Components of a Career Development System

A career development system includes a variety of components for use in the organizations.

In order to increase the efficiency of the system, the HR mangers must have complete knowledge about these tools since they play a role of consultant when employees and supervisors use this system. Plus, they are responsible for designing and developing an effective career development system for their organization.

Some activities or components are known as individual career planning tools while some are used for organizational career management.

To achieve greater efficiency, most organizations use a right combination of both types of activities.

Let us understand these tools and activities to learn in-depth about career development system:

• Self Assessment Tools: This is the first technique that is widely used by organizations in their efforts to career management of their employees. This is a career exploration tool where individuals complete self-assessment exercises and fill information about their skills, interests, competencies, work attitudes and preferences, long and short term goals and obstacles and opportunities. The whole exercise helps them understand their own desires and aspirations and likes and dislikes.

• Career Planning Workshops: Once employees are through their self-assessment, they share their findings with other individuals and their supervisors in career-planning workshops.

  It allows them to receive feedback from others and check the reality of their plans and aspirations. They may change their plans if they find them unrealistic and move in new direction.

• Individual Counseling: It is one of the most common activities that are undertaken by almost all people developing organizations. Generally, individual counseling is provided by career development specialists, HR specialists or life skills development trainers.

  Some organizations hire them from outside while some have their own full fledged departments where they recruit and hire trainers for full time. It helps employees in understanding their own goals, making a change in them if required and working on improving their skills and competencies.

• Organizational Assessment Programs: Organizational assessment programs include tools and methods for evaluating employees’ potential for growth within the organization.

  Johnson & Johnson is one company that uses these programs to assess the careers of their employees and evaluate their potential in order to facilitate the staffing and development of special teams known as “tiger teams”. These special teams are formed to speed up the development of new products. The most popular programs under this category include assessment centers, psychological testing, 360 degree appraisal, promotability forecasts and succession planning.

• Developmental Programs: Developmental programs are used by an organization to develop their employees for future positions. They can be internal as well as external and can be performed under the supervision of human resource staff or trainers and specialists from outside. These programs include assessment centers, job rotation programs, tuition refund plans, internal training programs, external training seminars and formal mentoring programs.

In addition to these programs, there are several other components of a career development system such as career programs for special target groups, fast-track or high potential employees, supervisors, senior-level employees, women, technical employees, minorities and employees with disabilities, etc.