CORPORATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Chapter 9: Employee Development

Tong Qian Ying, IES17613

INDEX

01 Introduction

02 Approaches to employee development

03 Developmental Planning Process

04 Summary
Chapter 9: Employee Development Introduction

Employee Development
Activities and experiences, such as formal education, job experiences, relationships, and assessments that help
employees to grow and prepare for the future.

Importance of Employee Development Development activities reduce turnover by:

improve quality Showing employees that the company is investing in

retain key employees their skill development.

meet the challenges of global competition and social change Developing managers who can create a positive work

incorporate technological advances and changes in work design environment to motivate employees to come to work
and contribute to the company goals.

Training vs Development
Concept Related to current job performance and is Voluntary learning that is not tied directly to the
often required of the employee. employees current job.
Focus Current Future
Use of work experiences Low High

Goal Preparation for current job Preparation for changes

Participation Required Voluntary
Chapter 9: Employee Development Approaches to Employee Development

01 FORMAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Includes 01 On-site or off-site programs tailored specifically for a companys employees
Many learning methods are
02 Short courses offered by consultants or academic institutions
likely involved, mostly active
03 Executive MBA programs learning
04 On-campus university programs.

Examples of Development Program at GE Important Trends in Executive Education

Program Description Target Courses
Audience
Executive Emphasis on strategic High potential Manager Development Increasing use of distance learning by
Development thinking, leadership, senior Global Business companies and universities
Sequence cross-functional professionals & Management
integration, competing executives Executive Development Companies and the education provider
globally, customer
create short, custom courses, with
satisfaction
content designed specifically to needs of
Core Development of Managers Corporate Entry Leadership the audience
Leadership functional expertise, Professional Development
Program business excellence, New Manager Development
management of change Supplementing formal courses from
Experienced Manager consultants or university faculty with other
Professional Emphasis on New Employees Audit Staff types of training and development
Development preparation for specific Financial Management activities
Program career path Human Resources
Technical Leadership
Chapter 9: Employee Development Approaches to Employee Development

02 ASSESSMENT
Collecting information and providing feedback to employees about their behavior, communication style, values, or skills.

Purpose Types of Assessment

Identify employees with managerial potential

01 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Measure current managers strengths and
weaknesses
02 Assessment Center
Identify managers with potential to move into 03 Benchmark
higher-level executive positions 04 Performance Appraisals
Work with teams to identify members strengths
and weaknesses, and factors that inhibit
productivity
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI)

A highly popular psychological test used for employee assessment and development.

Assessing Examples of Application

The MBTI identifies individuals preferences for:

Used by salespeople who want to become more
effective at interpersonal communication by learning
Energy: introversion versus extroversion
things about their own personality styles and the way
Information gathering: sensing versus intuition
they are perceived by others
Decision making: thinking versus feeling
Life-style: judging versus perceiving
Develop teams by matching team members with
assignments that allow them to capitalize on their
preferences
Sixteen personality types result from the various
Help employees understand how the different
combinations of the above dichotomies
preferences can lead to useful problem solving
(see Table 9-3, p. 274-275).

Purpose

The MBTI is used to understand communication, However, research on the reliability and validity of the
team dynamics, work styles, and leadership styles.. MBTI is inconclusive
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Assessment Centers
refers to a process involving multiple raters or assessors on multiple exercises or activities.

Types of Exercises Examples of Skills assessed

Leaderless group discussion: Team of SKILLS In- Scheduling Leaderless Personality Role
employees must solve an assigned basket Exercise Group Test Play
problem in a given amount of time. Discussion
Leadership X X X X
In-basket: Simulation of managers
administrative tasks which must be Problem X X X X
addressed. solving

Interpersonal X X X
Role plays: Typically involves the
participant playing the part of a manager in Administrative X X X
a predetermined situation which must be
Personal X X X
resolved.

Purpose

Identifying managerial potential in terms of personality characteristics, administrative skills, and interpersonal skills; and
identifying employees with team skills
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Benchmarks
an instrument designed to measure key factors in being an effective manager.

Assessing Skills related to managerial success

Resourcefulness Doing whatever it takes
Items measure managers skills in:
Being a quick study Building and mending relationships
Dealing with subordinates
Leading subordinates Compassion and Sensitivity
Acquiring resources,
Straightforwardness and Setting a Developmental Climate
Creating an effective work Composure

climate, based on research on Team Orientation Confronting Problem Subordinates

critical learning events in Decisiveness Balance between personal life and

work
managers careers.
Self-Awareness Putting people at ease

Hiring Talent Staff Acting with Flexibility

Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Performance Appraisals
Process of measuring employees performance.

Assessing

Approaches include: Conditions in ensuring successful appraisals:

Ranking employees Appraisal system must give employees specific information
Rating work behaviors about their performance problems and how to improve their
Rating the extent to which employees have desirable performance
traits believed to be necessary for job success Managers must:
Directly measuring the results of work performance o be trained in providing performance feedback
o give employees frequent performance feedback
o Monitor employees progress in carrying out the action plan
Upward Feedback vs 360-degree feedback

Upward: Process of appraising performance by collecting subordinates evaluations of their managers behaviors & skills.
*360-degree: Process of appraising performance by collecting evaluations from all the way around the employee.

These different perspectives can be compared and create a summary of

perspectives on the employees performance

360-degree feedback is the current popular

performance appraisal method
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

360-degree feedback
Steps involved in development planning using 360-degree feedback

1 Understanding strengths and Review ratings for strengths and weaknesses

weaknesses
2 Identify a development goal
3 Identify a process for
recognizing goal
accomplishment
4 Identify strategies for reaching
the development goal
Factors necessary for a 360-degree feedback system to be effective
Identify skills or behaviors where self and others ratings agree and disagree
Choose a skill or behavior to develop
Set a clear, specific goal with a specified outcome
Acquisition of knowledge, skills attitudes, behaviour
Identify strategies for reaching the development goal
Establish strategies such as reading, job experiences, courses, and relationships
Establish strategies for receiving feedback on progress
Establish strategies for receiving reinforcement for new skills or behavior

1 System must provide consistent or reliable ratings

2 Feedback must be job-related (valid).
3 The system must be easy to use, understandable, and relevant.

4 The system must lead to managerial development.

Chapter 9: Employee Development Approaches to Employee Development

360-degree feedback
Benefits Potential Limitation

Gathering multiple perspectives of performance, allowing The time demands placed on multiple raters.
the employee to compare his/her self-evaluation with the
evaluation of others.
Negative ramifications for raters.

Formalizing communications between the employee and The need for a facilitator to interpret the results.
both internal and external customers. Companies failure to provide opportunities for
employees to act on the information they receive.
Important Issues to Consider

Who will be chosen to evaluate performance?

How will confidentiality of the raters be maintained?
What behaviors and skills will be targeted, e.g., are job-related?
How will full participation and complete responses be ensured?
What will the feedback report include?
How will you ensure that the employee will receive and act on the feedback?
Chapter 9: Employee Development Approaches to Employee Development

03 JOB EXPERIENCES
relationships, problems, demands, tasks, or other features that employees face in their jobs.

Major assumption: To be successful, employees must stretch their

Development is most likely to occur when there is a mismatch skills and be forced to learn new skills, apply
between the employees skills and past experiences and the their skills and knowledge in a new way, and
skills required for the job. master new experiences.

Illustration of how job experiences can be used for employee development

Promotion
Job Enlargement: involves adding challenges or
new responsibilities to an employees current job
Enlargement in order for the employee to learn and grow.
of Current

Transfer (Lateral Move)

Job Rotation (Lateral Move)
Job Experiences

Downward Move Temporary assignment with another organization

Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Job Rotation
Providing employees with a series of job assignments in various functional areas of the company or movement among
jobs in a single functional area or department.

Ones title and level of compensation is maintained throughout the rotation

Characteristics of effective job rotation systems

Used to develop skills and to give employees experience needed for managerial positions.
Employees understand what skills will be developed by rotation. It is used for all levels and types of employees.
Linked with the career management process so that each job assignment is linked to specific developmental needs.

Timing of rotations is managed to minimize work load costs and to help employees understand the role of the job assignment in their
development plan.
All employees are given equal opportunity for job rotation assignments without regard for their demographic status.
Transfers, promotions, and downward moves
Benefits Potential Limitation
It helps the employee understand the overall mission and It may create a short-term perspective on problems and solutions.
goals of the company and how the various jobs and Employees may not be given enough time in a position to receive a
functions contribute to achieving those goals. challenging assignment. Satisfaction and motivation may be
It allows for networking. negatively affected.
It enhances problem solving and decision making skills. Productivity losses and work load increases may occur to both
departments involved
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Transfer
Reassigning an employee to a different job in a different area of the company. (Job responsibilities and compensation are not
necessarily increased)

The employees most willing to transfer are those with high career ambitions, a belief that his/her future with the company is
promising, and a belief that accepting the transfer is necessary to advance and succeed in the company.

Promotion
Involves advancing an employee into a position of greater challenge, responsibility and authority. Usually involves an increase
in compensation.

Employees are more willing to accept promotions than they are to accept lateral moves or downward moves. Promotions are
most available when the company is profitable and growing.

Downward Move
Involves giving an employee a position with less responsibility Externship
and authority: Allow employees to take temporary full-
time positions at another company.
A lateral demotion, which is a move to a position at the same Temporary assignment with other
level but with less authority and responsibility. organizations may emerge from two
A temporary cross-functional move for developmental companies agreeing to exchange
purposes. employees in order for the companies to
A demotion to a lower level position because of poor better understand each other
performance.
Chapter 9: Employee Development Approaches to Employee Development
03 INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Employees can develop skills and increase their knowledge about the company and its customers by interacting with a
more experienced organizational member
Mentoring
Involves an experienced, productive senior
employee (mentor) helping to develop a less
experienced employee (protg).
Can be formalized into a mentoring program
company initiative.
Advantages of formalized mentoring include:
Ensuring access to all employees, without regard to
race or gender.
Participants can be informed of what is expected of
them.
Limitations of formalized mentoring:
Relationship may not stick if it has been artificially
created.
Coaching
Coach: A peer/manager who works directly with an employee to
help develop skills, generate motivation, and provide feedback.
The coach can play three roles:
1. One-on-one directing the employee and giving him/her
feedback.
2. Helping the employee learn for him/herself
3. Providing resourcesto which the employee might not otherwise
have access.
To develop coaching skills, four issues need to be addressed:
1. Managers reluctance to discuss performance issues to avoid
confrontation.
2. Managers better able to identify performance issues in
employees than to solve them.
3. Managers fear that employees will perceive coaching as
criticism.
4. Managers feel they dont have time to coach effectively.
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Mentoring

Characteristics of a successful formal mentoring program

Having participation be voluntary for both mentors and protgs, allowing for the relationship to end whenever the two
parties agree.
Ensuring that the mentor-protg matching process does not hinder the formation of informal relationships, e.g., provide a
pool of mentors from which the protg can choose.
Choosing mentors who have a good record in developing employees, have the willingness to serve, and demonstrate
positive coaching, communicating and listening.
Stating the purpose of the program clearly as well as the roles and expectations of both the mentor and the protg.
Providing a formal time period for the program, but encouraging participants to continue relationships beyond the designated
period.
Specifying a minimum expected amount of contact between mentor and protg.
Encouraging protgs to interact.
Evaluating the program, e.g., interviewing or surveying mentors and protgs for feedback.
Rewarding employee development, which signals managers that mentoring and other development activities are worth their
time and effort.
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

Mentoring
Benefits to protgs Benefits to Mentors

Career support, which involves coaching, protecting, sponsorship,
and the provision of challenging assignments, and exposure and
visibility.
Psychosocial support, which includes friendship, a role model,
acceptance, and an outlet to talk about anxieties and fears.
Developing interpersonal skills.
Increased self-esteem and sense of worth to
the company.
Access to new knowledge in their field.

Higher rates of promotion.

Larger salaries.

Greater organizational influence.

Purpose
Socializing new employees.

Maximizing transfer of learning from training to the work setting.

Helping women and minorities gain experience and exposure needed for managerial positions.

Sharing information
Chapter 9: Employee
Development
DEVELOPMENTAL PLANNING PROCESS
Involves
identifying development
needs
choosing a development
goal
identifying the actions that
need to be taken by the
employee and the company
to achieve the goal
determining how progress
toward goal attainment will
be measured
investing time and energy to
achieve the goal
establishing a timetable for
development
DEVELOPMENTAL PLANNING PROCESS
Steps and Responsibilities
Steps Employee Responsibility
Opportunity Determine how one needs to
improve
Motivation Employees must be willing to
invest the time and energy to
develop.
Goal Determine what one wants to
Identification develop
Criteria Determine how one will know
progress is being made
Actions Determine what one will do to
reach one goals;
Accountabilit Determine what is one
y timetable
Company Responsibility
Provide assessment information to help the
employee identify strengths, needs, and
interests.
Company assists in identifying personal and
company reasons for change.
.
Provide development planning guidance.
Provide feedback on criteria
Provides assessment, courses, job
experiences, and relationships
Have the manager help the employee set a
realistic timetable and follow his/her
progress.
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Approaches to Employee Development

DEVELOPMENTAL PLANNING PROCESS

Emerging Trends

The expectation that the employee should initiate the development planning
process.
The approach to development is dependent on needs and goals; a need can
emerge from a gap between current capabilities and those required or interests
the employee wants to pursue in future work.
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Summary

COMPANIES STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT

The most effective development strategies involve individualization, learner control, and ongoing support.

Employees also need people in whom they can confide to discuss their weaknesses, problems, and insecurities.
This can take the form of mentoring, coaching, or face-to-face electronic support groups.

LEARNER ONGOING
INDIVDUALISATION
CONTROL SUPPORT
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Reflection

I feel that the biggest challenge for most organizations in terms of employee development is that to employees, training is often
redundant and compliance orientated, and that leaders often make the mistake of viewing training as a failure when they do not
see dramatic results right away. However, I do agree with the importance of professional development programs because if
successful, it will help to translate into real business results.

In my opinion, the reason why many employees hate professional development is not due to the training itself, but how it is
executed. For example, many organizations execute training by continuously utilizing the same medium. Employees can only
tolerate using the same medium for training before they get bored. Hence it is crucial to find a wide variety of medium to
challenge even superstar employees. Also, organizations usually approach professional development only during a period of
slow growth or high employee turnover. But professional development isnt something you can tackle once a year and cross off
your to-do list. The average workplace makes some or all of these mistakes, so its probably why only less than half of non-
managerial employees believe their companies genuinely care for their well-being. I feel that if one wants to fully enjoy the
benefits of professional development, a company needs to do beyond infrequent off-site training and the occasional conference.
Chapter 9: Employee
Development Reflection

People really like learning from others, yet mentorship rarely happens organically. Leaders usually only pick specific
high performers who are interested in mentoring another colleague. Hence, organization needs to formally ask each
person to be a mentor for a particular person, or ask who he or she would work well with in a mentor/mentee
relationship.

Also, organizations should encourage team members to share anything they think would be interesting or relevant to
the team. The management needs find a way to gather their team to come together and share, whether it being a
company-related topic or a topic completely separated from work.