Career Development: A Key Driver for Employee Engagement

Randstad Canada discusses why career development programs and discussions are a vital part of an organization's talent management strategy

TORONTO, March 19, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - In order for competitive businesses to succeed in today's economic climate, Randstad Canada, the country's leader for staffing, recruitment and HR Services encourages organizations to realize the full potential of employees, keep them productive and engaged in order to succeed in today's economic climate.

According to Canada Human Resources Centre, The Management Journal's semi-annual Employee Engagement Index reports that 60% of employees are not engaged, and 15% are actively disengaged at work and only 25% are actively engaged.

So what does this mean for employers? Unhappy workers impact your bottom line and can translate into large quantities of money in lost productivity.

By implementing an effective career development process, organizations can ensure they have the right people with the right skills to get the job done and meet their objectives. It provides the means to build a talent pool able to meet current and future needs through continued development of employees with the knowledge and skills the organization needs to succeed.

Stacy Parker, Executive Vice president of Marketing for Randstad Canada says career development is not just a powerful employee motivator and retention tool, but is a competitive strength when it comes to attracting new talent and can have a profound impact on a company's bottom line.  "Aligning an employees' vision of career success along with the company's strategic business goals and objectives is not just a "nice" thing to do -- it's vital to good business," she says.

Career Development is a two-way street between organizations and employees. Striking the right balance between the capability needs of the organization and employee comes down to a fine-tuned career development strategy.

According to Parker, in order to protect their talent pool, organizations today must provide the tools and resources their employees need to manage their careers. "The stronger our people, the stronger our corporations. When employees have a viable career development plan in place, they feel valued by and take a greater interest in the organization, which in turn provides greater meaning to their work and becomes a key driver of productivity, retention and performance. It's really a win-win situation."

Parker outlines some quick tips that will help foster career development in the workplace:

Talk to employees regularly about their development. Get a clear picture of what they believe their strengths and weaknesses are.
Set goals with employees then help them create a plan to meet that goal.
Provide mentorship opportunities for employees to develop their strengths with a strong performer within the organization.
Create training opportunities. They can include on-the-job training, special projects, role rotation assignments, job shadowing, ect.

It's important for managers to embrace career development says Parker. "Employers need to master the art of discussing career paths with employees while focusing on understanding and incorporating that particular employee's goals," she adds. "To retain the best and brightest, organizations must do everything they can to help their leaders advance."

About Randstad Canada: Randstad Canada is the Canadian leader for staffing, recruitment and HR Services. As the only fully integrated staffing company in the country, we understand the recruitment needs and demands of employers and job seekers across all levels and industries. Through our insightful knowledge of local markets, employment trends and global network of recruitment experts, we are shaping the Canadian world of work. Visit randstad.ca

Dayana Moreno
Marie-Noelle Morency

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