|
|
||
|
by Nyamupachari Vareta |
|
Introduction The global competition; technological changes and market transformations have sent signals to Organizations to refocus their strategies and look into methods of improving their performance and efficiency. Many HR interventions are being applied to direct and improve employees effort to assist the organization achieve the desired performance. Career management is one of the most important HRM interventions which is being neglected in organizations. But why is career management neglected in most Organizations? What relevance does career management have to the organization and the employees? In this article the author looks at the definition of career, change and development, the implications of change to career and its impact to the employees and the importance of career management in assisting employees redirect their effort so the they become employable. Definition Arnold (1997) defined career as the sequence of employment- related positions, roles, activities and expectations encountered by a person. This definition implies that, some aspects of career are objective, in that they can be seen and explained transparently. Other aspects of career management are more subjective and best understood in terms of the individual’s experiences. Our changing experiences of career - over the life course - reflects transformation requirements, values and aspirations and attitudes towards work. Change and Development Change has become a constant factor that impacts companies and the individuals. Shreuder (1997) indicated that, more demands for efficiency, shorter processing times and new products have influenced the competition which led to considerable changes in organizational goals and cultures. These changes have impact on career choices. Career Management in companies has become a very important intervention of the overall structure. These developments have brought different types of employment relations in organizations. The restructuring in companies is resulting in modernized HR policies and practices, and career management is not an exception. For example, outsourcing of work has become common and increasingly more people are working on a permanent basis for organizations albeit not actually employed by them. This is a common feature in most International organizations today. The individuals contracted, produce good quality work and at the same time provide flexibility in the Employee/Organization relationship. Implication of the Transformation New developments in career management have been taking place as a result of changes in Organizations. These changes are a result of global and regional influences. For example, position movement upward is being replaced by the idea of moving easily across functional boundaries, thus emphasizing the importance of multiple skills. Such changes have implications to employee’s careers and here the advice & guidance of HR practitioners is called for. The tendency towards project work becomes more important. Project work demands not only specialized skills in a certain area, but also the ability to adjust and function effectively in multidisciplinary teams is now an asset. HR practitioners should advice employees to take initiative and responsibility for their own careers. This is important in that employees would feel part and parcel of the organization and understand the reasons and implications of the changes that are coming as a result of globalization. The job security which organizations used to offer in a silver plate, is no longer available, and employees are confronted with the risk and uncertainty. The organizations no longer provide security as before. Security lies with the individual himself – it is not in employment but in employability. The person should be willing to accumulate knowledge, skills and a reputation that can be encashed in new opportunities. Employees also should accept the responsibility and show interest in learning new skills. In order to live up to and adapt to expectations and new demands, it is crucial for them to become a lifelong learners by recognizing areas of development and upgrading their skills to become more versatile and competent in our unpredictable world. Career development enables employees to anticipate change and to be prepared for it. Not all employee are able to make strategic plans for their future and as a result, the organization should intervene and assist them, although its not the organization’s responsibility. Importance of Career Management The importance of career management is that, it is for public good, and adds value to the organization and the society at large. This HR intervention has an important “contribution to make to society equity, supporting equal opportunities and promoting inclusion” Shreuder (1997). The change that is taking place driven by high technology and globalization, means that companies are constantly exposed to transformation. They are therefore, less willing to make a long term commitments to individuals. For example, most of the organizations are in favor of short term assignments which range from one to eleven months. Why Career Development is neglected? It is not a surprising issue that most of those occupying HR positions are not aware of the benefits that the program can bring to their organizations if well articulated. Some HR people think that it is a waste of resources to carry out a career development program. This assumption is brought about as a result of lack of knowledge of its benefits. HR people sometimes blame management of lack of support. From the author’s experience, some companies do not have a career development programs. Culture in organizations, creates an environment that gives false signals to its employees that they will be there forever. As a result, they forget about their career as they feel assured of the job security as before. How can we assist our staff? With globalization, retrenchments will be happening everyday and this has effects on individual’s life. Losing one’s job is very stressful in life, the author believes companies need to enhance their communication process with employees. HR Practitioners have a huge challenge before them. They should use their skills to assist employees in their organizations to prepare for changes ahead. Understanding and skillfully handling a situation such as job loss is very important for HR practitioners. The stance of the organizations towards career management has much effect. The HR Strategists should influence management to develop a career strategy designed to assist its employees. We must understand that many employees lack the necessary knowledge, skills and initiatives to establish their career strategies, therefore career support by their organizations become indispensable. The organization can carry out a career planning workshops once or twice a year. This can be compulsory or should be attended by those who are interested. Its importance should be stressed in the internal magazines or through supervisors to employees. Management support is a prerequisite for the success of the program. Benefits of Career Management The benefits from the intervention are many. They begin with improved morale among the staff members of the organization This will help to reduce the rate of absenteeism. Productivity of the organization will improve. Staff will feel sense of belonging and make efforts to improve their performance. Conclusion Finally, Human Resources are the greatest asst that the organizations have. They need to be supported throughout their working life. By embarking on a Career Development program, the organization will not only assist the individual but the society as a whole. The guidance given goes a long way and will be reflected back into the community which will be part of the organizations social responsibility. |
||
| Author | : | Nyamupachari Vareta | ||
| About the Author | : | Mr. Vareta is specislist in Human Resources with World Health Organization, Brazzaville, Congo. He has done Advanced Diplomas in Personal Management, Training & Development, Human Resouce Management. He has 16 years working in HRM, 9 of which was in a large transport Organization and 7 in a UN agency. He is based in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. E-mail: varetan@yahoo.com | ||
| Copyright | : | Copyright Nyamupachari Vareta | ||
| Source Website | : |
Visit
http://hrera.com , the
One-Stop Portal for Human Resource Professionals Subscribe free email magazine for Human Resource Professionals by sending email to: HREra-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . |