, a decent income and stable future on terms of pension, benefits, etc,
There are two types of security orientation:
♦ the source of security and stability rests with the membership of a given organization
♦ The source of security is geographically based and involves setting down, stabilizing
the family and integrating in the community.
There may be the feeling that being anchored is security represents a degree of failure and this can cause internal conflicts in those affected.
d) Entrepreneurial creativity
This anchor is critical to the understanding of the career of an entrepreneur – a person who wishes to be autonomous, managerially competent, and able to exercise special talents and build a fortune to be secure. However, none of these appear to be the key motive or value/ such people have a prevailing need to build and create something of their own.
The need to be a manager and the need to be entrepreneur are quite different therefore it is quite predictable that transition crisis will occur for the entrepreneur and/or organization as the need for management develops.
e) Autonomy and independence
You find organization restrictive irritating and /or intrusive into your private life. Therefore you will leave government or business in order to be more independent and autonomous. You need to be on your own, setting your own pace, schedules lifestyle and work habits. There is a successful trade-off between status and high income versus freedom to pursue your own lifestyle.
f) Pure challenge
The person is most concerned about winning against strong competition or apparently insurmountable obstacles.
g) Dedication to a cause
The person is most concerned about having work which reflects social, political, religious or other values that are important to them, preferably in organizations that also reflect those values.
h) Life-style integration
The person wished most of all to keep a balance between work, family, leisure and other activities, so that none is sacrificed for the sake of another.
Being able to identify one’ career anchor is important for the effective management of one’ own career. It is also important that people in organizations responsible for career management are aware if the prevalence of the various anchors in their organization. This might inform human resources policies such as job placement and transfer, promotion hierarchies and control systems. A common issue if organization is how far up the hierarchy specialist such as scientists and engineers can rise without being general manager. Often the is not very far, which may create a problem for some talented staff who subscribe to the technical/functional competence career anchor.