MANA 4353 Exam 4

CAREER PATHS AND DUAL CAREER PATHS

A career path is a sequence of job positions involving similar types of work and skills that employees pursue. Career paths help companies chart future employment prospects for their employees and help employees determine appropriate training and development needs. Career paths maximize employees' value to the company and signal to employees that they do not have to leave the company to advance to new positions.

Which of the following was cited as one of the steps in onboarding?

Answers: A. compliance B. clarification C. connection CorrectD. all of the above

CROSS-CULTURAL PREPARATION

Because of increased global operations, employees may work outside their country of origin or work with individuals from other countries. An expatriate is someone who works in a country other than his or her country of origin. Cross-cultural preparation educates expatriates and their families for their lives abroad. To successfully conduct business in the global marketplace, employees must understand international business practices and cross-cultural norms.

COPING WITH CAREER BREAKS

Both men and women face major problems returning to work after taking several months or years off. These challenges are particularly prevalent for those in the armed services who return to civilian jobs. Returning troops may face a number of challenges finding employment or returning to their previous jobs. These challenges stem from. •lack of experiences in the workplace •incomplete skill sets and educational credentials •difficultly working in less structured situations •psychological and physical challenges Veterans are known to possess many positive characteristics that make them desirable to employers, such as attention to detail, self-discipline, problem solving, decision making in stressful situations, and teamwork. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act covers deployed employees' rights, such as guaranteeing jobs when they return, except under certain circumstances. As such, employers must accommodate the rights of service personnel.

Interpersonal Relationships

Employees can also develop skills and increase their knowledge about the company by interacting with more experienced organization members. Mentoring and coaching are two types of interpersonal relationships that are often used for employee development.

Career recycling is limited to older employees who are nearing retirement.

False

Job experiences that are seen as negative stressors challenge employees to stimulate learning

False

DEVELOPMENT PLANNING SYSTEMS

A development planning system refers to a system to retain and motivate employees by helping to meet their development needs. Development planning systems vary in their level of sophistication and the emphasis placed on different components of the process. The development planning process involves four primary steps: • Self-assessment—identifying opportunities and areas for improvement • Reality check—identifying what needs are most realistic to develop • Goal setting—identifying development objectives • Action planning—creating a plan to determine how goals will be achieved

Temporary Assignments, Projects, Volunteer Work, and Sabbaticals

Temporary assignments refer to job tryouts, project work, employee exchanges, sabbaticals, and voluntary assignments. All temporary assignments have a predetermined ending date after which the employee returns to his or her permanent position.

By making a succession planning list public, high-potential employees who are not interested in other positions can communicate their intentions.

True

Group mentoring acknowledges the reality that it is difficult for one mentor to provide an employee with all the guidance and support he or she needs

True

Job hopping is extremely prevalent in high-technology industries.

True

Assessment Center

At an assessment center, multiple raters assess employees' performance on a number of exercises. An assessment center is usually an off-site location such as a conference center. Assessment centers are primarily used to identify if employees have the personality characteristics, administrative skills, and interpersonal skills for managerial jobs. They are increasingly being used to determine if employees have the skills to work in teams. Common exercises include leaderless group discussions, interviews, in-basket exercises, and role plays. •In a leaderless group discussion, teams are assigned a problem to solve within a certain time period. •In interviews, employees answer questions about their work and personal experiences, strengths, weaknesses, and career plans. •An in-basket exercise is a simulation focused on administrative tasks that managers face. These exercises include a variety of documents that may appear in an in-basket, e-mail account, or on a manager's desk. Participants prioritize which tasks they will focus on. •In role plays, participants act out interpersonal interactions taking on the role of a manager or other employee.

. Goal Setting

The next step of the development process is for employee to establish goals to focus their development efforts. Such goals may be short-term or long-term. These goals usually relate to securing a new position, moving to a new work setting, the acquisition of new skills, and the application of skills to meet a business need.

Steps in Cross-Cultural Preparation

To succeed overseas, expatriates need to be: •competent in their area of expertise •able to communicate effectively both verbally and nonverbally in the host country •flexible, tolerant of ambiguity, and sensitive to cultural differences •motivated for success, able to enjoy the challenges of a different culture, and willing to learn about the host country's culture, language and customs •supported by their families for an international assignment Cross-cultural preparation involves three phases—pre-departure, on-site, and repatriation. The key to a successful foreign assignment is a combination of training and career management for employees and their families.

CAREER RECYCLING

Career recycling involves changing one's major work activity after being established in a specific field. Recycling is accompanied by a re-exploration of values, skills, interests, and potential employment opportunities. Recycling is not limited to older employees who are nearing retirement. Many companies that face a serious shortage of qualified employees are developing retraining programs to fill labor shortages with employees from other fields. Companies are using these training programs to help recycle employees into new jobs and careers. It is not uncommon for employees who are considering recycling to conduct informational interviews with managers or employees in different fields to gather information about these jobs and potential fit.

___ is the specific term that was used to refer to the process of helping new hires/employees adjust to the social and performance aspects of their jobs.

D. none of the above

Development and training

Development refers to learning activities and experiences that help employees grow and prepare for the future. Development often involves voluntary learning that is not tied directly to the employee's current job. Training, on the other hand, is related to the current job and is typically required. Development prepares employees for other positions and increases their ability to move into jobs that may not yet exist. Development is especially important for senior managers and employees with leadership potential.

Mentoring cannot occur between mentors and proteges from different organizations.

False

One of the characteristics that was specifically cited for the long-term success of diversity programs is that program participants are willing and in fact able to not only (1) delve 'beneath the surface' in order to recognize their own privately held biases against persons from different demographic groups but also (2) share them with other program participants.

False

Formal Education

Formal education programs may take many forms. They include on-site or off-site programs tailored specifically for a company's employees, short courses offered by consultants or academic institutions, and on-campus university programs. Many companies rely on in-house development programs, rather than programs sponsored by universities. They do so because content can be directly tied to business needs and because top management more readily supports in-house efforts.

Joint Union-Management Programs

Historically, joint union-management programs were designed to help displaced employees find new jobs by providing training and outplacement assistance. Today, these programs provide a wider range of services to help employees learn skills that are directly related to their jobs and valuable to employers in other companies or industries. Both employers and unions finance these programs and oversee their operation.

Enlarging the Current Job

Job enlargement involves adding challenges and new responsibilities to an employee's current job. These development experiences could include special project assignments, switching roles within a work team, or researching new ways to serve clients and customers. Some companies enlarge jobs by giving two managers the same job title and responsibilities and then allow them to divide the work. This is known as "two-in-a-box."

Job Hopping

Job hopping refers to employees changing jobs, usually between companies, every two to three years. Job hopping is prevalent today, especially among the younger generations, as more employees view themselves as "free agents" who must actively manage their own careers. Employees increasingly recognize that they have protean careers, where they must be responsible for their own careers because companies often make them expendable. For employers, job hopping results in a loss of talent, productivity, and higher costs related to turnover, recruitment, and retraining. Furthermore, job hopping makes it difficult to create and sustain a culture that supports relationships between employees and continuity in employee-customer relationships. On the positive side for employers, job hopping does provide companies with the opportunity to hire employees who have a variety of experiences in different companies, which can allow the company to understand best practices. Hiring employees who job hop may increase a company's flexibility and adaptability because these employees may be capable of quickly learning different jobs. Also, employees who job hop likely have lower expectations for job security, making it easier to downsize if necessary. From an employee perspective, in addition to better pay and growth opportunities, job hopping can provide opportunities to work in a variety of industries, in different-sized companies, and to gain new skills, experiences, and personal contacts. However, individuals may not be staying in any one job long enough to complete important projects, develop personal networks, or gain relevant experience. Companies are unlikely to eliminate job hopping. However, they can reduce job hopping by creating conditions for employee engagement, providing employees with growth opportunities, and offering incentives and rewards for good performance.

Work-Life Balance

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important for employees of all ages. However, it is often difficult to maintain work-life balance due to long hours, unfavorable shifts, and electronic technology. Specifically, work-life balance refers to helping employees deal with the stresses, strains, and conflicts related to balance work and non-work demands. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FLMA) is a key piece of legislation designed to promote work-life balance. The FMLA allows employees to take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave in a one-year period to take care of an ill family member, take care of themselves, or for the birth or adoption of a child. Many companies have gone beyond the FMLA by offering telecommuting, compressed workweeks, flextime, and job sharing. •Telecommuting refers to a work arrangement that gives employees flexibility in both work location and hours. •Compressed workweek refers to a work schedule that allows employees to work fewer days but with longer hours. •Flextime refers to giving employees the option of choosing when to work during the workday, workweek, or work year. •Job sharing refers to having two employees divide the hours, the responsibilities, and the benefits of a full-time job.

Dual Career Path

Many companies structure career paths so that individuals advance through the company by moving into management positions. However, not all individuals desire to move into management, but still seek to advance within the organization. For this reason, some organizations have developed dual career path systems, which enable individuals to remain on either an individual contributor path or on a management career path. Effective dual-career paths have several characteristics: •Salary, status, and incentives for individual contributors compare favorably with those of managers. •While individual contributor base salaries may be lower than managers, they are given opportunities to increase their total compensation through bonuses. •The individual contributor career path is not used to satisfy poor performers who have no managerial potential. This path is for employees with outstanding technical skills. •Individual contributors are given the opportunity to choose their career path.

Many organizations are concerned with addressing broader social and societal issues in addition to achieving their primary business goals. The training and development function can contribute toward an organization's social responsibility efforts, and the goal of this chapter is to highlight a number of avenues through which this may be done. For example, this chapter discusses training partnerships with outside organizations, legal issues and workplace diversity, cross-cultural preparation for expatriates, and career challenges.

Many organizations are concerned with addressing broader social and societal issues in addition to achieving their primary business goals relating to profit and growth. For example, some companies are committed to social responsibility to help improve their communities by protecting the environment, supporting cultural activities, and helping to reduce poverty and unemployment. Companies also have a social responsibility to comply with laws and regulations, and more importantly, take actions and create conditions to help all employees grow and develop, regardless of their background and the career issues they may be facing. The training and development function can contribute toward an organization's social responsibility efforts, and the goal of this chapter is to highlight a number of avenues through which this may be done.

Development and Careers

Traditionally, careers have been described in a variety of ways: • as a sequence of positions held within an occupation • in the context of mobility within an organization • as a characteristic of the employee—an employee's career consists of different jobs, positions, and experiences Today's careers are often characterized as protean careers. A protean career is based on self-direction, whereby the employee's career is driven by the person rather than the organization. A key goal in protean careers is to achieve psychological success, the feeling of pride and accomplishment that comes from achieving life goals

Legal Issues

Trainers must ensure they are in compliance with the law and avoid a variety of legal traps. •Failing to provide required training or providing inadequate training. To comply with a range of laws and regulations, companies are required to show that employees have completed training and are transferring new knowledge and skills. For example, companies provide sexual harassment prevention training, health and safety training, etc. •Incurring injuries to employees during a training activity. Workers' compensation laws in many states make employers responsible for paying employees their salary or providing a financial settlement for injuries incurred in training. •Incurring injuries to employees or others outside a training session The company may liable for injuries or damages resulting from actions of poorly trained employees. This may hold even when training is conducted by an external vendor. Training content and methods should be thoroughly documented. •Incurring breach of confidentiality or defamation. Information placed in employee files regarding training should be accurate. Before managers discuss employee training performance with others or use training performance data for other HRM decisions, employees should be informed. •Reproducing and using copyrighted material without permission. The use of videos, manuals, handouts or any copyrighted material in training without the owner's permission is illegal. •Excluding women, minorities, and older employees. Women, minorities, and older employees have been denied access to training, which limits opportunities for promotion, career growth, and job security. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) makes it illegal to make employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, gender or national origin. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits discrimination against individuals over the age of 40. •Not ensuring equal treatment during training. Conditions of the learning environment, such as practice and feedback, should be available to all trainees regardless of their background. Trainees should also avoid jokes, stories, and examples that might be perceived as discriminatory. •Requiring attendance at potentially offensive training. Individuals should not be required to attend potentially offensive training. All State Insurance has been subject to religious discrimination lawsuits by its employees. It was argued by the plaintiffs that training content was on Scientology, which was offensive and counter to their religious beliefs. •Revealing discriminatory information during training. During a diversity training program at a supermarket chain, supervisors were asked to express their stereotypes, which were viewed as discriminatory by some. Practices such as these should be avoided. •Failing to accommodate those with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment practices. The ADA defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one's major life activities. The ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodation to help individuals perform effectively, unless doing so would create undue hardship. The ADA is intentionally vague in its definitions of disabilities, reasonable accommodation, and undue hardship to allow for case-by-case interpretation. •Incorrectly reporting training as an expense, failing to report training reimbursement as income, or failing to pay employees for attending training. Companies can often deduct the cost of training provided to employees as a business expense, up to certain limits. Reimbursement for training expenses that an employee incurs may be considered part of the employee's annual income. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employees to receive compensation for all hours worked. However, there is some ambiguity regarding training. Training should be paid unless four conditions are met—training is outside of regular working hours, training is voluntary, training is not directly related to the employee's job, and the employee does not perform any productive work during training. Given that these condition are difficult to meet, the majority of training hours should be paid.

Preretirement socialization helps employees avoid being forced to return to work because of poor financial planning

True

The use of phased retirement plans is complicated by regulations regarding taxation of retirement benefits

True

Through sector partnerships, workforce skill needs can be met faster than if individual employers worked alone

True

Reality Check

Reality check refers to the information employees receive about how the company evaluates their skills and where they fit into the company's future plans. Employees may receive feedback from their manager through the formal personal appraisal process or via 360-degree feedback.

COPING WITH JOB LOSS

Research suggests that layoffs do not result in improved profitability, have mixed effects on productivity, and have adverse effects on morale and commitment among "survivors." As such, companies should first seek alternative ways to reduce head count and lower labor costs. These alternatives may include asking employees to work fewer hours, offering early retirement plans, delaying wage increases, and deciding not to fill openings created by turnover and retirements. That said, sometimes layoffs are inevitable, and efforts should be taken to reduce their potential negative effects. In particular, companies should provide outplacement services, which should include: •Advance warning and an explanation for the layoff •Psychological, financial, and career counseling •Assessment of skills and interests •Job seeking services, such as resume writing and interviewing training •Job banks where job leads are posted •Electronic delivery of job openings, self-directed career management guides, and interest inventories

Retirement

Retirement involves leaving a job and making the transition to life without work. For some employees, retirement involves seeking full-time or part-time employment elsewhere or recycling into another career. Employees tend to be retiring at later ages today. Recent changes in the social security system have led to no mandatory retirement ages for most jobs, and financial need had led to more individuals working longer. The aging workforce and the use of early retirement programs to shrink companies' workforces have three implications: •Companies must meet the needs of older employees. •Companies must take steps to prepare employees for retirement. •Companies must be careful that early retirement programs do not unfairly discriminate against older employees.

Succession Planning

Succession planning refers to the process of identifying, developing, and tracking high potential employees who are capable of moving into different positions in the company. Succession planning helps to easily place individuals in planned or unplanned job openings due to turnover, promotions, or business growth. Succession planning is often used with managers and top leaders, but it is important for any job. Succession planning helps organizations in several different ways. •It identifies and prepares future company leaders. •It helps ensure that the company runs smoothly when key employees and managers leave. •It helps to enhance "bench strength," having a pool of talented employees who are ready when needed. •It helps to plan development experiences for movement into higher-level positions. •It helps to attract and retain employees. Many companies use the nine-box grid for conducting the succession planning review. The nine-box grid is a matrix used to compare employees within a department, function, division, or the entire company. One axis of the matrix is job performance. The other axes are typically labeled "potential" or "promotability."

Preretirement Socialization

Preretirement socialization is the process of helping employees prepare to exit from work. These efforts typically include: •Psychological aspects of retirement, such as developing personal interests and activities •Housing, including a consideration of transportation, living costs, and proximity to medical care •Maintaining a healthy lifestyle during retirement, including nutrition and exercise •Healthcare plans •Financial planning, insurance, and investments •Estate planning •The collection of benefits from company retirement plans and social security Many companies are also using phased retirement and alternative work arrangements to help employees make the transition into retirement while at the same time continuing to use their talents.

The concept of reasonable accommodation is specific to which of the following pieces of employment-related legislation?

D. none of the above

Coaching

A coach is a peer or manager who works directly with an employee to help develop skills, motivate, and provide feedback. The best coaches are empathetic, supportive, practical, and confident. The coach can play three roles: •Developing high-potential managers •Helping the employee learn for him/herself •Providing resources to which the employee might not otherwise have access Managers may be reluctant to coach, and four issues may need to be addressed. •Managers may be reluctant to discuss performance problems to avoid confrontation •Managers may be better able to identify performance issues than solve them •Managers may fear that employees will perceive coaching as criticism •Managers may feel they don't have time to coach

Melting the Glass Ceiling

A major issue facing companies is placing women and minorities in upper-level management positions. The glass ceiling refers to a barrier to advancement that adversely affects women and minorities. This barrier may be due to stereotypes or specific HR practices. HR practices such as flexible scheduling, diversity training, coaching, and mentoring are needed to help break the glass ceiling.

Executive Education

A number of academic institutions in the U.S. and abroad provide executive education. Executive education includes executive MBA programs, as well as specialized curricula on topics such as leadership, entrepreneurship, change, innovation, and global business. Executive education programs typically involve a blended learning approach. For example, managers visit campus for face-to-face instruction, and then between sessions they work online and independently on assignments such as team projects, cases, or reading assignments. In addition to blended learning, business schools and other educational institutions have begun offering companies in-house, customized programs. These programs are desirable because there is less disruption as managers do not need to travel to campus.

Developing Managers with Dysfunctional Behaviors

A number of studies have identified managerial behaviors that can cause a competent manager to be a "toxic" manager. Examples of such behaviors include insensitivity and aggression toward others, inability to be a team player, arrogance, poor conflict-management skills, and the inability to adapt. Typically, a combination of assessment, training, and counseling is used to help change dysfunctional behavior.

Transfers, Promotions, and Downward Moves

A transfer refers to reassigning an employee to a different job in a different area of the company, most likely a lateral move. Job responsibilities and compensation are not necessarily increased. Transfers may involve relocating, which can be very stressful to employees, and transfers are not always well received. The employees most willing to transfer are those with high career ambitions, a belief that their future with the company is promising, and a belief that accepting the transfer is necessary to advance in the company. A downward move involves giving an employee a position with less responsibility and authority. A downward move may involve a move to another position at the same level (a lateral demotion), a temporary cross-functional move, or a demotion because of poor performance. Temporary cross-functional moves to lower-level positions, which give employees work experience in different functional areas, are most frequently used for development. A promotion involves advancing an employee into a position of greater challenge, responsibility and authority. Promotions usually involve an increase in compensation. Obviously, employees are more willing to accept promotions than they are to accept lateral moves or downward moves. To ensure employees approach these moves as developmental experiences, particularly when relocation is involved, companies should: •Provide information about the content, challenges, and potential benefits •Involve employees in the decision by sending them to preview the new location or job •Assign a host at the new location to help with the adjustment •Inform the employee how the new job will affect their income, taxes, and expenses •Assist the employee in selling a home and securing new housing •Assist family members in the relocation (e.g., identifying schools and childcare) •Help spouses find new employment •Provide an orientation program •Provide clear performance objectives and early performance feedback

In the nine-box grid system, 'core employees' are characterized by:

A. moderate potential, high performance B. high potential, moderate performance CorrectC. moderate potential, moderate performance D. none of the above

Action Planning

An action plan is a written strategy that employees use to determine and articulate how they will achieve their development goals.

Assessment

Assessment involves collecting information and providing feedback to employees about their behavior, communication style, and skills. Data may come from a variety of sources, including employees, their peers, managers, and customers. Assessments are useful on several fronts. • Assessment helps to identify managerial potential and measure current managers' strengths and weaknesses. • Assessments can be used to identify managers with potential to move executive positions. • Assessments can be used with work teams to identify the strengths and weaknesses of individual team members. • Assessments can help employees understand their tendencies, values, and preferences.

Reverse mentoring refers to:

D none of the above

Managing Workforce Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity training refers to learning efforts designed to change employee attitudes about diversity and develop skills needed to work with a diverse workforce. The goals of diversity training are two-fold: •to eliminate values, stereotypes, and managerial practice that inhibit employees' personal development •to allow employees to contribute to organizational goals regardless of their race, sexual orientation, gender, family status, religious orientation, or cultural background The most common areas addressed in diversity training include the pervasiveness of stereotypes, assumptions, and biases. Research shows that diversity training has a small to medium effect. Greater benefits have been found when there was a positive learning environment, where: •the program was sufficient length for trainees to learn (four hours or more) •managers were used as trainers •trainees interacted face-to-face with the instructor, the content, and other learners using cases and exercises Characteristics associated with a diversity program's long-term success include: •There is management support and involvement •The diversity program is structured •Business objectives focus on diversity •The program is evaluated using metrics such as sales, retention, and promotion rates •The program is ongoing and not a one-time effort •Different groups are not blamed for problems •Skills needed to successfully interact with others are taught •Managers are rewarded for achieving diversity goals •Managers collect feedback and act on it

Early Retirement Programs

Early retirement programs offer employees financial benefits to leave the company. These programs are usually part of the company's strategy to reduce labor costs without having to lay off employees. To avoid costly litigation, companies need to make sure that their early retirement programs contain the following features. •The program is part of the employee benefit plan. •The company can justify age-related distinctions for eligibility for early retirement. •Employees are allowed to choose early retirement voluntarily.

CAREER CHALLENGES FACING A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE

Employees' careers typically involve four stages—exploration, establishment, maintenance, and decline. •Exploration—individuals attempt to identify the type of work that interests and engages them. They consider their preferences and begin pursuing the type of education and training they need. •Establishment—individuals find employment, make an independent contribution, achieve more responsibility and financial success, and establish a suitable lifestyle. •Maintenance—individuals are concerned with keeping their skills up to date and being perceived as someone who is still contributing to the company. •Decline—individuals begin to phase out of work and enter retirement. Although individuals can progress through these stages in a linear fashion, many individuals do not because of today's boundaryless careers and more frequent career changes. There are likely generational differences in what employees want in their careers. Accordingly, companies need to understand and adapt in order to attract, motivate, and retain a talented multigenerational workforce. •Gen Xers place a high emphasis on work-life balance, opportunities for growth, and good work relationships. •Millennials and Gen Xers are more used to change and job insecurity than Baby Boomers, more likely to leave their jobs, and less likely to learn new skills. •Baby Boomers are loyal to their organizations.

Tuition Reimbursement

Enrollment in executive education programs may be limited to managers and employees identified as having management potential. As a result, many companies provide tuition reimbursement as a benefit for all employees to encourage them to develop on their own. Companies have found that these programs increase employee retention, readiness for promotion, and job performance.

Job Rotation and Lateral Moves

Job rotation and lateral moves give employees a series of job assignments in various functional areas of the company or navigate among jobs in a single functional area or department. Job rotation helps employees gain an overall appreciation of the company's goals, increases their understanding of different company functions, and helps develop a network of contacts. Despite the advantages, there are some limitations. The rotation may create a short-term orientation, and employees may not be given enough time in a position to receive challenging assignments. Productivity losses and workload increases may be incurred both by the department gaining the rotating employee and the department losing the employee. Lateral moves help companies retain talented employees who want new job experiences. They also help identify employee strengths and weaknesses, and allow employees to learn about new areas of the business. Employees are afforded the opportunity to work on new projects and problems and apply their skills in a new way. Characteristics of effective job rotation systems include: •They are linked to specific developmental needs. •They are used to provide employees experiences needed for managerial positions. •Employees understand specific skills that will be developed by the rotation. •They are used for all levels and types of employees. •The timing of rotations is managed to minimize workload costs. •All employees are given equal opportunity for job rotation assignments without regard for their demographic status.

Mentoring

Mentoring involves an experienced, productive senior employee (the mentor) helping develop a less experienced employee (the protégé). Most mentoring relationships develop informally based on shared interests, values, or work assignments. Mentoring relationships may also develop through formal company mentoring programs. Mentoring programs help socialize new employees, develop managers, and provide opportunities to employees without regard to race and gender. •In group or peer mentoring programs, the mentor is paired with a group of four to six protégés. Protégés are not only able to learn from the mentor, but from each other. •Reverse mentoring involves younger employees mentoring older employees. Benefits of mentoring to protégés include: •career support—coaching, protection, sponsorship, and providing challenging assignments, exposure, and visibility •psychosocial support—serving as a friend and role model, providing positive regard and acceptance, and creating an outlet for communication •skill development •higher rates of promotion and higher salaries •greater organizational influence Benefits of mentoring to mentors include: •developing interpersonal skills •increased self-esteem and sense of worth to the company •access to new knowledge in their field One challenge of formal mentoring programs is that the relationship may not "stick" if it has been "artificially" created. To enhance formal mentoring programs, companies should: •Make participation voluntary for mentors and protégés •Ensure the matching process does not hinder the formation of informal relationships •Chose mentors who have a good record developing employees and have the willingness to serve •Match based on how the mentor's skills can help meet the protégé's needs •Clarify roles and expectations for both mentors and protégés •Specify a minimum amount of contact time between mentors and protégés •Provide a formal time period for the program, but encourage continued relationships •Evaluate the program •Reward employee development

Job Experiences

Most development occurs through job experiences, which include the demands, responsibilities, problems, and relationships that employees deal with in their jobs. A major assumption is that development is most likely to occur when employees are given stretch assignments. Stretch assignments refer to those where there is a mismatch between the employee's skills and the skills required for future success. One issue is whether job experiences are viewed as positive or negative stressors. Job experiences that are perceived as positive stressors challenge employees to stimulate learning. Those viewed as negative stressors create high levels of harmful stress. Research suggests that all job demands, with the exception of obstacles, are related to learning.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF OLDER WORKERS

Older employees are a significant portion of the labor force. That said, what technically is an older worker? •The ADEA provides protection for individuals once they reach the age of 40 •Mandatory retirement ages exist in certain occupations (air traffic controllers = 56, pilots = 65, federal law enforcement = 57) •Professional football players are considered old at 30 •Retirees today can receive full social security benefits at 65 (or reduced benefits beginning at 62) Older employees do not have higher absenteeism rates, nor are they likely to put in less effort. Older employees are as productive as younger employees, and they have valuable experience. However, they do require more training in technology and prefer hands-on learning. Companies can take several steps to meet the needs of older employees. •Provide flexibility in scheduling to allow older employees to take care of sick spouses, travel, or work fewer hours. •Ensure older employees receive training to avoid obsolescence and learn new technology. •Provide resources and referrals to aid in health care. •Offer assessments and counseling to help older employees recycle their careers or move to different positions. •Recognize that as older employees' physical and mental abilities decline, they can rely on experience and motivation. Ensure younger employees do not hold inappropriate stereotypes about older employees

Onboarding

Onboarding, also known as socialization, refers to helping new hires adjust to the social and performance aspects of their new jobs and places of employment. Onboarding helps promote early retention, job satisfaction, and performance. There is wide variation in the types of onboarding programs, but onboarding typically covers four primary areas. •Compliance—understanding basic legal and policy-related rules and regulations •Clarification—understanding job and performance expectations •Culture—understanding company history, traditions, values, and norms •Connection—understanding and developing formal and informal relationships Effective onboarding programs share the following characteristics: •Employees are encouraged to ask questions. •The program focuses on both technical and social aspects. •Employees learn about company culture, history, language, products, services, and customers. •The program involves participation and active involvement. •The program involves formal and informal interactions with new hires and more seasoned employees. •Managers take on some onboarding responsibility. •Embarrassing new employees is avoided. •There is follow up at different points during the first year of employment.

Performance Appraisals and 360-Degree Feedback Systems

Performance appraisal information can be useful for employee development under certain conditions. The appraisal system must tell employees specifically about their performance problems and how they can improve their performance. This includes providing a clear understanding of the differences between current performance and expected performance, identifying causes of the performance discrepancy, and developing action plans. It is important that managers be trained in providing effective performance feedback. Upward feedback and 360-degree feedback are popular tools for development. Upward feedback refers to collecting performance feedback from subordinates. In 360-degree feedback systems, feedback is obtained from subordinates, peers, customers, managers, and employees themselves. Raters complete questionnaires asking them to rate the employee on a number of different dimensions. There are many benefits of upward and 360-degree feedback. •Feedback is obtained from multiple perspectives, which allows employees to compare their perceptions to those of others. •Employees gain a better perspective of their strengths and areas for improvement. •These systems help to formalize the feedback process. Potential limitations include: •The time demands placed on raters. •Employees may retaliate against raters. •Facilitators may be required to interpret results. •Companies may fail to provide opportunities for employees to act on the feedback.

Personality Tests and Inventories

Personality tests and inventories are used to help employees gain self-awareness of how they respond to conflict, what motivates them, how they solve problems, how they react to stress, and other behavioral tendencies. • The NEO Personality Inventory measures the Big Five personality dimensions, which include emotional stability (relaxed, non-worrier), extraversion (sociable, outgoing), openness (willing to try new things), agreeableness (friendly, polite), and conscientiousness (hardworking, detail oriented) • The DISC measures personality and behavioral style, including dominance (directness, forcefulness), influence (sociability, persuasiveness), steadiness (cooperativeness, dependability) and conscientiousness (accuracy, competency). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) determines different personality types. The sixteen unique personality types are based on preferences for introversion (I) or extraversion (E), sensing (S) or intuition (N), thinking (T) or feeling (F), and judging (J) or perceiving (P). Each personality type has implications for work habits and interpersonal relationships

Training Partnerships

Sector partnerships refer to government agencies and industry trade groups that help identify skills that local employers require and work with community colleges, universities, and other educational institutions to provide qualified employees. Sector partnerships often focus on jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree. Some partnerships may also focus on skills for professional employees such as engineers. Through these partnerships, needs for workforce skills can be met faster than if individual employers worked alone. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act is designed to assist the states in building school-to-work systems that prepare students for high-skill, high-wage jobs or future education. The act encourages partnerships between educational institutions, employers, and labor unions. The act requires that every school-to-work system include work-based learning, school-based learning, and connecting activities to match students with employers and bridge workplaces and classrooms. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services and match employers with skilled workers. WIOA is an amendment and reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The cornerstone of the system is "one-stop" service delivery, which unifies numerous training, education, employment programs into a single system in each community. WIAO streamlines workforce development systems by eliminating existing programs, establishes a common set of metrics for evaluating programs, and provides states with the flexibility to direct funds to develop needed skills. Furthermore, WIAO helps those with disabilities develop skills for employment and improves outreach to out-of-school youth and high school dropouts.

Self-Assessment

Self-assessment refers to the use of information by employees to determine their career interests, values, aptitudes, and behavioral tendencies. It often involves psychological tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory, and the Self-Directed Search. Through this process, a development need can be identified. Employees can identify capabilities they are lacking and gain specific information about what they can do to develop skills through development experiences

The nine boxes include:

The nine boxes include: 1. poor employee 2. inconsistent employee 3. potential may be misplaced 4. strong contributor 5. core employee 6. rising star 7. technical/subject expert 8. agile non-performer 9. star High-potential employees with high performance are found in the top-right corner of the matrix (stars). These are employees who should be developed for leadership positions. One issue is whether to make succession planning public. One advantage of doing so is that employees may stay because they have an understanding of promotion prospects. Another advantage is that high-potential employees who are not interested in other positions can communicate their intentions. The company can then avoid investing resources and have a more accurate picture of its potential future talent. On the flip side, those not on the list may become discouraged and leave the company. Furthermore, employees might not believe they have had a fair chance to compete for leadership positions if they already know that a list of potential candidates has been established.

On-Site Phase

The on-site phase, in the host country, should involve continued orientation through formal training and mentoring. Expatriates and their families may be paired with an employee from the host country to help them navigate the new terrain. Expatriates should be encouraged to develop social relationships both inside and outside of the workplace.

Pre-departure

The pre-departure phase is the preparatory period before the expatriate leaves the home country. As noted above, it is critical that expatriates and their families receive training in the host country's language, culture, and norms. Information regarding housing, schools, recreation, shopping, and healthcare also needs to be provided. Furthermore, expatriates must discuss with their managers how the foreign assignment fits into their future career plans. Cross-cultural training methods may include lectures, e-learning, experiential exercises, and immersion experiences. The rigor needed in cross-cultural training depends on three factors: • cultural novelty—the degree of similarity between the home and host country's culture • interaction—the amount of interaction between expatriates and host country nationals • job novelty—the expatriates' familiarity with job tasks and work environment in the host country

Repatriation Phase

The repatriation phase relates to returning to the parent company and home country upon completion of the foreign assignment. Expatriates are likely to experience a high level of stress and anxiety when they return home because of various changes that likely occur. Employees should be encouraged to self-manage the repatriation process. Prior to the assignment, employees should consider what types of skills that want to develop and what positions with the company they would like to pursue. To help them with their return home, expatriates should be brought up to date on national issues, politics, and news stories. Furthermore, expatriates should keep up-to-date on current events at their parent company while on their assignment abroad.