Is tackling talent management one of your goals this year? Employees are becoming more demanding, and topping their list is professional growth and development. These are the employees you should be striving to keep. They want new challenges, interesting work, and the opportunity to develop new skills. Even if you don't have the resources to implement a full-scale career development program, you can still provide your employees with the tools and support to manage their own careers.
Provide a Dedicated Resource
This can be as simple as adding a new page to your intranet or as elaborate as a career development office. Offer as much as your budget will allow, keeping in mind that you can expand as time goes on. Include resources, referrals and tools to aid your employees in their development. With the amount of information available on the Internet, you can easily assemble a wealth of career-related articles, assessments, and planning tools. If you haven't done so already, publish your company's internal information. Organization charts, job descriptions, salary ranges, and training schedules are great resources for employees to use in planning.
Because career management may be new to your employees, include detailed instructions for using your system and a list of resources available to them in their planning. If you can't provide a career development consultant, make certain that HR and managers are able to answer any questions that may arise.
Programs & External Resources
There are several initiatives you can incorporate in your career development program. Executive Career Coaches specialize in helping organizations manage their talent more effectively. They will help your employees determine the most appropriate career path and develop the skills necessary to grow within the organization. Partner with a career coach to provide services for key employees or arrange a reduced fee schedule for employees who wish to hire a coach at their own expense.
Another effective and low-cost tool is a mentoring program. You can structure a mentoring program in many ways. An informal program that simply matches a mentor and a mentee can be incorporated into your intranet site. A more formal program may have a coordinator dedicated to pairing the participants, training the mentors and overseeing the process. Regardless of the structure you choose, a mentoring program enables an organization to leverage their existing talent to impart their knowledge and expertise to one another.
Support & Communication
For any talent management initiative to be successful, it is imperative to garner the support of management from the top of the organization down to line managers. This goal can be achieved by communicating the organizational benefits and the anticipated return on investment from the outset.
It is essential to roll out a formal communication plan to employees. They can't take advantage of your program if they don't know about it. Promote your program consistently and encourage managers to do the same. Publicize this information in your recruitment literature and on your company website, and it will attract high-potential candidates.
Encouraging employees to manage their own careers won't put a strain on internal resources and the benefits far outweigh the costs. In addition to building a pipeline of future leaders, you are addressing retention issues, meeting the demand for employee development, and making your organization more attractive to prospective employees. It's a win-win for everyone.
Latest Affiliate Programs Articles
Should Beginners Invest In A Home Based Affiliate Business
By: David Ogden | 21/08/2008
If you are like millions of other people around the world you may be tired of getting up and going to work every day. Perhaps you are looking for a way to stay at home and make money on the Internet! In this article let's take a look at whether you should invest in a home based affiliate business as a new person looking for a way to get started online.
Some Distinctive Advantages of Publishing Ebooks
By: sandeep | 21/08/2008
Electronic books have certain attributes and qualities that other mediums do not possess. When it comes to publishing ebooks there's no comparison to the traditional channels one would encounter with physical books.
Few Steps to Compose an Ebook
By: sandeep | 21/08/2008
To compose an ebook or just about anything from a letter to an article the first few lines always seem to be the most difficult.
Secrets to Quadrupling Your Profits: Google Adsense
By: sandeep | 21/08/2008
I've been reading a few forums and blogs about Google Adsense tips lately, and thought it would be helpful to consolidate as many as possible in one place without the comments.
The Most Amazing and Profitable Home Business That You Can Have Affiliate Marketing
By: Kanwaljit Kaur | 21/08/2008
Making money online is extremely simple and easy if you have the right tools, resources and approach. Primarily the idea of making money online is attractive to many people, as it offers many benefits to people. One way that people are making money online is by having several different streams of income.
Search Engine Optimization Services
By: Gen Wright | 21/08/2008
Online marketing has been booming these days. Almost every section of market is now occupied by internet. People do prefer to trade online rather than being confined to their own dwelling place. Globalization has been made possible with the use of this internet.
The Internet Marketing Strategies to Making Money Online
By: Mukeshh Kumarr | 21/08/2008
Researching the best Internet marketing strategies is a bit of a task. The biggest businesses have already realized that integrating online and offline marketing strategies is the best way to tap into a larger customer base as well as make customers spend more.
Tips to Finding the Best Affiliate Program
By: Donald Whitehead | 20/08/2008
Although Finding the best affiliate program can be a daunting task there are ways to key in on genuine programs that do live up to there reputations of providing life changing instruction on how to proceed and being successful in affiliate marketing.
More from Jill Frank
Working Mom, Super Mom – is There Really a Difference?
By: Jill Frank | 08/10/2007 | Careers
A working mother’s job never ends. She has two jobs, being a mother and being an employee making it difficult to be successful in either. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Working moms can have it all – a rewarding family life and a successful career, with less stress and guilt. Follow these steps.
The Silent Career Killer
By: Jill Frank | 23/04/2007 | Careers
I consider myself lucky - I am surrounded by amazing people. They can be described as smart, successful, witty, passionate, and more. So, I'm shocked when I listen to these very people put themselves down. How it is that someone who is so great can have doubts...
How To Get Consistent Results From Your Employees
By: Jill Frank | 23/04/2007 | Management
If your team can't get meet the established objectives, your days as a leader are numbered. It would be great if your employees came to work each day, happy, ready to work, and performing at their highest level, but this usually isn't the case. Your job, as a...
Six Tips For Developing Employees
By: Jill Frank | 23/04/2007 | Management
According to a recent poll of HR professionals, only ten percent of managers are fully prepared for the next level. Given this information, is it really a surprise that approximately fifty percent of promotions fail (source: Corporate Leadership Council) when the selection decision is based on current performance level?...
The Art Of Building A Successful Team
By: Jill Frank | 23/04/2007 | Management
In order for your career to grow, you must demonstrate effective leadership skills. Organizations are finally beginning to realize that soft skills are just as important as technical skills and therefore, are placing more emphasis on developing and rewarding effective leaders. One important skill for leaders to master is the...
Five Tips For Dealing With Criticism Or Rejection At Work
By: Jill Frank | 15/02/2007 | Careers
Everyone who has been employed has had to deal with negative feedback or rejection. Because we tend to merge our identities with our career, it can be a personal blow to our self-esteem when we are criticized at work. Whether it's a job rejection, poor performance appraisal, or...
Leverage Your Talents For Maximum Success
By: Jill Frank | 07/11/2006 | Careers
We live in a cookie cutter world. In my neighborhood, the new homes have the same floor plan, the preteens all wear the "Abercrombie" uniform and the moms drive one of five acceptable SUVs.
Top Seven Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills
By: Jill Frank | 07/11/2006 | Advertising
Anyone aspiring to work in an executive capacity must to have refined presentation skills, unless of course you are the President of the United States - sorry George. However, few people are naturally eloquent speakers.
Internet 
