CAREER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

The term career planning is frequently used in relation young boys and girls studying at the college level.
College students are expected to consider their qualities (physical and mental), psychological make-up,
likes and dislikes, inclinations, etc. and decide what they want to be in their life. In other words, they
should decide what they want to achieve in their life and adjust their education and other activities
accordingly. This means they have to plan their career. In such career planning, parents, family members
and college teachers offer helping hand and guide young boys and girls in selecting the most suitable
career. Lot of literature, psychological tests etc,are also available on career planning. Even lectures,
workshops and TV programmes are arranged for guiding students on career selection (particularly after
the declaration of HSC results). Career planning enables them to use their abilities/qualities fully and
make their life happy, prosperous and rich inquality. At present, even experts are available to help youth
in their career planning. IQ and other tests are also conducted for this purpose.The term career planning
and development is used extensively in relationto business organizations. It is argued that if the
organizations want to get the best out of their employees, they must plan the career development
programmes in their organization effectively. Such programmes offer benefits to employees and also to
the organizations. The employees will develop new skills will be available to the organization. This type
of career planning can be described as organizational career planning.

MEANING OF CAREER

A career is a sequence of positions/jobs held by a person during the course of his working life. According
to Edwin B. Flippo “a career is asequence of separate but related work activities that provide continuity,
order and meaning to a person’s life”. Career of an employee represents various jobs performed by
him/her during the course of his working life. This is described as career path. In the case of an ordinary
worker, the career path includes the following job positions:

Unskilled worker > Semi-skilled worker > Skilled worker > Highly skilledworker > Assistant foreman >
Foreman.

Employees (of all categories) want to grow in their careers as this provides more salary, higher status
and opportunity to use knowledge, education and skills effectively. An individual with potentials joins a
firm not for job but for career development. An organization has to provide better opportunities to its
employees in their career development and also use their efficient services for the benefit of the
organization.

MEANING OF CAREER PLANNING

Career planning is a process of enabling employees to select career goals and paths to those goals. It is a
process of identifying future job positions that serve as sequential benchmarks in an employee's
career.Career planning includes;

>Internal mobility
 >External mobility

Internal career mobility involves employees moving within an organization, while external career
mobility involves employees moving to a different organization, sector or location.

NEED/PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES OF CAREER PLANNING

1.To map out careers of employees as per their ability and willingness and to train and develop them for
higher positions.

2.To attract and retain the right type of persons in the organization.

3.To utilize available managerial talent within the organization fully.

4.To achieve higher productivity and organizational development.

5.To provide guidance and assistance to employees to develop their potentials to the highest level.

6.To improve employee morale and motivation by providing training and opportunities for promotion.

SCOPE OF ORGANISATIONAL CAREER PLANNING

The following activities/areas are covered within the scope of organizational career planning:

a)HUMAN RESOURCE FORECASTING AND PLANNING

Here, efforts will be made to identify the number of employees required in future. In addition, the
selection procedure will be adjusted with the overall strategic goals of the organization.

b)CAREER INFORMATION

Here, information relating to career opportunities (promotions, training for self development, etc) will
be supplied to employees. Supplying career information/opportunities has special significance as this
motivates employees to grow and reach to higher position.

c)CAREER COUNSELLING

Such counselling is next to supplying career information. Career counselling is possible by senior
executives through periodic discussions with their subordinates. Such career guidance encourages
subordinate employees to take interest in certain areas where suitable opportunities of career
development are available. It is a type of internal guidance and motivation of employees for the
selection of possible career paths. Such counselling is needed when employees have to plan their own
careers and develop themselves for career progress.

d)CAREER PATHING
Management now plans job sequences for transfers and promotions of their employees. This makes
transfers and promotions systematically with advance information to employees. Career pathing creates
suitable mental make up of employees for self development.

e)SKILL ASSESSMENT TRAINING

Training is essential for career planning and also for manpower development. Along with job analysis,
organizational and job manpower requirement analysis should be undertaken by the management. This
prepares proper background for the introduction of career planning programmes for employees.

ADVANTAGES OF CAREER PLANNING

A properly designed system of career planning can provide the followingbenefits

i. Career planning helps an employee to know the career opportunities available in an organization.

ii. Career planning encourages him to avail of the training and development facilities in the organization
so as to improve his ability to handle new and higher assignments.

iii. Career planning involves a survey of employee abilities and attitudes. It becomes possible, therefore
to group together people talking on asimilar wave length and place them under supervisors who are
responsive to that wave length.

iv. Career planning anticipates the future vacancies that may arise due toretirement, resignation, death,
etc. at managerial level. Therefore, itprovides a fairly reliable guide for manpower forecasting.

v. Career planning facilitates expansion and growth of the enterprise. The employees required to fill job
vacancies in future can be identified anddeveloped in time.

DISADVANTAGES/LIMITATIONS OF CAREER PLANNING

The main problems in career planning are as follows:

i.Career planning can become a reality when opportunities for verticalability are available. Therefore, it
is not suitable for a very small organization.

ii.In a developing country like India, environmental factors such as government policy, public sector
development, growth of backward areas, etc. influence business and industry. Therefore, career plans
for a period exceeding a decade may not be effective.

iii.Career planning is not an effective technique for a large number of employees who work on the shop
floor, particularly for illiterate and unskilled workers.
iv.In family business houses in India, members of the family expect to progress faster in their career than
their professional colleagues. This upset the career planning process.

v.Systematically career planning becomes difficult due to favouritism and nepotism in promotions,
political intervention in appointments and reservations of seats for scheduled castes/tribes and
backward classes.

HOW TO INTRODUCE CAREER PLANNING PROGRAMME(PROCESS OF CAREER PLANNING)

It is not easy to introduce career development programme at the level of an organization. Moreover,
such career development planning is a continuous activity. What is happening in most of the
organizations is that this concepts is given only lip service and theoretical importance. If the organization
wants to get the best out of their employees, it must plan the career developments programmes
continuously and effectively in its organization.

DETAILS OF THE STEP IN CAREER PLANNING:

The information collected on these aspects serves as the base for the preparation of career
development plan for the future period.

1.ANALYSIS OF PESONNEL SITUATION

2.PROJECTION OF PERSONNEL SITUATION

3.IDENTIFYING CAREER NEEDS

4.SELECTION OF PRIORITIES

5.DEVELOPMENT OF CAREER PLANS

6.WRITE UP OF FORMULATED CAREER PLANS

7.MANAGERIAL PLANNING

8.IMPLEMENTATION

9.REVIEW AND EVALUATION

10.FUTURE NEEDS

1) ANALYSIS OF PERSONEL SITUATION

This is the first step which needs to be completed before the introduction of career planning
programme. This relates to a time from which career planning is to be introduced. Here, the base line
will be prepared to help the planners to make projections for the planning period and to help in the
evaluation of plans. In order to analyze the present career situation, the following information will be
required:

i.Total number of employees – their age distribution,qualifications, positions, specializations, etc.

ii.Structure – broad as well as detailed and the qualifications required for each grade.

iii.Personnel need of the organization. (Category wise)

iv.Span of control available within the organization.

v.Field staff at head office with necessary details.

vi.Facilitates available for training and development within and outside the organization.

2) PROJECTION OF PERSONNEL SITUATION

In this second step, an attempt is being made to find out the situation likely to develop after the
completion of career development plan. This can be done on the basis of assumption which can predict
what is likely to happen at the close of the career development plan.

3) IDENTIFYING OF CAREER NEEDS

In this third step of career development plan, efforts are made to findout precisely the career
development needs of the future period. It is possible to identify the scope and limitations of career
development needs on the basis of the data collected (through personnel inventory of the organization,
employee potentials, and appraisal of employees).

4) SELECTION OF PRIORITIES

It is rather difficult to meet all the needs of the employees and the organization for career development
immediately example, through one career development plan. Naturally, there is a need to select
thepressing and urgent problems of employees and organization. Inaddition, other factors such as
technical, financial and administrativemust be taken into consideration while finalizing the priorities.

5) DEVELOPMENT OF CAREER PLAN

This is the most important step in the whole process of career developing plan. Such plan must describe
the following in concreteform/forms:

a.What is to be attained/achieved?

b.The extent to which it is to be attained,

c.The employees involved,

d.The department in which the proposed plan will operate

e.The length of time required the achieving the goals.

In order to execute the career development plan, the organizationshould:

a)Introduce systematic policies and programmes of staff training and career development for all
categories of employees so as toenable them to:

I.Improve their level of skill and knowledge.

II.Gain wider experiences.

III.Assume higher responsibilities.

b)Establish and effectively implement a system of studyleave.

c)Develop the experience of the employees by encouraging their rotation from one region to another.

d)Take positive steps to encourage career development,such as:

I.Providing within the organization.

II.Giving priorities in the filling of vacancies in the followingorder for :

1.promotion within the organization.

2.Transfer within the organization.

3.Outside recruitment.

III.Removing artificial barriers to promotion.

IV.Establishing a register of employees for promotion on merit-cum-seniority basis.

6)WRITE-UP OF FORMULATED PLAN

After deciding the priorities of career development plan, the next major step is to prepare a write up
(brief report) of the career plan. This writ-up should contain all necessary details such as schedule
(timesequence of plan), procedures and other details so that the evaluationof the plan will be easy and
meaningful.

7)MONITORING PLANNING

Monitoring of the plan is essential for its effective execution. Expectedresults/benefits will be available
only when the plan is implementedproperly. Planned (expected) targets and targets actually achieved
can be compared through suitable monitoring of the plan. The gap between the two (i.e. short falls) can
be located quickly. In addition, suitableremedial measures can be taken to rectify the shortfalls.

8)IMPLEMENTATION (OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN)

Implementation/execution of the plan is an integral aspect of planning process itself. For effective
implementation, co-operation and co-ordination at all levels is necessary. The implementation needs
proper monitoring so as to avoid possible shortfalls.

9)REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF CAREER PLANS

A plan needs periodical review. Such evaluation avoids mistakes,deficiencies, etc during the
implementation stage. It is built-in device to measure the effectiveness of the plan. Actual benefits
available will be known only through such review and evaluation. Such evaluation should be done by
experts. It should be conducted systematically and also impartially.

10)FUTURE NEEDS

This is the last step/stage of the current career development plan and the first step/stage of the next
plan. Here, on the basis of the achievements of the current plan, the career needs of the future
period(of employees and also of the organization) are estimated. The new priorities are decided and the
details of the new career developmentplan are prepared. Planning is a continuous process/activity. This
ruleis applicable to career development plans of an organization.

CAREER STAGES

Education is thought of in terms of employment. People go for school andcollege education and prepare
for their occupation. Very few people stick to the same job throughout their life. Most of them switch
job either within theorganization or in some other organization. Chances are they change
jobs,depending on available opportunity, several times before retirement. Where opportunity is
restricted they continue with the same job. They go through the following stages:

1)EXPLORATION

Almost all candidates who start working after college education start around mid-twenties. Many a time
they are not sure about future prospects but take up a job in anticipation of rising higher up in the
career graph later. From the point of view of organization, this stage is of no relevance because it
happens prior to the employment. Some candidates who come from better economic background can
wait and select a career of their choice under expert guidance from parents and well-wishers.

2) ESTABLISHMENT

This career stage begins with the candidate getting the first job getting hold of the right job is not an
easy task. Candidates are likely to commit mistakes and learn from their mistakes. Slowly and gradually
they become responsible towards the job. Ambitious candidates will keep looking for more lucrative and
challenging jobs elsewhere. This may either result in migration to another job or he will remain with the
Same job because of lack of opportunity.

3) MID-CAREER STAGE
This career stage represents fastest and gainful leap for competent employees who are commonly called
“climbers”. There is continuous improvement in performance. On the other hand, employees who are
unhappy and frustrated with the job, there is marked deterioration in their performance. In other to
show their utility to the organization,employees must remain productive at this stage. “climbers” must
go on improving their own performance. Authority, responsibility, rewards and incentives are highest at
this stage. Employees tend to settle down in their jobs and “job hopping” is not common.

4) LATE CAREER

This career stage is pleasant for the senior employees who like to survive on the past glory. There is no
desire to improve performance and improve past records. Such employees enjoy playing the role of
elder states person. They are expected to train younger employees and earn respect from them.

5) DECLINE STAGE

This career stage represents the completion of one’s career usually culminating into retirement. After
decades of hard work, such employees have to retire. Employees who were climbers and achievers will
find it hard to compromise with the reality. Others may think of “lifeafter retirement”.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Career development consists of the personal actions one undertakes to achieve a career plan. The terms
‘career development’ and ‘employee development’ need to be differentiated at this stage. Career
development looks at the long-term career effectiveness of employees where as employee development
focuses of effectiveness of an employee in the immediate future.The actions for career development
may be initiated by the individual himself or by the organization.
INDIVIDUAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Career progress and development is largely the outcome of actions on the part of an individual. Some of
the important steps that could help an individual cross the hurdles on the way ‘up’ may include:

I.PERFORMANCE

Career progress rests largely on performance. If the performance issub-standard, even modest career
goals can’t be achieved.

II.EXPOSURE

Career development comes through exposure, which implies becoming known by those who decide
promotions, transfers and other career opportunities. You must undertake actions that would attract
the attention of those who matter most in an organization.

III.NETWORKING

Networking implies professional and personal contacts that would help in striking good deals outside
(e.g., lucrative job offers, businessdeals, etc.). for years men have used private clubs, professional
associations, old-boy networks to gain exposure and achieve their career ambitions.

IV.LEVERAGING

Resigning to further one’s career with another employer is known as leveraging. When the opportunity
is irresistible, the only option left is to resign from the current position and take up the new job
(opportunity interms of better pay, new title, a new learning experience, etc.).however, jumping the
jobs frequently (job-hopping) may not be a good career strategy in the long-run.

V.LOYALTY TO CAREER

Professionals and recent college graduates generally jump jobs frequently when they start their career.
They do not think that career-long dedication to the same organization may not help them further their
career ambitions. To overcome this problem, companies such as Infosys, NIIT, WIPRO (all information
technology companies where the turnover ratios are generally high) have come out with
lucrative,innovative compensation packages in addition to employee stock option plans for those who
remain with the company for a specified period.

VI.MENTORS AND SPONSORS

A mentor is, generally speaking, an older person in a managerial role offering informal career advice to a
junior employee. Mentors take junior employees under their protégé and offer advice and guidance on
how to survive and get ahead in the organization. They act as rolemodels. A sponsor, on the other hand,
is someone in the organization who can create career development opportunities.

ORGANISATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The assistance from managers and HR department is equally important in achieving individual career
goals and meeting organizational needs. A variety of tools and activities are employees for this purpose.

a) SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Here the employees go through a process in which they think through their life roles, interests, skills and
work attitudes and preferences.They identify career goals, develop suitable action plans and point out
obstacle that come in the way. Two self-assessment tools are quite commonly used in the organizations.
The first one is called the career-planning workshop. After individuals complete their self-
assessment,they share their findings with others in career workshops. These workshops throw light on
how to prepare and follow through individualcareer strategies. The second tool, called as a career
workbook,consists of a form of career guide in the question-answer format outlining steps for realizing
career goals. Individuals use this company specific, tailor-made guide to learn about their career
chances. Thisguide, generally throws light on organization’s structure, career paths,qualifications for
jobs and career ladders.

b) INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING

Employee counselling is a process whereby employees are guided in overcoming performance problems.
It is usually done through face-to-face meetings between the employee and the counselor or coach.Here
discussions of employees’ interests goals, current job activitiesand performance and career objectives
take place. Counselling is generally offered by the HR department. Sometimes outside experts are also
be called in. if supervisors act as coaches they should be given clearly defined roles and training. This is,
however, a costly and time-consuming process.

c) EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

These consist of skill assessment and training efforts that organizations use to groom their employees
for future vacancies.Seminars, workshops, job rotations and mentoring programmes are used to
develop a broad base of skills as a part of such developmental activities.

d) CAREER PROGRAMMES FOR SPECIAL GROUPS

In recent years, there is growing evidence regarding dual career families developing tensions and
frictions owing to their inability to reconcile the differences between the family roles and work
demands.When we talk of dual career couples (a situation where both husbandand wife have distinct
careers outside the home) certain puzzling questions arise naturally

>whose career is important

>who takes care of children

>what if the wife gets a tempting promotion in another location

>who buys groceries and cleans the house if both are busy.
Realizing these problems, organizations are providing a place and a procedure for discussing such role
conflicts and coping strategies.They are coming out with schemes such as part-time work, long parental
leave, child care centers, flexible working hours and promotions and transfers in tune with the demands
of dual career conflicts.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS:

a) JOB PERFORMANCE

Employee must prove that his performance on the job is to the level of standards established, if he
wants career progress.

b) EXPOSURE

Employee’s desire for career progress should expose their skills,knowledge, qualifications,
achievements, performance etc., to those who take the decision about career progress.

c) RESIGNATIONS

Employees may resign the present job in the organization, if they find that career opportunities else
where are better than those of the present organization.

d) CHANGE THE JOB

Employees who put organizational loyalty above career loyalty may change the job in the same
organization are better than those in the present job.

e) CAREER GUIDANCE

And counselling provides information, advice and encouragements to switch over to other career or
organization, where career opportunitiesare better.

CONCLUSION

Career planning is one important aspect of human resource planning and development. Every individual
who joins an organization desires to make agood career for himself/herself within the organization.
He/she joins the organization with a desire to have a bright career in terms of status, compensation
payment and future promotions. From the point of view of an organization, career planning and
development have become crucial in management process. An organization has to provide
facilities/opportunities for the career development of individual employees.

If the organizations want to get the best out of their employees, they must plan regularly the career
development programmes in their organizations. Inbrief, career planning refers to the formal
programmes that organization simplement to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the human
resources available. Career planning and development is the responsibility of the HR department of the
organization. As already noted, every person joining an organization has a desire to make career as per
his potentiality, ability,skills and so on.