career development has seen a shift in the way it is approached. Traditionally, it was up to an organization to ensure that its employees had the skills to meet the company’s long-term goals. Now, however, employees advocate that they are—and should be—responsible for their own career development.

1. CAREER DEVELOPMENT
career development has seen a shift in the way it is
approached. Traditionally, it was up to an organization to
ensure that its employees had the skills to meet the
company’s long-term goals. Now, however, employees
advocate that they are—and should be—responsible for
their own career development.
This shift has changed the way that organizations handle
career development. Career development is viewed today as
a kind of partnership with employees. It is also a key
component of a company’s attraction and retention strategy.
Many candidates will not consider employment with an
organization unless it offers career development as a basic
component of its culture.
Career development from two
Perspectives
Career development should be considered from the
perspectives of both the organization and the employee:
 Organization: What skills and knowledge do we require
to achieve our business goals?
 Employee: What are the skills and knowledge I think
critical to my current and future career plans?

2. Building an organizations’ career
development program
Organizations should consider two factors when putting
together their career development program:
1. The business plan
2. Employee career paths
Clearly, an organization must consider its overall direction
and goals in order to assess the competencies that they
need from their workforce to be successful. It is equally
important that the organization take into account an
employee’s motivation to succeed as an individual.
Career development: Meeting
organization and employee needs
A proven method to meet these needs of the organization
and the employee involves:
 Developing career paths that enable employees to
understand their options to grow in the organization
 Gathering the information to determine what skills
they would need to achieve this
Remember, career paths can entail promotions or lateral
transfers. A solid career path program requires detailed job
descriptions and support through management coaching.

3. Identifying and updating an
employee’s career plan
Each employee should have a career plan that has been
discussed with their manager. Generally, this would take
place during the performance review process.
The career plan includes an assessment of the “gaps” or
training requirements. The career plan should be reviewed
on an ongoing basis. This ensures that both the employee’s
and the organization’s needs and objectives are adjusted
over time.
Career planning discussions
Discussions of career planning typically include the following:
 Current job: Does the employee have the skills to meet
the responsibilities of their current job?
 Gaps: Assess the person’s current levels of competency
and their future requirements. This will reveal what
gaps need to be addressed to develop their skills so
they can meet future job requirements
 Future aspirations: Where does the employee see
themselves in the future?
 Career plan: Develop a roadmap that
enables the employee to acquire the skill
needed for their current job.