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Chapter

12
Special Challenges in Career Management

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Introduction
Supportive work-life culture a company culture that:
acknowledges and respects family and life responsibilities and obligations encourages managers and employees to work together to meet personal and work needs

Helping employees balance work and life, benefits the business and employees personal lives
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WorkWork-Life Balance
Employees Perspective Trying to manage work obligations as well as family and life responsibilities Employers Perspective The challenge of creating a supportive company culture where employees can focus on their jobs while at work

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If companies do not help their employees with their personal lives, they may leave for jobs with other companies in other areas that do.

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Special Challenges in Career Management


Dealing With Older Workers Socialization and Orientation

Coping With Job Loss

Dual-Career Paths Plateauing

Balancing Work and Life Work and Non-work Policies


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Skills Obsolescence
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Socialization and Orientation


Organizational socialization - the process by which new employees are transformed into effective members of the company The purpose of orientation is to:
Prepare employees to perform their jobs effectively Learn about the organization Establish work relationships

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Phases of the Socialization Process

Anticipatory Socialization

Encounter

Settling In

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What Employees Should Learn and Develop Through Socialization:


History

Company Goals

Language

Politics
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People

Performance Proficiency
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Socialization and Orientation Programs


Play an important role in socializing employees Effective socialization programs result in employees having a strong commitment and loyalty to the company
This reduces turnover

Effective orientation programs include active involvement of the new employee Effective programs have peers, managers, and senior co-workers actively involved
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Content of Orientation Programs


CompanyCompany-Level Information
Company overview Key policies and procedures Compensation Employee benefits & services Safety & accident protection Employee & union relations Physical facilities Economic factors Customer relations

DepartmentDepartment-Level Information
Department functions Job duties & responsibilities Policies, procedures, rules Performance expectations Tour of department Introduction to co-workers

Miscellaneous
Community Housing Family adjustment

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Characteristics of Effective Orientation Programs


Employees are encouraged to ask questions Program includes information on both technical and social aspects of the job Orientation is the responsibility of the new employees manager New employees are not debased or embarrassed Formal and informal interactions with managers and peers occur Programs involve relocation assistance Employees receive information about the companys products, services, and customers
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DualDual-Career Paths
A career path is a sequence of job positions involving similar types of work and skills that employees move through in the company For companies with professional employees, a key issue is how to ensure that they feel they are valued The traditional career path model has limited advancement opportunities for those in the technical career path
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Traditional career path for scientists and managers:


Director

Assistant Director

Department Manager Principal Research Scientist Manager

Research Scientist

Assistant Manager

Scientist Individual Contributor Career Path


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Management Career Path


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A dual-career-path dual-careersystem enables employees to remain in a technical career path or move into a management career path.
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Director Department Manager

Example of DualDualCareerCareer-Path System

Fellow Senior Research Leader

Section Manager Associate Section Manager Principal Research Scientist Research Scientist Researcher

Senior Program Manager Program Manager Project Manager

Research Leader

Senior Research Scientist

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Characteristics of Effective Career Paths


(1 of 2)

Salary, status, and incentives for technical employees compare favorably with those of managers Individual contributors base salary may be lower than managers, but they are given opportunities to increase their total compensation through bonuses The individual contributor career path is not used to satisfy poor performers who have no managerial potential
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Characteristics of Effective Career Paths


(2 of 2)

The career path is for employees with outstanding technical skills Individual contributors are given the opportunity to choose their career path
The company provides assessment resources Assessment information enables employees to make comparisons between their interests and abilities with those of employees in technical and managerial positions

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Plateauing
Plateauing means that the likelihood of the employee receiving future job assignments with increased responsibility is low Mid-career employees are most likely to plateau Plateauing becomes dysfunctional when the employee feels stuck in a job that offers no potential for personal growth Such frustration results in poor job attitude, increased absenteeism, and poor job performance
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Reasons Employees Can Plateau


Discrimination based on age, gender, or race Lack of ability Lack of training Low need for achievement Unfair pay decisions or dissatisfaction with pay raises Confusion about job responsibilities Slow company growth resulting in reduced development opportunities

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Possible Remedies for Plateaued Employees


Employee understands the reasons for plateauing Employee is encouraged to participate in development activities Employee is encouraged to seek career counseling Employee does a reality check on his or her solutions

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Skills Obsolescence
Obsolescence a reduction in an employees competence resulting from a lack of knowledge of new work processes, techniques, and technologies that have developed since the employee completed her education Not just a concern of technical and professional occupations
all employees are at risk

Obsolescence needs to be avoided if companies are trying to become learning organizations


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Factors Related to Updating Skills


Manager
Provide Challenging Work Assignments Encourage Employees to Acquire New Skills

Company Climate
Emphasis on Continuous Learning

Updated Skills
Peers
Discuss Ideas Share Information

Reward System
Sabbaticals Pay for New Ideas Pay for Employee Development

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Additional Steps to Avoid Obsolescence


(1 of 2)

1. Provide employees with the opportunity to

exchange information and ideas 2. Give employees challenging job assignments early in their careers 3. Provide job assignments that challenge employees and require them to stretch their skills 4. Provide rewards for updating behaviors, suggestions, and innovations
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Additional Steps to Avoid Obsolescence


(2 of 2)

5. Allow employees to:


attend professional conferences subscribe to professional journals and magazines enroll in university, technical school, or community college courses at low or no cost

6. Encourage employees to interact in person or

electronically to discuss problems and new ideas

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Balancing Work and Life (1 of 2)


Families with a working husband, homemaker wife, and two or more children account for only 7 percent of American families The increasing number of two-career couples and single heads of households creates a challenge for companies Companies have to carefully consider how to manage employees who are simultaneously meeting the needs of both work and family
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Balancing Work and Life (2 of 2)


Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) There are two roles that training can play in balancing work and non-work:
trainers and managers may be responsible for developing policies and procedures trainers may be responsible for developing training programs to teach managers their role in administering and overseeing the use of work-life policies

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Types of Work-Life Conflict Work-

Time-Based Conflict

Strain-Based Conflict

Behavior-Based Conflict

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Company Policies to Accommodate Work and Non-work: NonIdentifying work and life needs and communicating information about work and non-work policies and job demands Flexibility in work arrangements and work Schedules Redesigning jobs Managerial support for work-life policies Dependent care support: child and elder care
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Example of work-life programs at Bank of workAmerica: Child Care Plus Adoption Reimbursement Tuition Reimbursement Flexible Work Arrangements Time Off and Leaves Employee Assistance Program LifeWorks
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Examples of Alternative Work Schedules and Work Arrangements


Traditional Flextime Compressed Workweek Temporary Work Job Sharing Part-Time Work Shift Work Telecommuting Reduced Work Hours Hoteling

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For Job Sharing to be Effective:


(1 of 2)

1. The impact of job sharing on clients and

customers must be determined 2. The employee interested in job sharing must find another employee performing the same job who wants reduced work hours 3. The two people sharing the job need to have similar work values and motivations

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For Job Sharing to be Effective:


(2 of 2)

4. The manager must actively communicate with

the job-sharing employees and accept the fact that they might not be immediately available for consultation 5. Meeting schedules, work assignments, and vacation schedules need to be carefully coordinated 6. Performance evaluation of job sharers needs to include both an individual and team appraisal
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Recommendations for the Development of Dependent Care Assistance Programs: Programs:


. Use surveys and focus groups to determine need 2. Develop a philosophy or rationale related to

business objectives 3. Solicit employees participation in designing and implementing the program 4. Allocate resources for communicating the program to employees and managers 5. Request feedback from users to make adjustments to the program
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Coping With Job Loss (1 of 2)


Important career management issue because of the increased use of downsizing to deal with excess employees resulting from corporate restructuring, mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers Companies that lay off employees can experience lowered job commitment, distrust of management, and difficulties recruiting new employees Job loss causes stress and disrupts the personal lives of laid-off employees
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Coping With Job Loss (2 of 2)


From a career management standpoint, companies and managers have two major responsibilities:
They are responsible for helping employees who will lose their jobs Steps must be taken to ensure that the survivors of the layoff (remaining employees) remain productive and committed to the organization

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Outplacement services should include:


Advance warning and explanation for a layoff Psychological, financial, and career counseling Assessment of skills and interests Job campaign services (e.g., rsum-writing assistance) Job banks Electronic delivery of job openings, self-directed career management guides, and values and interest inventories

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Dealing With Older Workers


Age Discrimination in Employment Act Meeting the needs of older workers Pre-retirement socialization Retirement Early retirement programs

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Meeting the Needs of Older Workers


(1 of 2)

Flexibility in scheduling to allow for care of sick spouses, return to school, travel, or reduced work hours Older workers should receive the training they need to avoid skill obsolescence and to be prepared to use new technology Older employees need resources and referral help that addresses long-term care and elder care

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Meeting the Needs of Older Workers


(2 of 2)

Assessment and counseling to help older workers


recycle to new jobs or careers, or Transition to less secure positions whose responsibilities are not as clearly outlined

Companies need to ensure that employees do not hold inappropriate stereotypes about older employees

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Preretirement Socialization Programs


Typically address the following topics: Psychological aspects of retirement Housing (i.e., transportation, costs, proximity to medical care) Health during retirement Financial planning, insurance, and investments Health care plans Estate planning The collection of benefits from company plans and Social Security
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Early Retirement Programs


To avoid costly litigation, companies need to make sure that their early retirement programs contain the following features:
The program is part of the employee benefit plan The company can justify age-related distinctions for eligibility for early retirement Employees are allowed to voluntarily choose early retirement

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