What is a career development plan?
A career development plan is a tool that helps establish the objectives that you want to achieve throughout a worker’s career in a company.
It is a guide where the actions to be carried out, the resources to be used, and everything necessary for career development are indicated. It serves as guidance to achieve work objectives. The most common are to ascend in the organization chart of the company or improve salary remuneration, for example.
Career development plans must be linked to the needs of the organization. In other words, the training and actions carried out for the growth of each professional must be directly related to the specific needs of the company. For example, improve the logistics department or fill a management position. But it is also important that the interests of both parties are aligned.
How do you create a career development plan?
It is important to note that a career development plan can be carried out both by the employees themselves and by the company, through its RR department. HH.
In the first case, the process would come from the self-demand and individual improvement that a certain worker could have for himself.
The company, for its part, would like to promote the growth of employees and improve their performance to achieve better corporate results.
In any case, it is always more beneficial for all parties if the company is the one that creates and promotes itineraries for career development.
It is recommended to address these aspects to create the plan:
- Analyze the initial situation. Know the strengths and weaknesses of the employee to know how far he wants and can go. This analysis must be carried out while taking into account both the perspective of the professional and the needs of the company.
- Set goals. What is the main objective that you want to achieve? What opportunities can the company offer in this regard? Looking to the future in the medium and long term with realistic expectations that do not generate false hopes for progress for workers
- Identify the resources and tools. To grow professionally, it is important to include in the plan the resources and tools that will be needed. On many occasions, companies make them easier. The main resource is training. Take courses that help you acquire knowledge and skills to achieve the objectives set.
- Create concrete actions that allow development. To achieve the main objective, companies must set short-term goals—objectives that are achieved through specific actions. For example, gradually acquiring more responsibility, performing tasks that are not the usual ones, etc.
- Make a record of the progress. Everything that is achieved must be registered for both oneself and the company. It is the way to see if the objectives are being met or if the process must be slowed down, changes made, etc.
- Make an evaluation. Finally, during the whole process, performance evaluations must be made to corroborate that the actions proposed are really meeting the company’s objectives and the employee’s advancement needs.
How do you improve career development through performance management?
Performance management is a method of determining how well employees are performing. Through the evolution and management of performance, it is possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the worker when executing their tasks.
It determines what aspects should be improved and how. For example, if you do not know how to use a necessary computer program to grow professionally, you are offered to take a course.
Performance management is the basis for creating a plan and improving the career development of employees.
To carry out the management and evaluate the performance, there are different software programs, such as Personio’s. Some of its functions are:
- Configure and automate performance management cycles;
- Make a 360-degree evaluation;
- Schedule evaluations;
- Follow up;
- Store comments so that managers and the entire HR Department can find out what’s new.
Examples of career development
Each profession and job position requires knowledge and skills that are not always present at the time an employee enters a company.
Therefore, one of the main ways to grow professionally is through training (face-to-face or online). Acquiring knowledge opens the door to career development.
Companies are divided by ranks, and many employees seek to achieve greater responsibilities, which usually has a positive impact on salary remuneration and motivation because they feel that the company is able to meet their needs and expectations. In this sense, training is an indispensable way to promote this growth.
Exsample 1
An example of career development based on training: an employee enters a company as a secretary or receptionist to serve customers.
He wants to improve himself and grow professionally, so he has taken various courses in leadership, commerce, and management over the years.As he acquires this knowledge and expands his skills, he increases his rank within the company. He goes on to become department secretary and then management secretary.
Exsample 2
Another example of career development may be aimed at favoring a change toward a new specialization.
The goal of career development does not always have to be to aspire to a higher rank in the department. Sometimes, the employee only wants to expand his tasks or seeks transversal growth that allows him to switch to other areas or specialties.
Taking the previous example as a reference, that secretary could begin to train in marketing and advertising and end up in the Department of Communication and Events.
He has remodeled his professional career to focus on an interest of his.He sees his work expectations met, having met his objectives and needs.
And the company reinforces its sales team with a trained and motivated professional who also knows the company’s values and business culture and shares them. Finally, the employee’s experience is reinforced since it has met the needs that this employee intended to meet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is career development achieved?
Career development is achieved through work, perseverance, and training. Work to achieve clear and defined objectives that have to do with professional growth. For example, aspire to a more important job. Mentoring is also a widely used technique to promote the career development of certain professionals with talent and a bright future.
What is career development looking for?
What career development seeks is the progression of a professional who acquires skills and abilities to be better every day at what he does. In this way, the employee will be able to grow or develop professionally towards the destination that he considers of interest and have his professional expectations met.
It consists of achieving the satisfaction, growth, and enrichment of the employee and the positive effects that this has on the company.
What influences career development?
There are many factors that influence career development.
The first of them is the knowledge that the professional has of oneself. That is, he has to be able to detect his strengths, but also his weaknesses, to know the points of improvement to progress.
Another important aspect is the desire to constantly learn and the ability to solve problems.
In addition, to achieve career development, it is important to work in line with the needs of the organization. If there is no coordination and understanding, it is difficult to grow professionally.
