?Employers looking to create customized plans for developing and growing their staff members’ careers within their organization are having career conversations with new and longtime workers.
“Every level of organizations should be having these conversations and put them in place as soon as someone joins the team,” said John Winner, CEO of Kizen, a business intelligence software provider in Austin, Texas, and future of work expert. “We ask these questions in our interview process.”
These talks should not be limited to new employees or employees new to the workforce. Tenured employees can sometimes be overlooked for career development, Winner noted; however, “it’s important to point out new opportunities,” such as serving as mentors or leading cross-functional projects that build on relationships those employees have built at the company.
“The difference between [talks with] new and seasoned employees is new employees need a little more guiding and examples of different tasks they can take on, different options,” Winner explained. These conversations help them visualize what different roles entail, including the work schedule and the extent of any travel the role involves.
Let’s Talk
The University of Arizona’s (UA’s) HR division created a career conversations initiative in 2017 based on feedback from its 300 employees about the university’s performance management approach.
“What we hear most from employees is that they want a strengths-based way to plan for career and personal growth so they can be the best at what they do,” said Julie M. Forester, SHRM-SCP, leadership coach and senior consultant in UA’s Office of Learning and Organizational Development.
“Career conversations were a way to meet that need that had buy-in from university leadership and support from supervisors,” Forester said.
A resource page the university’s HR division has modified over the years includes guides to assist employees and supervisors through the conversations. Supervisors are expected to schedule talks between April and June to accommodate academic and fiscal timelines, establish clear expectations, and make it easier to track completion rates, according to the university.
The resource page features an 18-minute video reviewing the five-step process and a self-reflection form for the employee to note accomplishments and key strengths, set goals aligned with the university’s pillars and values, and outline steps he plans to take.
The supervisor provides the employee with the necessary resources, including the goal template and other tools to prepare for the conversation, which is conducted in person or via video. UA’s HR includes a guide for conducting conversations with remote employees.
Before meeting with the supervisor, the employee reflects on—and documents—his significant accomplishments, key strengths and goals for the future, indicating how his goals align with the university’s values and mission, and outlines how he plans to meet his goal. The employee gives his self-reflection form to his supervisor ahead of the meeting.
The talk should be conducted in person or via video, the university’s HR department said.
“Connecting with someone face to face allows for the conversation to be organic and engaging,” the university says in the video. A phone call or e-mail is not considered appropriate.
During their conversation, the supervisor offers constructive feedback and together they identify learning and development opportunities to help the employee meet self-identified goals.
The supervisor documents the talk and later shares the document with the employee to review. These conversations are separate from performance evaluations, Forester said, and the university encourages quarterly check-ins to discuss how the employee’s goals are progressing.
Questions for Self-Reflection
At Kizen, the manager sends the employee a note prior to the career conversation. The note includes questions to reflect upon and assures the employee there is no need to have a prepared answer to each question, Winner said. Questions should focus on the employee’s current role, such as:
- What projects have you enjoyed working on recently and why?
- What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your current role?
- What strengths do you enjoy leveraging or feel aren’t being used?
- What does growth mean to you?
Kizen employees also are asked to think about the future:
- What next role or project do you want to take on and why?
- Where do you see yourself in three, five or 10 years?
- What new responsibilities or projects in your current role could help you grow toward these goals?
- Are there learning opportunities you’ve identified that could help you grow?
- Have you identified mentors/networking opportunities?
- How can your supervisor help you?
Winner advised asking the employee what projects, committees or responsibilities would help with career development, who the supervisor knows that the employee would find helpful to know and if the employee would like the supervisor to make introductions.
Periodic check-ins are important, Winner advised, so supervisor and employee don’t lose track of the employee’s career goals and the efforts being made to achieve them.
Other SHRM resources:
Five Sure-Fire Tips for Great Career Conversations, SHRM Online, August 2009
Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want, SHRMStore