The traditional career deal has changed: self-management is now key
While the signs are that job tenure has remained surprisingly consistent, the traditional promise a career for life may not have survived the recesssion. Even Japan, perhaps the last bastion of the job for life seems to have had to finally admit defeat.
Individuals will now be taking more responsibility than ever, for managing their own careers.
Firms that understand the importance of career self-management, and work out how they can help employees with this can gain an advantage over their rivals in the job market.
Dr Jane Sturges recently led a King’s College London workshop on contemporary careers. She examined what employees want from their career and what firms should provide as career management support.
Sturges painted the picture of a new career deal, where individuals are more proactive about managing their own career and where employers respond with appropriate support.
Employees career self-manage through:
- Networking.
- Pushing for developmental job assignments.
- Getting feedback and coaching from managers and mentors.
- Proactively engaging in learning.
However, employees still expect help from employers, especially early on in their careers.
Most employees look to develop an internal career path. If this is aided through career support, these employees will be a valuable asset in the long term. At the same time, a company that is proactive about nurturing employees career aspirtations will gain a reputation as an employer of choice.
How do firms do this?
- Informal structures. Sturges suggests developing networking opportunities or mentor programmes that allow employees to build and leverage professional relationships within a firm.
- Acknowledge sexual differences. While women often seek social support, men tend to pursue ‘hard’ career benefits through the support system. An unfortunate gender outcome of creating a supportive organisational environment is that it can be more likely to help men. Firms need to understand and try and deal with this possible outcome.
- Support parents’ work-life balance. Firms that embrace more supportive and creative ways of job and career design for working parents can retain and engage much talent that may otherwise be lost..
- Get them while they’re young. Employers who can offer ‘stretch’ assignments and progression without imposing high levels of stress to new entrants can stand out from the pack in attracting and retaining such talent.
With the current economic environment, it may be tempting to ignore career development. However, if organisations stop providing employees with adequate career assistance employees may see this as a lack of commitment to them. When that happens, once the job market improves, companies will face losing their best people.
