Career Development

The Complete Solution Tour

Request Further Information

Career Development

Career Development is the ongoing process in which the individual actively assesses and directs the acquisition of skills, work experience and knowledge to intentionally maintain or advance their occupational status. Employees are increasingly responsible for managing their own careers and employers of choice are challenged to provide tools and resources for employee self-service, career management, succession planning, retention and redeployment.

The open support of career development by the organization is critical to it’s success and it must recognize that as the psychological contact for employment changes from ‘a job for life’ to ‘stakeholder careers’, organizations need to change the way they provide career development. Progressive organizations are replacing outdated cradle to grave promotion processes for self managed career tools and activities, which increase employee engagement and reduce regretted losses.

Employees must have the ability to:

• look at work – their career – differently than they might have in the past
• identify the work that makes them want to get up in the morning and brings a smile to their face
• explore what it was about previous jobs they most liked and why
• explore what it was about previous jobs they disliked and why
• compare previous jobs and likes/dislikes to the present job
• consider their personal life -- what do they value, what commitments do they have or want to make to family, friends, and employer
• decide whether their current job is appropriate for the life they want to live or whether a different position might be better – and -
• if another job is more appropriate to their life goals, investigating all the factors to be considered in the job, such as skill/competency requirements, work factors, such as travel, relocation, overtime, etc.

Methodology

Career Development Methodology is viewed in four steps – Reflect – Explore – Develop - Achieve. These four steps guide employees through a self- examination process, using best-practice resources and information and resulting in a point of reference for their own career development exploration. Managers will be supported with tools that assist them in facilitating development discussions with employees.

Step 1: Reflect – provides the Insala signature series of assessment tools that enables employees to ponder motivations, behaviors, values, strengths and preferences which impact their career. The path of self-discovery is available through numerous assessment tools such as

• Career Success Factors
• CenterMark
• MatchPoint
• ValueBase
• Working Styles
• Assessment Review

Step 2: Explore - provides employees with resources to prepare for developmental discussions with their managers. The employee is able to create a development plan and collaborate with their manager, and access a wealth of organizational tools and career related research by:

• viewing a Career Matrix displaying the many opportunities within the organization by job family or function
• reaching out to a career coach for assistance or browsing the directory to find employees interested in networking internally through People Connect
• exploring resources through Resource Connect by searching the database of career related links, browsing the resource list provided by the organizaitona, and reviewing frequently asked career questions
• asking a question through Ask a Question to find answers related to an employment or career transition situation.

Step 3: Develop - Synthesize the knowledge gained through reflection and exploration to develop and track a collection of accomplishments. Resume & Tracking Tools include:

• Resume Assistant
• Resume Manager
• Resume Tracker
• Resume Writing Tips

Step 4: Achieve - allows individuals to go after the career opportunities they have discovered are right for them – reaching objectives, both personal and business, to foster that sense of self-satisfaction which is the hallmark of career success.

Technology

iCareerManager provides a technology platform to evaluate and guide an individual’s development in a way that is rewarding and productive for all concerned. It facilitates a planned, organized approach that contains a series of steps and events leading to the expansion of the individual’s knowledge, capabilities and experience that results in increasing the individual’s value to him/herself and the organization.

iCareerManager delivers a customizable platform that enables organizations to launch employee-centric initiatives in career development, retention, talent management and employer of choice. This flexible needs-based solution is customizable to meet each organization's specific challenges.

The Insala Solution Suite includes internationally recognized career development solutions meeting the needs of hundreds of thousands of individuals within corporations, associations, universities and professional services firms. A career development methodology supported by technology is vital to any organization that wants to ensure they have the necessary human resources trained and available to meet their ongoing business objectives.

The Insala Solution Suite can flex to provide a framework consistent with the needs of the organization.

Benefits

Implementing a career development methodology supported by technology allows the organization to:

• Provide access to Career management tools that empower employees to proactively self direct their own career development;
• Promote a framework to support consistent communication to managers and employees;
• Achieve substantial cost savings gained from latest flexible web based technology;
• Measure and maximize employee retention and development processes while showing ROI and cost savings;

Implementing a career development methodology supported by technology allows a Manager to:

• tie appropriate self-directed career development and assessment tools to employee developmental activities
• develop and manage employee learning plans related to self-directed career development activities
• deliver employee appropriate information that impacts personal development process.

Implementing a career development methodology supported by technology allows an individual to:

• have appropriate self-directed career development and assessment tools for their developmental activities
• have access to Career management tools that empower them to proactively self direct their own career development;
• gain personal insight and growth
• review and record progress towards their goals.