In the world of HR, we have competency models that guide recruiting, learning, performance, and promotion. These models focus in areas of leadership, professional skills, and functional knowledge. What could possibly be missing?
According to Deloitte’s Human Capital Survey, employees are changing jobs more rapidly than ever before. For organizations to remain competitive as an employer of choice, they must: 1) develop employees more quickly, 2) move them more regularly, 3) provide continuous cycles of promotion, and 4) give employees more tools to manage their own careers.
Although the employees seek these career management and development tools and resources, organizations can also benefit. Imagine a high-potential mid-level manager that has been asked to apply for a director-level role. She hasn’t updated her resume or brushed up on interviewing skills for over ten years. If she doesn’t present herself strongly in the search process, everyone risks losing out on a great opportunity to add value to one’s career and to the organization especially related to retention, hiring costs, and employee engagement.
Not only are career management skills necessary to advance internally, employees are seeking guidance in determining what their purpose and passion are and how they best fit in their organizations. They seek mentoring, support building networks, and much more.
Employers that provide career management tools, resources, and support inside their organization may experience a competitive advantage in hiring, developing, advancing, retaining, and engaging talent. In times where engagement numbers are shockingly low, while competition for talent is incredibly high, this is a vital consideration.
Let’s begin by defining a few core career management competencies.
Five Career Management Competencies
A foundational component to career management involves the identification of career competencies that will support your employee’s needs in the areas of managing their careers and developing the skills needed to do so effectively.
Consider the following five career management competencies to start.
1. Career Planning:
- What are my interests, needs, and wants?
- What is my value to the organization?
- What skills do I need to develop? How will I develop them?
- What role am I aspiring to next, and what is my plan to get there?
2. Personal Branding:
3. Networking:
4. Interviewing:
5. Conversational Intelligence:
- How do I talk about career opportunities?
- When is the best time to approach my manager with my interests?
- What role does HR play in my career?
- When asked, “What do you want to do next?” am I clear and confident?
As employees learn to take ownership of their own careers, employers may find that they advance employees not only into the roles where they will add value, but also roles in which they are the most fulfilled and engaged!