Studies show that career management is one of the most pressing, yet underperforming aspects of the employer-employee dynamic. As a Towers Watson infographic from the 2013 Talent Management and Rewards Survey of North America points out, both companies and their workforce see opportunities for professional advancement as main reasons for choosing a certain career path or staying at a job. In the survey, employees expressed they believed promotions were the third overall reason they would accept an offer, and conversely, stated that lack of opportunity was the second reason they would quit. Although survey results show employers understand and agree with employees on the importance of a solid career management structure, the study shows employers are still falling short in their execution. Here are strategies for integrating technology and professional development plans for enhanced career management practices: Define a position’s pathway One of the main reasons employers’ career management strategies don’t fully deliver is because they don’t have a clear-cut blueprint explaining the position’s infrastructure, Forbes said. According to the Towers Watson study, only one-third of participating companies utilized technological solutions, such as incentive compensation software, to develop career pathways. ICM software can incorporate specific professional milestones, pay raises and skill expectations into personalized employee development plans, however the available advancement options for a position must first be in place. Incorporate technology for comprehensive development plans Once talent knows where she or he is headed in their career, they can begin to set short- and long-term goals that coincide with personal, professional and companywide needs. The report revealed that one major area for improvement was the staggering number of organizations not effectively using technology to co-create professional development plans. Less than half of surveyed businesses used technology as a regular tool for career management, while concurrently utilizing available technology for 67 percent of employee learning and training programs. This presents a disconnect between using technology to start employees, and then continuing that use throughout their lifecycle to track performance and develop talent. Determine if your strategy is working Of the companies surveyed, only 38 percent said they monitor the implementation of career management programs as an effort to make sure they properly demonstrate company goals and guidelines. For example, employers can benefit from deployments that allows them to set career achievements as incentives that can be tracked seamlessly through software. Software, such as business analytic software, can collect raw data and create charts and graphics that detail the overall efficiency of an employer’s program.
