UNIT 10 POTENTIAL APPRAISAL,

ASSESSMENT CENTRES AND

CAREER AND SUCCESSION
PLANNING
Objectives
After going through this unit, you should be able to :
l explain the concept of potential appraisal and its importance;
l understand what assessment centre is and how it functions;
l differentiate between assessment centres and development centres;
l discuss the process of career planning and its importance; and
l define succession planning and differentiate it from career planning.
Structure
1.1 !ntroduction
1." #otential Appraisal
1.$ Assessment %entres
1.& %areer #lanning
1.' (uccession #lanning
1.) (ummary
1.* (elf Assessment +uestions
1., -urther .eadings
10.1 INTRODUCTION
/mployees aspire to grow and expect this growth to ta0e place at fre1uent intervals.
Achievement of organisational goal, increased productivity and fulfilment of corporate
ob2ectives can be possible only if the employees are feeling satisfaction and
achievement. 3o achieve this there is a re1uirement for a well thought out system of
career and succession planning in an organisation. !n this bac0drop, this unit deals
with mechanisms of potential appraisals and ways and means employed by
organi4ations such as assessment centres to provide growth opportunities to employees.
10.2 POTENTIAL APPRAISAL
5any companies, which carry out performance appraisal, also 0eep records on the
potential of their employees for future promotion opportunities. 3he tas0 of identifying
potential for promotion cannot be easy for the appraising manager, since competence
of a member of staff to perform well in the current 2ob is not an automatic indicator of
potential for promotion. 6ery often the first class salesman is promoted to become a
mediocre sales manager, the excellent chief engineer is promoted to become a very
poor engineering director, and the star football player struggles to be a football
manager.
#otential can be defined as a latent but unrealised ability. 3here are many people
who have the desire and potential to advance through the 2ob they are in, wanting the
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opportunity to operate at a higher level of competence in the same type of wor0. 3he
potential is the one that the appraiser should be able to identity and develop because of
the 0nowledge of the 2ob. 3his re1uires an in7depth study of the positions which may
become vacant, loo0ing carefully at the specific s0ills that the new position may
demand and also ta0ing into consideration the more sub2ective areas li0e 1ualities
re1uired. 3hese may be areas where the employee has not had a real opportunity to
demonstrate the potential ability and there may be areas with which you, as the
appraisers are not familiar. 3here are few indicators of potential 89ox 1: which may
be considered.
(!) 1* I$&ic#t!rs ! P!te$ti#'
l A sense of reality: 3his is the extent to which a person thin0s and acts
ob2ectively, resisting purely emotional pressures but pursuing realistic pro2ects
with enthusiasm.
l Imagination: 3he ability to let the mind range over a wide variety of possible
causes of action, going beyond conventional approaches to situations and not
being confined to 3his is the way it is always being done;
l Power of analysis: 3he capacity to brea0 down, reformulate or transform a
complicated situation into manageable terms.
l Breadth of vision: 3he ability to examine a problem in the context of a much
broader framewor0 of reference; being able to detect, within a specific
situation, relationships with those aspects which could be affecting the
situation.
l Persuasiveness: 3he ability to sell ideas to other people and gain a continuing
commitment, particularly when the individual is using personal influence rather
than management authority.
Source* Adopted from #hilip, 3om 81<,$:. Making Performance Appraisal Work,
5c=raw >ill ?td., @.A.
?i0e the #erformance Appraisal, potential appraisal is also done by the employees
supervisor who has had the opportunity to observe the employee for some time.
#otential appraisal may be done either regularly or as and when re1uired. =enerally
last part of appraisal deals with potential appraisal, as this is seen in case of 5aruti
@dyog ?td. 8!llustration 1:.
I''ustr#ti!$ 1. P!te$ti#' A++r#is#' #t M#ruti U&,!% Lt&.
#art !!! of the #erformance Appraisal form of 5aruti @dyog ?td. solicits information
to assess the future potential and ability of its ?, and above categories of wor0ers to
assume a position of higher responsibility 8?1$: in the following format.
1: Gr!u+ eective$ess 85aintaining and improving morale of group and helping
its identification with organisational ob2ectives; optimal utilisation of available
manpower resources; directing and co7ordinating efforts and effective follow up
action to ensure accomplishment of planned ob2ectives:.
Butstanding 6ery =ood =ood (atisfactory @nsatisfactory
": Abi'it, t! &eve'!+ sub!r&i$#tes 8(ensitivity to develop subordinates mental
s0ills; ability to provide professional guidance to produce group results:
Butstanding 6ery =ood =ood (atisfactory @nsatisfactory
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$: P!te$ti#' C#+#bi'it, 8Bverall rating for managerial capability to head a
department based on your assessment related to the above two points:.
Butstanding 6ery =ood =ood (atisfactory @nsatisfactory
Source* Adapted from 3ripathi, #.%. 8"$:. Human Resource Development, (ultan
%hand C (ons, Dew Eelhi.
C#reer P#t-
Bne of the important ob2ectives of appraisal, particularly potential appraisal is to help
employees to move upwards in the organi4ation. #eople do not li0e to wor0 on deadend
2obs. >ence, a career ladder with clearly defined steps becomes an integral
component of human resources management. 5ost >.5 practitioners favour
restructuring of a 2ob to provide reasonably long and orderly career growth. %areer
path basically refers to opportunities for growth in the organi4ation. Availability of
such opportunities has tremendous motivational value. !t also helps in designing salary
structures, identifying training needs and developing second line in command. %areer
paths can be of two 0inds:
a: 3hose where designations changes to a higher level position, 2ob remaining more
or less the same. A good example of this is found in teaching institutions, where
an assistant professor may grow to become associate professor and a professor,
but the nature of 2ob 8teaching and research: remains the same. %areer path in
such situtions means a change in status, better salary and benefits and perhaps
less load and better wor0ing conditions.
b: 3hose where changes in position bring about changes in 2ob along with increased
salary, status and better benefits and wor0ing conditions. !n many engineering
organisations, an employee may grow in the same line with increased
responsibilities or may move to other pro2ects with different 2ob demands.
10.. ASSESSMENT CENTRES
/mployees are not contended by 2ust having a 2ob. 3hey want growth and individual
development in the organi4ation. An Fassessment centreG is a multiple assessment of
several individuals performed simultaneously by a group of trained evaluators using a
variety of group and individual exercises.
Assessment centers are a more elaborate set of performance simulation tests,
specifically designed to evaluate a candidates managerial potential. ?ine executives,
supervisors, andHor trained psychologists evaluate candidates as they go through one
to several days of exercises that simulate real problems that they would confront on
the 2ob. 9ased on a list of descriptive dimensions that the actual 2ob incumbent has to
meet, activities might include interviews, in7bas0et problem7solving exercises,
leaderless group discussions, and business decision games. -or instance, a candidate
might be re1uired to play the role of a manager who must decide how to respond to ten
memos in hisHher in7bas0et within a two7hour period. Assessment centers have
consistently demonstrated results that predict later 2ob performance in managerial
positions.
3he American 3elephone and 3elegraph %ompany 8A3C3: began experiments with
Assessment %entre approach in the 1<'s as a part of a wide programme of
management development. 3he A3C3 %ompany designated a particular building
where the Assessments were carried out. 3his building became 0nown as Assessment
centre and the name has stuc0 as a way of referring to the method. 3he method
became established in the industry in the @(A during the 1<)s and 1<*s and was
introduced in @A during this period.
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3his method is now regarded as one of the most accurate and valid assessment
procedures and is widely used for selection and development.
According to !#5A 83he !nternational #ersonnel 5anagement Association:, an
assessment center consists of a standardi4ed evaluation of behavior based on multiple
inputs. 3hey are used to assess the strengths, wea0nesses and potential of employees.
3he specific ob2ective is to reinforce strengths, overcome wea0nesses and exploit
potential of the employees through training and developmental efforts. (everal trained
observers and techni1ues are used. Iudgments about behavior are made, in ma2or part,
from specifically developed assessment simulations. 3hese 2udgments are pooled in a
meeting among the assessors or by a statistical integration process. !n an integration
discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior, and often ratings of it, are pooled.
3he discussion results in evaluations of the performance of the assessees on the
dimensionsH competencies or other variables that the assessment center is designed to
measure. 3here is a difference between an assessment center and assessment center
methodology. 6arious features of the assessment center methodology are used in
procedures that do not meet all of the guidelines set forth here, such as when a
psychologist or human resource professional, acting alone, uses a simulation as a part
of the evaluation of an individual. (uch personnel assessment procedures are not
covered by these guidelines; each should be 2udged on its own merits. #rocedures that
do not conform to all the guidelines here should not be represented as assessment
centers or imply that they are assessment centers by using the term Fassessment
centerG as part of the title. 3he following are the essential elements for a process to be
considered an assessment center:
a: /!b A$#',sis
A 2ob analysis of relevant behaviors must be conducted to determine the dimensions,
competencies, attributes, and 2ob performance indices important to 2ob success in
order to identify what should be evaluated by the assessment center. 3he type and
extent of the 2ob analysis depend on the purpose of assessment, the complexity of the
2ob, the ade1uacy and appropriateness of prior information about the 2ob, and the
similarity of the new 2ob to 2obs that have been studied previously. !f past 2ob analyses
and research are used to select dimensions and exercises for a new 2ob, evidence of the
comparability or generali4ability of the 2obs must be provided. !f 2ob does not
currently exist, analyses can be done of actual or pro2ected tas0s or roles that will
comprise the new 2ob, position, 2ob level, or 2ob family. 3arget dimensions can also be
identified from an analysis of the vision, values, strategies, or 0ey ob2ectives of the
organi4ation. %ompetency7modeling procedures may be used to determine the
dimensionsHcompetencies to be assessed by the assessment center, if such procedures
are conducted with the same rigor as traditional 2ob analysis methods. .igor in this
regard is defined as the involvement of sub2ect matter experts who are 0nowledgeable
about 2ob re1uirements, the collection and 1uantitative evaluation of essential 2ob
elements, and the production of evidence of reliable results. Any 2ob analysis or
competency modeling must result in clearly specified categories of behavior that can
be observed in assessment procedures.
A FcompetencyG may or may not be amenable to behavioral assessment as defined
herein. A competency, as used in various contemporary sources, refers to an
organi4ational strength, an organi4ational goal, a valued ob2ective, a construct, or a
grouping of related behaviors or attributes. A competency may be
considered a behavioral dimension for the purposes of assessment in an assessment
center if
i: it can be defined precisely
ii: expressed in terms of behaviors observable on the 2ob or in a 2ob family and in
simulation exercises.
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iii: a competency also must be shown to be related to success in the target 2ob or
position or 2ob family.
b: (e-#vi!ur#' C'#ssiic#ti!$
Assessment centre re1uires that 9ehaviors displayed by participants must be classified
into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics,
aptitudes, 1ualities, s0ills, abilities, competencies, and 0nowledge.
c: Assess"e$t Tec-$i0ues
3he techni1ues used in the assessment center must be designed to provide information
for evaluating the dimensions previously determined by the 2ob analysis. Assessment
center developers should establish a lin0 from behaviors to competencies to exercisesH
assessment techni1ues. 3his lin0age should be documented in a competency7by
exerciseH assessment techni1ue matrix.
d: Mu'ti+'e Assess"e$ts
5ultiple assessment techni1ues must be used. 3hese can include tests, interviews,
1uestionnaires, sociometric devices, and simulations. 3he assessment techni1ues are
developed or chosen to elicit a variety of behaviors and information relevant to the
selected competenciesH dimensions. (elf7assessment and $) degree assessment data
may be gathered as assessment information. 3he assessment techni1ues will be pretested
to ensure that the techni1ues provide reliable, ob2ective and relevant behavioral
information. #re7testing might entail trial administration with participants similar to
assessment center candidates, thorough review by sub2ect matter experts as to the
accuracy and representativeness of behavioral sampling andHor evidence from the use
of these techni1ues for similar 2obs in similar organi4ations.
e: Si"u'#ti!$s
3he assessment techni1ues must include a sufficient number of 2ob related simulations
to allow opportunities to observe the candidates behavior related to each competencyH
dimension being assessed. At least oneJand usually severalJ2ob related simulations
must be included in each assessment center. A simulation is an exercise or techni1ue
designed to elicit behaviors related to dimensions of performance on the 2ob re1uiring
the participants to respond behaviorally to situational stimuli. /xamples of
simulations include, but are not limited to, group exercises, in7bas0et exercises,
interaction 8interview: simulations, presentations, and fact7finding exercises. (timuli
may also be presented through video based or virtual simulations delivered via
computer, video, the !nternet, or an intranet. Assessment center designers also should
be careful to design exercises that reliably elicit a large number of competency7related
behaviors. !n turn, this should provide assessors with sufficient opportunities to
observe competency7related behavior.
f: Assess!rs
5ultiple assessors must be used to observe and evaluate each assessee. Khen
selecting a group of assessors, consider characteristics such as diversity of age, sex,
organi4ational level, and functional wor0 area. %omputer technology may be used to
assess in those situations in which it can be shown that a computer program evaluates
behaviors at least as well as a human assessor. 3he ratio of assessees to assessors is a
function of several variables, including the type of exercises used, the dimensions to
be evaluated, the roles of the assessors, the type of integration carried out, the amount
of assessor training, the experience of the assessors, and the purpose of the assessment
center. A typical ratio of assessees to assessors is two to one. A participants current
supervisor should not be involved in the assessment of a direct subordinate when the
resulting data will be used for selection or promotional purposes.
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g: Assess!r Tr#i$i$%
Assessors must receive thorough training and demonstrate performance that meets
re1uirements prior to participating in an assessment center. 3he training should focus
on processing of information, drawing conclusions, interview techni1ues and
understanding behaviour.
h: Rec!r&i$% (e-#vi!ur
A systematic procedure must be used by assessors to record specific behavioral
observations accurately at the time of observation. 3his procedure might include
techni1ues such as handwritten notes, behavioral observation scales, or behavioral
chec0lists. Audio and video recordings of behavior may be made and analy4ed at a
later date.
i: Re+!rts
Assessors must prepare a report of the observations made during each exercise before
the integration discussion. !t is suggested that assessors must prepare the report
immediately after the assessment is over otherwise they are li0ely to forget the details.
Dot only this, these reports must be independently made.
2: D#t# I$te%r#ti!$
3he integration of behaviors must be based on a pooling of information from
assessors or through a statistical integration process validated in accordance with
professionally accepted standards. Euring the integration discussion of each
dimension, assessors should report information derived from the assessment
techni1ues but should not report information irrelevant to the purpose of the
assessment process. 3he integration of information may be accomplished by
consensus or by some other method of arriving at a 2oint decision. 5ethods of
combining assessors evaluations of information must be supported by the reliability
of the assessors discussions. %omputer technology may also be used to support the
data integration process provided the conditions of this section are met.
Uses ! Assess"e$t Ce$tres
Eata generated during the process of Assessment can become extremely useful in
identifying employee potential for growth. 3his data can be used for:
a: Recruit"e$t #$& Pr!"!ti!$* Khere particular positions which need to be
filled exist, both internal and external can be assessed for suitability to those
specific posts.
b: E#r', I&e$tiic#ti!$ ! Pers!$$e'* 3he underlying rationale here is the need for
the organi4ation to optimise talent as soon as possible. >igh potential people also need
to be motivated so that they remain with the organi4ation.
c: Di#%$!sis ! Tr#i$i$% #$& Deve'!+"e$t Nee&s* !t offers a chance to establish
individual training and development needs while providing candidates with a greater
appreciation of their needs.
d: Or%#$i1#ti!$#' P'#$$i$%* Assessment centers can be used to identify area where
widespread s0ill deficiencies exist within organi4ations, so that training can be
developed in these areas. .esults can also be integrated with human resource planning
data to provide additional information concerning number of people with particular
s0ills needed to meet future needs.
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Assess"e$t Ce$tres #$& Deve'!+"e$t Ce$tres
3raditionally an assessment centre consisted of a suite of exercises designed to assess
a set of personal characteristics. !t was seen as a rather formal process where the
individuals being assessed had the results fed bac0 to them in the context of a simple
yesHno selection decision. >owever, recently we have seen a definite shift in thin0ing
away from this traditional view of an assessment centre to one which stresses the
developmental aspect of assessment. A conse1uence of this is that today it is very rare
to come across an assessment centre which does not have at least some developmental
aspect to it. !ncreasingly assessment centres are stressing a collaborative approach
which involves the individual actively participating in the process rather than being a
passive recipient of it. !n some cases we can even find assessment centres that are so
developmental in their approach that most of the assessment wor0 done is carried out
by the participants themselves and the ma2or function of the centre is to provide the
participants with feedbac0 that is as much developmental as 2udgmental in nature.
Assessment centres typically involve the participants completing a range of exercises
which simulate the activities carried out in the target 2ob. 6arious combinations of
these exercises and sometimes other assessment methods li0e psychometric testing and
interviews are used to assess particular competencies in individuals. 3he theory behind
this is that if one wishes to predict future 2ob performance then the best way of doing
this is to get the individual to carry out a set of tas0s which accurately sample those
re1uired in the 2ob. 3he particular competencies used will depend upon the target 2ob
but one should also learn such competencies such as relating to people; resistance to
stress; planning and organising; motivation; adaptability and flexibility; problem
solving; leadership; communication; decision ma0ing and initiative. 3he fact that a set
of exercises is used demonstrates one crucial characteristic of an assessment centre,
namely; that it is behaviour that is being observed and measured. 3his represents a
significant departure from many traditional selection approaches which rely on the
observer or selector attempting to infer personal characteristics from behaviour based
upon sub2ective 2udgment and usually precious little evidence. 3his approach is
rendered unfair and inaccurate by the sub2ective whims and biases of the selector and
in many cases produces a selection decision based on a freewheeling social interaction
after which a decision was made as whether the individuals face fit with the
organisation.
Diere$ces bet2ee$ Assess"e$t #$& Deve'!+"e$t Ce$tres
3he type of centre can vary between the traditional assessment centre used purely for
selection to the more modern development centre which involves self7assessment and
whose primary purpose is development. Bne might as0 the 1uestion Khy group
assessment and development centres together if they have different purposesL 3he
answer to that 1uestion is threefold.
a: they both involve assessment and it is only the end use of the information
obtained which is different i.e. one for selection and one for development.
b: it is impossible to draw a line between assessment and development centres
because all centres, be they for assessment or development naturally lie
somewhere on a continuum somewhere between the two extremes.
c: 5ost assessment centres involve at least some development and most
development centres involve at least some assessment. 3his means that it is very
rare to find a centre devoted to pure assessment or pure development. !t is easier
to thin0 about assessment centres as being e1ually to do with selection and
development because a degree of assessment goes on in both.
d: Eevelopment %entres grew out of a liberali4ation of thin0ing about assessment
centres. Khilr"#$ce M#$#%e"e$t
#$& P!te$ti#' Assess"e$t
evolved to have a more developmental flavour, the language used to describe
them has not. Another problem with using the assessment 7 development
dichotomy is that at the very least it causes us to infer that little or no assessment
goes in development centres. Khile one hears centres being called assessment or
development centres assessment goes on in both and to that extent they are both
assessment centres. 3he end result of this is that it is not possible to tal0 about
assessment or development centres in any but the most general terms. A number
of differences between assessment and development centres exist are presented
below:
a: Assessment centres have a passHfail criteria while Eevelopment centres do
not have a passHfail criteria
b: Assessment centres are geared towards filing a 2ob vacancy while
Eevelopment centres are geared towards developing the individual
c: Assessment %entres address an immediate organisational need while
Eevelopment %entres address a longer term need
d: Assessment %entres have fewer assessors and more participants while
Eevelopment %entres have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant
e: Assessment %entres involve line managers as assessors while Eevelopment
%entres do not have line managers as assessors
f: Assessment %entres have less emphasis placed on self7assessment while
Eevelopment %entres have a greater emphasis placed on self7assessment
g: Assessment %entres focus on what the candidate can do now while
Eevelopment %entres focus on potential
h: Assessment %entres are geared to meet the needs of the organisation while
Eevelopment %entres are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as
the organi4ation.
i: Assessment %entres assign the role of 2udge to assessors while
Eevelopment %entres assign the role of facilitator to assessors.
2: Assessment %entres place emphasis on selection with little or no
developmental while Eevelopment %entres place emphasis on
developmental feedbac0 and follow up with little or no selection function.
0: Assessment %entres feedbac0 and follow up while Eevelopment %entres
give feedbac0 immediately.
l: Assessment %entres give feedbac0 at a later date while Eevelopment
%entres involve the individual having control over the information
obtained.
m: Assessment %entres have very little pre7centre briefing while Eevelopment
%entres have a substantial pre7centre briefing.
n: Assessment %entres tend to be used with external candidates while
Eevelopment %entres tend to be used with internal candidates.
10.3 CAREER PLANNING
%areer is viewed as a se1uence of position occupied by a person during the course of
his lifetime. %areer may also be viewed as amalgam of changes in value, attitude and
motivation that occur, as a person grows older. 3he implicit assumption is that an
invididual can ma0e a different in his destiny over time and can ad2ust in ways that
would help him to enhance and optimi4e the potential for his own career development.
%areer planning is important because it would help the individual to explore, choose
and strive to derive satisfaction with ones career ob2ect.
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3he process by which individuals plan their lifes wor0 is referred to as career
planning. 3hrough career planning, a person evaluates his or her own abilities and
interests, considers alternative career opportunities, establishes career goals, and plans
practical developmental activities.
%areer planning see0s to achieve the following ob2ectives:
a: !t attracts and retains the right persons in the organisation
b: !t maps out careers of employees suitable to their ability, and their willingness to
be trained and developed for higher positions
c: !t ensures better use of human resources through more satisfied and productive
employees
d: !t ensures more stable wor0force by reducing labour turnover and absenteeism
e: !t utili4es the managerial talent available at all levels within the organisation
f: !t improves employee morale and motivation by matching s0ills to 2ob
re1uirements and by providing 2ob opportunities for promotion
g: !t ensures that promising persons get experience that will e1uip them to reach
responsibility for which they are capable
h: !t provides guidance and encouragement to employees to fulfill their potential
i: !t helps in achieving higher productivity and organi4ational development
3he essence of a progressive career development programme is built on providing
support for employees to continually add to their s0ills, abilities and 0nowledge. 3his
support from organisation includes:
a: %learly communicating the organisations goals and future strategies.
b: %reating growth opportunities
c: Bffering financial assistance
d: #roviding the time for employees to learn.
Bn the part of employees, they should manage their own careers li0e entrepreneurs
managing a small business. 3hey should thin0 of themselves as self7employed. 3hey
should freely participate in career planning activities and must try to get as much as
possible out of the opportunities provided. 3he successful career will be built on
maintaining flexibility and 0eeping s0ills and 0nowledge up to date.
C#reer #$c-!rs
(ome recent evidence suggests that six different factors account for the way people
select and prepare for a career. 3hey are called career anchors because they become
the basis for ma0ing career choices. 3hey are particularly found to play a significant
role amongst younger generation choosing professions. 3hey are briefly presented
below:
a: Managerial Competence* 3he career goal of managers is to develop 1ualities of
interpersonal, analytical, and emotional competence. #eople using this anchor
want to manage people.
b: Functional Competence* 3he anchor for technicians is the continuous
development of technical talent. 3hese individuals do not see0 managerial
positions.
c: Security* 3he anchor for security7conscious individuals is to stabili4e their
career situations. 3hey often see themselves tied to a particular organi4ation or
geographical location.
d: Creativity* %reative individuals are somewhat entrepreneurial in their attitude.
3hey want to create or build something that is entirely their own.
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e: Autonomy and independence: 3he career anchor for independent people is a
desire to be free from organi4ational constraints. 3hey value autonomy and want
to be their own boss and wor0 at their own pace. 3his also includes an
entrepreneurial spirit.
f: Technological competence: 3here is a natural affinity for technology and a
desire to wor0 with technology whenever possible. 3hese individuals often
readily accept change and therefore are very adaptable.
C#reer P'#$$i$% Pr!cess
!t is obvious from the foregoing analysis that individuals differ a great deal in term of
their career orientation .3he career orientation is influenced by the preference for a
particular career anchor, the life cycle stage, individual difference in values, goals,
priorities, and aspiration. Brgani4ation also on the other hand differ in term of career
path and opportunities that they can provide given the reality of their internal and
external environments .3he career system available in organi4ational depend on their
growth potential, goals and priorities. 3he difference between what the employees loo0
for in their career progression and what career growth opportunities the organi4ation
is able to provide, gives rise to situation of potential conflict. !f the conflict is allowed
to persist, the employee will experience dissatisfaction and withdraw from being
actively engaged in the productive pursuit .3hey might even choose the option of
leaving the organi4ation. !n either case, the organi4ation is not able to optimally utili4e
the potential contribution of its employee towards the achievement of its goal.
3he possibility of conflict between the individual7organi4ation ob2ective calls for
career planning efforts which can help identify areas of conflict and initiate such
action as necessary to resolve the conflict . %areer planning thus involves matching of
rewards and incentives offered by the career path and career structure with hope and
aspiration of employees regarding their own concept of progression. A general
approach to career planning would involve the following steps:
a: Analysis of the characteristic of the reward and incentives offered by the
prevailing career system needs to be done and made 0now to employee .5any
individuals may not be aware of their own career progression path as such
information may be confined to only select group of managers.
b: Analyse the characteristic of the hopes and aspirations of different categories
of employee including the identification of their career anchor must be done
through the ob2ective assignment. 5ost organi4ation assume the career aspiration
of individual employee which need not be in tune with the reality .3he individual
may not have a clear idea of their short and long term career and life goals , and
may not be aware of the aspiration and career anchor .
c: Mechanism for identifying congruence between individual career aspiration
and organi4ational career system must develop so as to enable the organi4ation to
discuss cases of mismatch or incongruence. Bn the basis of analysis, it will be
necessary to compare and identify specific area of match and mismatch for
different categories of employee.
d: Alternative strategies for dealing with mismatch will have to be formulated.
(ome of the strategies adopted by several organi4ation include the following :
l change in the career system by creating new career path , new incentives,
new rewards, by providing challenge through 2ob redesign opportunities for
lateral movement and the li0e.
l change in the employees hopes and aspirations by creating new needs, new
goals, new aspiration or by helping the employees to scale down goal and
aspiration that are unrealistic or unattainable for one reason or the other.e assessment centres (ee0
new basis of integration, compromise or other form of mutual change
on the part of employee and organi4ational through problem solving,
negotiation or other devices.
l A framewor0 of career planning process aimed at integrating individual and
organi4ational needs is presented.
e: Reviewing Career Plans a periodic review of career plans is necessary to 0now
whether the plans are contributing to the effective utili4ation of human resources
by matching employee ob2ectives to 2ob needs. .eview will also indicate to
employee in which direction the organi4ations is moving, what changes are li0ely
to ta0e place and what s0ills are needed to adapt to the changing needs of the
organi4ation.
10.4 SUCCESSION PLANNING
(uccession planning is an ongoing process that identifies necessary competencies, then
wor0s to assess, develop, and retain a talent pool of employees, in order to ensure a
continuity of leadership for all critical positions. (uccession planning is a specific
strategy, which spells out the particular steps to be followed to achieve the mission,
goals, and initiatives identified in wor0force planning. !t is a plan that managers can
follow, implement, and customi4e to meet the needs of their organisation, division,
andHor department.
3he continued existence of an organi4ation over time re1uire a succession of persons
to fill 0ey position .3he purpose of succession planning is to identify and develop
people to replace current incumbents in 0ey position for a variety of reasons.
(ome of these reasons are given below:
l Su+er#$$u#ti!$* /mployees retiring because they reach a certain age.
l Resi%$#ti!$* /mployees leaving their current 2ob to 2oin a new 2ob
l Pr!"!ti!$* /mployees moving upward in the hierarchy of the organi4ation.
l Diversiic#ti!$* /mployees being redeployed to new activities.
l Cre#ti!$ ! Ne2 P!siti!$* /mployees getting placed in new positions at the
same level.
(uccession can be from within or from outside the organi4ation. (uccession by people
from within gives a shared feeling among employee that they can grow as the
organi4ation grows. 3herefore organi4ation needs to encourage the growth and
development with its employee. 3hey should loo0 inward to identify potential and
ma0e effort to groom people to higher and varied responsibilities. !n some
professionally run large organi4ations, managers and supervisor in every department
are usually as0ed to identify three or four best candidate to replace them in their 2obs
should the need arise. >owever, the organi4ation may find it necessary to search for
talent from outside in certain circumstance. -or example, when 1ualified and
competent people are not available internally, when it is planning to launch a ma2or
expansion or diversification programmes re1uiring new ideas etc.. %omplete
dependence on internal source may cause stagnation for the organi4ation. (imilarly
complete dependence on outside talent may cause stagnation in the career prospects of
the individual within the organi4ation which may in turn generate a sense of
frustration.
(uccession planning provides managers and supervisors a step7by7step methodology
to utili4e after wor0force planning initiatives have identified the critical re1uired 2ob
needs in their organi4ation. (uccession planning is pro7active and future focused, and
enables managers and supervisors to assess, evaluate, and develop a talent pool of
4 4
Per!r"#$ce M#$#%e"e$t
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individuals who are willing and able to fill positions when needed. !t is a tool to meet
the necessary staffing needs of an organi4ationHdepartment, ta0ing not only 1uantity of
available candidates into consideration, but also focusing on the 1uality of the
candidates, through addressing competencies and s0ill gaps.
10.5 SUMMAR6
%ontinuous self and staff development are essential to continuous performance
improvement. Bnes own self7development needs to be related to your personal
strengths and wea0nesses and to the career aspirations. 3his re1uires planning of
career progression and setting career goals. 3his can be achieved by identifying
potentialities of employees with the help of potential appraisal and various methods
involved in it vi4. assessment centre.
10.7 SEL8 ASSESSMENT 9UESTIONS
1: /xplain the concept of potential appraisal with illustrations.
": Khat is career planningL Eiscuss its needs, purpose and ob2ectives.
$: !s assessment centre same with development centreL !f not, what are the
differencesL
&: Krite a comprehensive note on succession planning citing suitable exampleswere once used
purely for selection and have