IB"Career development...can be said to be at the core of human resource development. It requires the integration of human resource planning, assessment, selection and places appraisal, training, development, performance and reward management within the organizational structure and culture."/B
- Marina Nordin, "Career Development and Planning Strategy," New Strait Times/I
Do you wonder if implementing a career path will make a difference? Are you convinced that putting a career path process is right, but don't know where to begin? Should you certify your agent, supervisory and management staff? Are you wondering whether the benefits would be worth the time and expense? If you're grappling with any of these questions, here are some thoughts and solutions for you to consider.
BWhat are the advantages?/B
I"The more professionally you treat employees, the more professionally they will treat their internal and external customers."/I
Many call center experts agree that the benefits do, in fact, far outweigh the efforts, resources and costs required to implement and maintain a career path program. In a recent study by Manpower, results indicated that among the top motivators for call center personnel is the opportunity learn new skills, be offered continuous new challenges, and support for personal growth. Employees who are happy and satisfied with their jobs exude their confidence and satisfaction in the way that they approach and handle customers.
Outlining what is available in terms of different career paths allows employees to feel in control of their destiny, passionate about their work, energized by what they do, proud of their achievements and optimistic about their future. Call centers that have implemented a career path and/or certification program find that they experience lower turnover, retain high performers, maintain high morale and attract high performers.
BWhat are essential components of a successful career path program?/B
By setting individual performance plans and goals, implementing a quality assurance program and developmental coaching process, many call centers already have a strong start towards a career path program. The next steps include identifying a progression of skills and measurements for increased complexity and job responsibility. Here are essential components to consider when putting together your career path program.
The first step is to identify the competencies-key skills, behaviors and attributes-that are required for success on the job. An example might be "customer focus" which includes behaviors such as the ability to identify needs, acknowledge impact of services and products (or lack of), use appropriate probing, finding solutions, follow through, using available resources, and courtesy.
Once your competency model is identified, then job clusters need to be created. These are the specific job tasks where the competencies are applied. These also become the foundation for your compensation planning.
A critical component of any career path program is the availability of training and performance feedback. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as developmental coaching, "360" assessment tool where peers, supervisors, direct reports give direct written feedback (thus a full circle of a performer's impact), training, on the job opportunities, and a way to prove mastery.
Many call centers have been very creative in keeping costs to a minimum while offering high quality training options. Partnering with local community institutions and educational programs, obtaining funds from economic development programs, using in house experts, or contracting for vendor supplied programs are among the options.
Most career path options take a building block approach where specific tasks need to be successfully accomplished in order to move on to the next level of complexity. This often requires a well thought out pay and reward strategy, where base pay drives skill acquisition, there is some type of variable pay driven from business results, and a strong reward and recognition program that continues to drive results and maintain a culture that values learning. At a minimum, a successful program outlines expectations and standards, and the specific approach to advance. This requires a planned effort of measurement for results, promoting both individual and team wins.
BWhat about a Certification Program?/B
Having a certification program is a clear outline and process to set expectations and reward those individuals who meet the individual and organizational goals. A certification program is a form of reward, indicating that the individual has not only learned new skills and behaviors, but can apply them and maintain high performance on the job. A well executed certification program offers both a career path and an succession plan for an organization.
BPitfalls To Avoid/B
Here are some tips from managers who have "learned by doing" that provide some pitfalls for you to avoid. Get buy in to any changes you may make by inviting staff members representing each area of the call center to help design the program. Here are some additional suggestions to be successful:
* Create an team consisting of human resource experts, end users, managers
* Design, develop and implement quickly
* Set and manage expectations
* Launch with hoopla
* Create a formal and informal feedback process
* Make adjustments quickly
* Set up a mentoring program
* Tuition reimbursement and local educational alliances
* Determine policies regarding opportunities
- within the department
- outside the department
* Create a "Marketing Plan" to brand the image
* Measure and publish results
Anne Nickerson can be reached at 1-888-860-2622 or anne@CallCenterCoach. com for additional one-on-one coaching on this topic, and other human resource development processes.