ERIC ED427182: Strategies for Electronic Career Support to Employees.

7 Pages·1998·0.16 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 078 055
ED 427 182
AUTHOR
Stevens, Paul
Strategies for Electronic Career Support to Employees.
TITLE
Centre for Worklife Counselling, Sydney (Australia).
INSTITUTION
1998-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
6p.
Non-Classroom (055)
PUB TYPE
Guides
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS Adult Education; Career Counseling; *Career Development;
*Career Education; Career Planning; *Computer Oriented
Programs; Cost Effectiveness; Counseling Techniques;
*Employer Employee Relationship; Helping Relationship;
*Labor Force Development; Models; *Online Systems; Systems
Approach
Intranets
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
As more organizations reduce their human resources
management (HRM) staff and look for ways for fewer employees to do more work,
interest in developing electronic career support for employees is increasing.
An Intranet-based solution uses technology to provide the means for bringing
career development support to employees' workstations or their home
computers. The outcome for individuals accessing such systems should be a
strategic approach for making personal and professional plans based on the
needs of their work setting. As people increasingly accept their employers'
message that they are responsible for their own careers, their expectations
that their employer will provide information, tools, and resources to conduct
the required career planning are also increasing. Electronic career systems
benefit employers and employees alike. An interactive planning system could
include a career-planning section and life planning section. The career
development system might include sections devoted to the following: career
planning, life planning, employee resources, HRM/line manager support, and
employer data. Within the career-planning section, the following stages could
be included: searching and self-analyzing one's current situation; exploring
the analysis results; exploring one's own information resources; setting
career goals; and implementing career actions. Although such systems need
continual management, they are highly cost effective.
(MN)
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Strategies for Electronic Career
Support to Employees
by Paul Stevens
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Strategies for Electronic Career
Support to Employees
by Paul Stevens, Founder / Director, The Worklife Network
The new world of work
cation scrutiny. Interest is grow-
In-company career develop-
ment programs have been
ing in ways by which delivery of
A revolution is taking place in
career development and other
growing in incidence since
the way work is structured within
HRM services can be provided to
the early 1980s. The general pat-
Handy,
Charles
organisations.
employees electronically via in-
tern has been for organisations to
William Bridges, Jeremy Rifkin,
company Intranet.
build career development support
Cliff Hakim and others have
around career planning work-
been forewarning us in publica-
solution
Intranet-based
An
shops, training managers in ca-
tions and
tours
about
lecture
uses technology to provide the
reer coaching, stocking career
workplace change. Now these
means for bringing career devel-
centres with self-help resources
changes are here. Some organisa-
opment support to the employ-
and retaining providers for one-
tions have already implemented
ees' workstations or even to their
to-one assistance to unravel val-
them, others are planning to or
home PCs. This concept reduces
career confu-
ued employees'
choose to hold onto 'old ways' of
the need for spending learning
sions. In some cases, organisa-
organising how work should be
time away from workstations and
tions have used a combination of
done. Some have missed the
can provide access-at-will career
these.
messages and are in danger of
enrichment self-help resources.
their own fatality.
Most organisations now, how-
The outcome for a person ac-
ever, have flatter structures, re-
Radical change is occurring in
cessing the system should be a
duced HRM staffing and fewer
how people are engaged in work
strategic approach for making
employees doing more work, and
tasks. Jobs per se are disappear-
personal and professional plans
in different ways. Many have in-
ing, job descriptions are becom-
based on their motivation and
their subcontractor or
creased
ing an antiquityno longer rele-
ability as well as the needs of
part-time workforce, yet want to
vantjob
moving
are
titles
their work setting. Among the
involve them in feeling part of
towards outmoded irrelevancy.
firms who have ensured
this
the organisation. A consequence
People are being engaged as
takes place in their Intranet sys-
of restructuring how personnel
members of a contingent work-
tems are Raychem, Pacific Bell,
are employed is resistance to re-
forcein some situations work
Sun Microsystems and Hewlett
leasing them for day long or
may be done on an employer's
Packard in the USA. In these or-
longer period career development
some home-based. More
site,
ganisations the use of technology
learning events such as work-
people are working as revolving
in this way is substantially reduc-
shops.
members of project teams in
ing, but not totally eliminating,
multi-task roles. No wonder staff
the amount of employer-funded
helpers
full-time
for
Roles
feelings are becoming more un-
face-to-face career support.
dedicated to career support rarely
settled, increasing the need for
survive the prevailing cost justifi-
the reassurance of career support
and helping enhancement of con-
Workhfe Pty Ltd has combined all the elements mentioned in this
tinued employability.
article into an Intranet-based product, Worklife's CO/teeitigaVe.
Enquiries about its availability, demonstration facility, costs, etc. are
encouraged
1
Worklife Ply Ltd, Sydney 1998
workstation or downloaded
connect with their deeper motiva-
What is career planning
tionpowerful for finding their
and used on their own PC at
self-responsibility?
home. This avoids the need
best work role mix. Also to make
As people increasingly accept
sense of the changes in their life
for travel and attendance at
their employer's message`You
stages and the personal shifts
other equivalent learning
are now in charge of your own
those experiences bring about.
events
careetheir expectations rise
An electronic career service de-
it is a time flexible resource,
for that same employer to pro-
sign should allow adequately for
i.e. staff can use it when it
vide information, tools and re-
this life management content di-
suits them
sources to carry this out.
mension.
no training or manual is
Personal career planning can
required to use and benefit
be expressed in many ways:
from on-line delivery
"Access is valuable only when
to learn about who I am in
something worthwhile is
staff can be kept up-to-date
view of the changes
accessed"
with the latest trends in
occurring around and within
managing their own careers
Jim Sampson, Professor Center
me
and relevant topics of interest
for the Study of Technology in
to confirm what I already
Counseling & Career Develop-
the user's progressive
know
ment, Florida State University
responses provide a catalyst
to identify what I have
for communication between
accomplished, value and
the individual and their
Who benefits from
what is transferable
manager
electronic career systems
to decide on a future worklife
it provides a means of
We know that retaining and moti-
focus
broadcasting and maintaining
vating people can make or break
the message that career
to maintain, even extend, the
a business or an organisation. We
importance of work in my development is an important
know people are complex and
living and to link my career
company initiative
their primary wants, values, pre-
actions to my passion and
ferred skills and other attributes
it enables in-company
commitment
career-related information
shift as they journey through life
and procedures (e.g. internal
to develop my skills at
and employment. Ways of help-
ing people pause, examine, re-
vacancies) to be linked to the
communicating what I seek
and believe I merit to those
career support program
flect in a non-threatening, unhur-
who employ me, taking care
content
ried, privacy-assured context can
to link my expectations to
only produce results beneficial to
it reaches wherever the
their needs and objectives
the organisation.
Intranet reachesquickly,
These are based on established
easily, cost effectively
By providing an electronic sys-
tem resource we would expect
career theory that effective career
Variations in individual
problem solving and decision
employees to:
readiness
making depend on specific ele-
bring their full energy and
Users will vary in terms of readi-
ments of self-knowledge, job role
focus to the work they do
development
career
for
ness
decision
making
knowledge,
training and career options deci-
be enthusiastic about working
skills and metacognitions (self-
sion making, and implementing
self-awareness,
personal
talk,
serve customersinternal
next career action step. Hence fa-
control and monitoring).
and externalwell
cilities for email and/or telephone
In addition, a viable career
The principal facilities are:
coaching need to be built in for
system helps users understand
those requiring assistance. Also a
it is a career development
the meaning of their most satisfy-
screen detailing where face-to-
resource that can be accessed
ing life experiences, i.e. helping
face help can be accessed within
and used by staff at their
Worklife Ply Ltd, Sydney 1998
2
for clues as to what really matters
Screen designs can make locat-
Figure 1
to them.
ing information easy but also rec-
r
ognise that advice needs to be
Stage 2 helps them explore
A. Career Planning
...
given about how new information
this information, synthesise the
Section
relates to the career planning pro-
(Interactive)
data and interpret the results, iso-
cess, e.g. explaining that internal
lating among many aspects the
::
job vacancy information can be
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.iiii
skills they are most motivated to
job
targets.
identify
used
to
use and the work settings which
(What is obvious to career coun-
How to Plan Your Career
bring out their best work.
sellors and HRM staff is not al-
Stage 3 guides the user to
users.) Care
ways obvious
to
source information external to
needs to be taken with having
Stage 1 - Searching Self / Analysing My
self which has a bearing on their
Situation
fewer links rather than a profu-
Reading, Exercises, Links
career determination. This com-
sion, as users could become over-
prises data within and external to
whelmed with information and
their current employment envi-
abandon the process.
Stage 2 - Exploring This Information
ronment.
Reading, Exercises, Links
Confidentiality of users' per-
Stage 4 helps them make deci-
sonal data and responses must be
sions on options that have been
users
potential
and
preserved
revealeda stage which daunts
made confident that this is so.
Stage 3 - Exploring My Information
Resources
many in the process but is helped
One way is by a facility for the
Reading, Exercises, Links
by the decision learning design
user to download Word files and
1
,
features.
work on their career planning in a
separate file or hard copy form.
Stage 5 concerns creating a ca-
Stage 4 - Setting My Career Goals
Reading, Exercises, Links
reer development strategy and
Electronic career service
action plan linked to the organi-
design
sation's needs and realities. Em-
The core content outline of the
Stage 5 - Implementing My Career
ployees use this as the foundation
Action
system designed by Worklife is
for discussions and negotiating
Reading, Exercises, Links
shown in Figure 1. The origin is
with their manager.
print materials delivered in one-
workshops,
to-one
format
or
B. Life
or external to the employment
commencing in 1984 and being
Section
environment.
since. The
continually
refined
(Interactive)
content has consequently under-
There will also be variations in
gone 'field testing' with many
individual personality,
learning
This is an interactive component
hundreds of adults across many
with
experience
and
styles
which allows the employee to un-
industries and occupational sec-
screen-based learning. For exam-
dertake a broader life review us-
It comprises carefully se-
tors.
ple, for an individual with Hol-
ing a self-help on-line resource.
quenced, structured exercises and
land's Social type dominant, the
It comprises a series of structured
readings that enable the employ-
Intranet may be inadequate to
exercises and readings which en-
ee to clarify their preferred career
provide the interactive, reinforc-
able the employee to clarify their
direction progressively and pre-
and modelling
conditions
ing
examine
needs,
life
broader
pare to implement it.
necessary to maintain motivation
work/life balance, establish life
for screen interaction throughout
self-
with
starts
Stage
goals and prepare themselves for
1
the career support process. Con-
analysis where the user assesses
well considered action.
versely a dominant Investigative
their interests, values, preferred
type is likely to access and use
skills, audits their primary wants,
career services delivered in this
and examines their career history
mode eagerly.
3
5
Worklife Ply Ltd, Sydney 1998
The employer is responsible
on-line help desk support to
C. Employee
employees to assist them with
for:
Resources Section
the system use and helpful
reviewing and approving the
a.
L
tips on how to implement
customised design
their findings
This comprises a series of publi-
loading the relevant data
b.
staff skilling
an
cations, question and answer for-
HRIVI
diskettes onto their file server
mats, and articles on career and
seminar in career coaching
creating links between the
c.
life management topics that the
support to strengthen the
career support system and
user can access, as well as a
capability of internal
other human resource
assistance to employees
bookshop with ordering facility.
information sites on the
Links to other forms of career
Service effectiveness
Intranet site
support (i.e. internal or external)
Computer-based career systems
are highlighted.
establishing marketing and
d.
allow recurrent and browsing be-
communication strategies for
havioursboth essential to quali-
D. HRM/Line
release of the on-line service
tative decision making.
Managers'
to employees
Support Section
Cost effectiveness in system
maintaining the operability of
e.
delivery is concerned with offer-
the site once it has been
This comprises a series of guid-
ing services that have the greatest
established on the file server
ance, recommendations and arti-
likelihood of meeting employees'
cles for the primary internal help-
Service monitoring
perceptions of their needs at the
ers in the organisation, i.e. line
lowest possible cost while maxi-
A system such as described needs
project
managers,
managers,
mising the number who can ac-
continual management. Events,
combined with a bookshop and
cess them. For user effectiveness
communication sessions, internal
mentor list from which additional
to be achieved, the system must
j
publicity, user success stories, i.e.
resources can be drawn.
deal with the content dimension,
how I benefited, are some of the
all the complex factors in-
i.e.
ingredients of this management
volved in making a career deter-
E. Employer's Data
task. Others can be:
mination and the process dimen-
Section
a task force planning day for
sion, i.e. the sequence and detail
internal marketing and
of steps
making informed
in
This recognises that at different
promotion of the career
choices.
points in their career action step
system
Short-changing on either will
planning, a user will need to ac-
regular survey of users to
result in limited outcomes and
cess information from the em-
assess ease of use and appeal
jeopardise the system's effective-
ployer such as project role de-
and drive future
nessa design challenge when
or internal
contacts.
scriptions
modifications
one knows that employees have
Company information of this na-
multiple needs which vary from
ture can be linked to the appro-
on-going update of content
individual to individual.
priate items in the main Career
through modification of
Planning and Life Planning mod-
existing material and addition
ules.
of new information
=
Service responsibilities
TM
L=3.
The career systems author / pro-
rsa
gm
m
=
1=3
vider customises the Intranet ca-
The Centre for Worklife Counselling
reer service site in consultation
Paul Stevens, Founder/Director
with the organisation for program
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
content, functionality and user
Web Site: http://www.worklife.com.au Email: [email protected]
appeal refmements.
PO Box 407, Spit Junction NSW 2088, Australia
Worklife Ply Lid, Sydney 1998
4
,f3
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