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Barbara Seifert

 In their efforts to find the right talent, organizations are doing all they can to create compelling job duties and descriptions that maximize employees’ skills to their fullest—all while advancing the organization’s goals. As employers are taking more time to find talent and ensure the best job fit, they need to use creative ways to make their jobs and organization more appealing.Unfortunately, many employee benefits have diminished in recent years. We can thank the recession. We’ve seen decreases in 401k matching and retirement funds and tuition reimbursement programs disappear. In addition, during my experience as both a coach and an instructor of MBA students (who are working adults), I hear over and over how workers feel “stuck” in their jobs. They don’t see ways to get promotions. They are bored with their work. They don’t know exactly what they need to do to get recognized by their manager. They want help but don’t know how to get it.With this backdrop, what can an organization do to stand out?The good news: One of the most productive—and easiest—ways to attract talent is to create a career development program. Face it, all employees want to learn new skills, develop their aptitude, follow their passion, and have more control over the work they do. A career development program fits the bill.Here are some suggestions for getting started.Set up an actual “Career Center” that offers access to career coaches and counselors, assessment tools, handouts and exercises, classes on career-related topics, and a resource library. This Career Center would give employees a physical space to explore their career paths internally, and ensure they are using their skills to the fullest.  Another popular alternative is a virtual career center which can work well but lacks the personal interaction that is often necessary for productive conversations to occur.Show employees that you care about their career path. When employees know they are cared about, it equals value and they will work to their fullest. Employees also will have fun, which equals happiness (and that spills over to their work). Some ideas:host a career fair internally within your organizationhighlight a particular job by sending out a promo blast that works with your internal communications departmenthold a department party to recognize employees and their contributionsoffer career-related contests, such as “Identify Your Career Hero” and then have employees dress like them, take a picture, and submit them for a prize, or have employees share their favorite workplace quotes and post them around as motivation.Encourage communication meetings between employees and the leadership team. The purpose is to identify an employee’s interests, skill sets, career goals, development needs, time-frame, and opportunities. Encourage biweekly or monthly meetings to review progress. In addition, positive interaction between organizational leaders and employees creates a workplace of inclusion and engagement.Find ways to reward employees. This does not have to be an expensive program. Find creative, thoughtful, non-monetary options. Perhaps you can survey the organization to see what they want.To be sure, focusing on career development is a definite perk for employees and organizations. A career development program will not only help workers enhance skills and abilities necessary to produce results, it will create happier workers—and happier customers. More importantly, knowing that career development is an integral part of an organization will help build a reputation as a learning and performance organization—which will attract current and future employees. To me, that’s a win-win situation!Editor’s Note: For more insights from Barbara Seifert, join her at ATD 2015 International Conference & Exposition for her session, SU302 - Learn to Love the Job You Hate: Take Control and Recharge Your Career.

An Employee Perk: Career Development Programs

Each month we’ll pose a career-related question to one of ASTD’s Career Center Coaches. This month’s coach is Barbara Seifert, Ph. D., CPC, who is president of Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting.Q: I’m ready for a job change, but I’m not sure how to go about it successfully. What are my first steps?  A: Making a job transition can be challenging and the “rules” have changed in the last few years for how to go about it successfully. It is imperative that you are strategic and focused in your search. Also, determining a time-frame to make a move will help you in that focus. Here are some steps to help you make a successful career transition: Determine your reasons for transition. Are you bored with the tasks you do? Is it work-life balance, money, or work stress that is leading you to seek a new path? Determining your reasons for seeking change will help you develop the job target that will enable you to reach your goals. Assess your skills. Employers are requiring high-skill levels, and workers need to hit the ground running. Review your skills, talents, capabilities, passions, values, and past experiences (quantifying them) as these are what you have to bring to a new job position. Next, determine the type of work environment that will enable those skills and talents to thrive, and that works best with your personality. Finally, research the type of job and industry you are targeting with regards to salary, benefits, job duties, and requirements so you can match your skills with those needs.Focus your search. Now is the time to select the ideal job and/or organization you want to work for, along with your reasons for doing so. Pinpoint your skills and experience that match the desired job so you will be able to relate them to a perspective employer. This also is the step where you identify contacts or networking opportunities that can help you connect with hiring managers in your target organizations.Plan your move. You need to have a strategic plan, or road map, that shows you where you are going and how you will get there. You want to be very specific, including how you will spend your day in job-search mode. This lists all job-search strategies, such as making networking contacts, attending professional association meetings, applying for jobs, following-up on activities, and using social media.Watch your attitude. Being mentally prepared is also a big key in successfully making a job change, so be confident in your abilities. Use positive self-talk or affirmations to keep you focused on the results you want. Taking control of your career is within your power. It starts with a decision, assessing what you can bring to the table, focus, a plan, a positive attitude, and then massive action. All of these will lead you to making a successful transition.If you have a question you’d like answered, please send it to careerdevelopment@astd.org.

Ask the Career Coach: 5 Steps to Making a Job Transition

If you’ve ever considered pursing a PhD, you likely had many questions about the benefits (from a career perspective) and wondered whether the time and money it requires is worth it. Barbara Seifert offers some advice to help you determine if the doc

Barbara Seifert

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