four

CHAPTER 9 Developing Employees for Future Success 269

Figure 9.2

How Job ExPeriences

Are Used for EmPloYee

Development

the tch wl- ant 'of ito

lm ies

ln- nts )n- ch ke ad

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ge

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Job Rotation Anorher job design rechnique rhar can be appiied to employee deveiopment

is job

;;;i;;, *o,rir-,g Jr''ploy.., thro,-,gh a series oilob assignments in one or tnore func- tio.,ul *"ur. Th"e job #urion p.o!.u* for Tbta Consultancy Services sends employ-

ees from its headquarrers in Indiatn iB. to Z4-rnonth assignments to its operations

in China, Hungary, urrJ Sorrtt Arnerica' The program helps the^ company develop

."p.;. i.-, thJ..ritrrres of rhe 42 countries *h".. Tut" operates' And rvhen ernploy' ees rerurn to India, they typlcally r,r,ork on similar kinds of projects, so they

bring

home and ,hu." I"rrons-Jlrey gained frorn their overseas assignments'Z9

IrU ,otrtior-, helps employees gain an appreciation ior the cornpany's goals'

increases their underst"r-rding of di#erent .oroput1y functions, deve-lops a network of

conracrs, and irnpro'e, prodl.*-rolving and i..irio.-*uking ski11s.l0 Job rotation also helps "-ploit"'

it-'t'ea'e their salaq' aud earn promotions faster' However' iob

roration poses solne probiems for ernployees and the organization. Knowing they r'viil

be rotated to anorher tu -^, gi.'e the employees a short-term pefspective on prob- lems and their solurionr. p.npioi".s rr-,uy f."1 iess satisfied and motivated because

they

f-r"r" Jifft*fty d.u"lopirg ,i".iu6r"d stilk and lea'e the position too soon to fulfill

any challengii'rg urrigr',*.=r-rts. The rotation of employ""s through a departtneut inay

t-r.,.r proa*iiviiy "r-rl

increase the r.r,orkload of those rvho remain after emplol'ees are

rotated out. Job rotation is most iikely to succeed when it mee6 certain conditio'-'s'11

r Tl-re organization establisl-res and communicates clear policies about which posi' ,io.,, ui" eliglble for job rotation. Job rotation for nonmanagement employees

as

lveil as managers ."r-, b" beneficiai, depending on the prograrnt objectives'

. E*ploy"., uid ,h.i, managers understand ur-rd "g.t" on the expectations for the

lob rotation, including which skills are to be developed'

o Goals for the progru*"ruppoft blrsiness goals' These might include exposing high' potenrial

"*pioy!", to u u".i*ty of business units, customers, or geographic areas

r 1

)

270 PART 3 Assessing Performance and Developing Employees

Transler Assignment of an employee to a position in a different area of the company, usually in a lateral move.

in preparation for management positions or rotating an experienced, talenteJ employee through several business units to menror or coach employees.

' The rotation scheduie is realistic, taking into account how long employees wiil need to become familiar with their new position, as well as how much time i. needed for employees ro complete the assignments.

. Top management is committed to the program's success. o Someone is responsible for measuring whether the program is meeting its goals.

Transfers, Promotions, and Downward Moves Most companies use upward, downward, and lateral moves as an option for emplovee development. In a transfe4 the organization assigns an .*ploy". to a position in a different area of the company. Tiansfers do not necessarily increase job responsibilitie: or compensation. They are usualiy lateral moves, that is, moves to a job wirh a similar level of responsibility. They may involve relocation ro another part of the countrl ,:l even to another country.

Relocation can be stressful because of the demands of moving, especially when family members are affecred. People have to find new housing, shopping, healrh, care, and leisure facilities, and they often lack the support of neaiby frle.tdr und f"n1, ily. These stresses come at the same tirne the employee must learn the expectarion: and responsibilities associated with the new position. Because transfers can prorrok- anxiety, many companies have difficulty getting employees ro accept them. Emplov- ees most willing to accept transfers tend to be those with high .ur"", ambirions anj beiiefs that the organization offers a promising furure and that accepting the ftansfe: wiil help the company s,rcceed.32

A downward move occurs when an employee is given less responsibility anJ authority. The organization may demore an employee because of poor performalce cr move the employee to a lower-level position in another function so that the emplo_ve"

Downward Move Assignment of an employee to a position with less responsibility and authority.

can develop different skills. The remporary cross- functional move is the most common way to u:r downward moves for employee development. For example, engineers who want to move into rnan, agement often take lorver-ievel positions, such a, shift supervisoq ro develop their management skiil.

Many employees have difficulty associating transfers and downward moves with developmenr: these changes may feel more like forms of punish- ment. Employees often decide to leave an organl- zation rather than accept such a change, and then the organization must bear the costs of replacinr those employees. Employees will be more likely tr accept transfers and downward moves as develop.- ment opportunities if the organizarion provides information about the change and its possible ben- efits and involves the employee in planning the change. Employees are also more likely to be posr- tive about such a recommendation if the organi- zation provides clear performance objectives anj frequent feedback. Employers can encourage an

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Working outside one's home country is the most important job experience that can develop an employee for a career in the global economy.

:alented

ees will time is

oals.

rployee rnina bilities similar ntfy or

when health d fam- ,ations 'ovoke

nploy- rs and 'ansfer

y and :ICe or llorrtgg

cross- _o use t. For man- ch as skilis. ating nent; nish. gani- then rcing ly to :1op- rides ben- the

rosi- lani- and )an

employee to reiocate by providing financial assistance with the move' information

about the new locarion'and jobl and help for family members, such as identify-

i"g ,.fl.Ar, chiid -care and elder care options, and lob search assistance for the

employee's spouse." A promotion involves moving an employee into a position with greater chal-

t..g.i *or. responsibility, u,-rd *oi. authoiity than in the prwious job' Usually pro- *oior. ilclude pay increases. Because promotions improve the person's pay' status'

".rJ f.*lir.rg, of uc.o*plishment, empioyees are mofe willing to accept pfomo.tions

than lateral or d,ownward moves. Even so, employers can increase rhe likelihood that

.*ploy"", will accepr f.ornotior* by providing the same kind of inforrnation and nrrirru.ra" that are used-to support transfers and downward moves' Organizatiorrs

can

more easily offer promotions'if they are profinble and growing' In other conditions'

opportuniiies for promoting employees may be limired'

Temporary Assignments with Other Organizations In some cases, an employer may benefit from the skills an employee can leam at

anorher organization. The employer may encourage the employee to participate in

," "*a.""]frip-a

fu|l-tirne temporary position at another organization' Externships

are an a6ractive option fo, .*pioy""s in anaiytlcal positions, who otherwise might

solve the same kinis of problems over and over, becoming bored as they tniss out on

exposure to challenging new ideas and techniques. Gp Money.uses this type of devel-

;;;;, for its analists in Shanghai and Bangalore. lt loans them out for temporary ;rrg;;;r, ro orher business .,iirs. Throughthese externships, the cornpany makes the"ernployees' expertise available to many parts of the company at the same

time it

k."p, tir"* *or" Lrlgug.d because they see many ways they contribute to the com-

fu.,yt ,,-,...ss. And, "oi-.ourr",

these employees are challenged to learn as they apply

their skills to a more diverse set of business problems'34

Ternporary assignments can include a sabbatical-a leave of absence from an

organization to renew or develop skllls. Employees on sabbatical often receive full

;";;;J benefits. Sabbaticals let employees g"t a*ay from the day,-to'day stresses of

it.ir. joi6 and acquire new skills u.rd p..tp..tives. Sabbaticals also allow employ-

"", *tr. time for personal pursuit, ,u.h as writing a book or spending more time

with family ,rr"^b.rs- Thmara Woodbury used a sabbatical from her job as execu-

tive d,irector of the Giri Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council to study otganiza'

tion theory at rhe Society of Organizational Learning Institute in Halifax, Nova

Scoria. She then d"uor.d four rieeks to relaxation and writing in her cabin in Ff"S.r;ff, A.iror-ra. The time to srudy and reflect prepared !iloodbury to re-evaluate

"r-rir"rtru.ture the council so rhat the way it operates is more consistent with irs

mission.35 How employees spend their sabbaticals varies from company to company.

Some employ"., ,o"y *ork fo, a nonprofit service agency; others,may study at a col--

Iege or university or travel urd *o.k or speciai projects in rlon'U.S. subsidiaries of

the cornpany.

I nterpersonal RelationshiPs Employees can also develop skills and increase their klowledge about the organization

ur-ri lr, .urromers by interacting with a more experienced organization member' Two

iff., of ."1^rionships used for "rnploy",

development are rnentoring and coaching'

CHAPTER 9 Developing Employees for Future Success 271

Promotion Assignment of

an emploYee to a position with greater

challenges, more

responsibilitY, and

more authoritY than

in the previous job,

usually accomPanied

by a pay increase.

IxternshiP Employee develoPment

through a full-time

temporary Position at

another organization.

Sabbatical A leave of absence

from an organization to renew or develop skills.

less

elop ord- tain the

also ssful

is ro can

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heir lrust ,ring ,der- tlt is ities t-l ou ther

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vork

FINDING A MENTOR ONLINE More than two decades ago, female employees at Xerox wanted to ensure they were taking full advantage of opportunities to advance their careers, so they formed what the company calls a "caucus group"-an organization of dues-paying members that pro- vides programs for career devel- opment for a specific group of employees. The group, called The Women's Alliance (TWA), wanted a formal mentoring program, but in their initial efforts, they discov- ered that the work of matching employees with mentors possess- ing the right set of interests, skills, and experiences was enormously time consuming.

What saved the TWA mentor- ing program was online database technology. The group set up Web-based software that makes matching mentors and proteg6s

a self-service operation. Par- ticipants fill out an online profile detailing their educational and work background and interests, as well as their goals lor partici- pating in the program.The profile also includes information about each participant's geographic location and community-service activities. Once an employee's profile is complete, the individual can use the database to search ior a possible mentor by using drop- down menus to select the desired skills, experience, and back- ground.The software returns a set of matching mentor profiles, and the would-be prot6g6 selects one of them. The system generates an e-mail message to that person. The potential mentor reviews the requesting employee's profile and either accepts or rejects the request.

The mentoring program has been received enthusiastically by the women of Xerox. ln a recent count, 175 employees were par- ticipating. The software is easy to administer and inexpensive enough that the caucus group's dues cover its cost. Based on that success, other Xerox cau- cus groups. including groups for Asian, Hispanic, and African Amer- ican employees, have expressed interest in using the system, Thanks to online self-service and the commitment of the women's group, mentoring is spreading at Xerox.

Source: Based on Beth N. Carvin, "The Great Mentor Match," f + D, January 2009, OCLC FirstSearch, http:l/newfirstsea rch.oclc.org.

LfiS Tell how manaqers and peers

develop employees

through coaching.

Coach

A peer or manager who works with an employee to motivate the employee, help him or her develop

skills, and provide

reinforcement and feed ba c k.

Coaching A coach is a peer or mallager u'ho u'orks r.r'ith an ernployee to motivate the en-rployee, help him or her develop skills, and provide reinforcement aird feedback. Coaches rnay play one or more of three roles,42

1. Working one-on-one r.r'ith an employee, as u,hen giving feedback. 2. Helping etnployees iearn for themselves-for exainple, helping rhem find experts

ar-rd teaching them to obtain feedback frorn others. 3. Providing resources such as mentors, coLrrses, or job experiences.

Linda Miller, a coaching speciaiist at the Ken Blanchard Cornpanies, describes the coach's role in terms of two contrasting n-ranagers rvith s,horn she has worked.43 The first of these, a lnanager at a retailing compan)r, had a supervisor rvho was not a coach. The retail rnanager's boss rvas ner\/ous that if his employees learired too much, he n'ouldn't be as valuable. So he lirnited the retail manager's experiences until she became so frlrstrated she began to look for another job. In contrast, at a financial- services business, a ffranager had a reputation for developing his ernployees. Accord, ing to lvliller, this matlager's strength u'as coaching: "He knerv exactiy horv rnuch time

273

277 PART 3 Assessing Performance and Developing Employees

Lil-1 Summarize principles of successful mentoring pr0grams.

Menter An experienced, productive senior employee who helps develop a less-

experienced employee (a prot6g6).

Mentors A mentor is an experienced, productive senior einployee u'ho helps develop a less experier-rced employee, callecl the protdg|. Most mentoring relationships deveiop informaily as a result of interests or values sharecl by the mentor and prot6g6. Accord- it-tg to research, the ernployees most likely to seek and attract a mentor have certain persor-raliti, cl-iaracteristics: emotior'Ial stabiliry, ability to adapt their behavior to rhe situatior-r, ancl high needs for pou,er and achievement.16 Mentoring relationships also can develop as part of the organization'.s planned efforr to bring together successfirl senlor einployees with less-experiencetl employees.

One major advantage of fotrnal mentoring programs is that they ensure access to lnentors for ail eniployees, regarclless of gender or race. A rnentoring progral'n also can en.sure that high-potential ernployees are matched r.r'ith tvise, experienced lnentors iir key areas-and that mentors in positions of authority are hearing about the real- liG challer-rges of the organizatior-r's employees.l? Houv.u"., in an artificially created relationship, lnentors rnay have diffrcLrlty providir-rg counseling and coaching.3s Tn overcome this limitation, nentors and prot6g6s shoulcl spend time disctissing their rvork styles, personalities, and backgror-rnt'1s; these conversations help builc'l the trust that is needed for both parties to be cornfortable with their relationship.19 iv{entoring progralns tencl to be most successful rvhen the1, are voluntary ancl participants under- stand the details of tl-re prograin. Reu,arding managers for ernployee developrnent is also important, because it signals that mentoring ar-rd other developrnenr activities are ,vvorthlvhile. In additiot-r, the organization should carefully sel.ect rnentors based on their interpersor-ral and techuical skills, train them for the lo1e, and evaluate r,r'hether the program has met im objectives.4o

Infonnation technology can help organizations rneet sorne of these guidelines. For example, r'ideoconferencing n'ray be a good substitute if the mer-rtor and prot6gd can- not rneet face-to-face. Databases can store ir-iformation about potential rnentors' cl-rar- acteristics, and the plot6gd can Llse a search engine to locate u\entors who best match the clualities he or she is looking for. The "eHRM" box describes horv online databases are makir-rg successful rnentorships rnore readily available at Xerox.

Mentors and prot6g6s can both benefit from a lrentorillg relatior-iship. Prot6g6s receive career sllpport, inciuding coaching, protection, sponsorship, challenging assignments, and visibility anong the organization's managers. They also receive ben- efits of a positive relationship-a friei-rd ar-rcl role model rvho accepts them, has a positive opinion tor.vard them, and gives them a chance to talk about their w'orries. Employees u'ith mentors are also rnore likely to be promoted, earn higher salaries, and have rnore influence u'ithin their organization.4l Acting as a mentor gii,es rnanagers a chance to deveiop their interpersonal skills and increase their feelings that they are contributing sonething important to the organization. Working with a technically trained prot6g6 on rlatters such as nerv research in the field n-ray aiso increase the mentor's technical knowledge .

So that more employees calr benefit from rncntoring, some organizations r,rse gloup mentoringprograms, r.vhich assign four to six prot6g6s to a successfr,rl senior employee. A porential advantage of group rnentoring is rhat prot€g€s can learr from each other as well as from the mentor. The leader irelps protdg6s understancl the organizatlon, guides them in ar-ralyzing theil experiences, and helps thern clarify career directions. Each rnernber of the group lnay cornplete specific assignrnents, or the group rialr 1v61[ together on a pr.rblenr or issue.

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