fact sheet career progression

8/13/2019 Fact Sheet Career Progression

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People are often attracted to a particular industry,company or job by opportunities for careerdevelopment through learning and training tomatch life goals.

People are more likely to stay in their jobs whenthe work is challenging, interesting, meaningful—and when they have opportunities to upgradetheir skills in the work.

People are more likely to stay with a particular

company when there is opportunity for careerprogression—and they know what they need todo, to make that happen.

People are more likely to stay in a particularindustry when they can take pride in the workthat they do and the place that they work.

When people:

• are attracted to you

• stay with you

• upgrade their skills and qualifications

there are immediate benefits for your business interms of availability and capability—and long termbenefits through effective workforce planning!

Career Progression is not the same as Career Development— which is the term mostpeople are accustomed to using.

A person’s Career Development pathway is likely to be much more broad than just thetime spent working in the Australian Meat Industry. It will involve a range of individual

choices in managing work, learning and lifestyle activities. Career Progression is more occupation-focused. It’s about advancement within a job,within an organisation, or within an industry. As an employer in the Australian MeatIndustry, you have an interest in facilitating Career Progression for the people whowork for you.

Career progression for employees — makeit work for you too!

Fact Sheet #

A reputation for careerprogression will attractpeople to work for you

Opportunities for careerprogression will encourage

people to stay with you

Employee career progressiongives you flexibility

to fill current and future gaps

You achieve an available,capable and effective

workforce!

Staff morale, productivity,skills and qualifications all

increase

H o

w t o b e c o m e a n e m p l o y e r o f c h o i c e i n a n i n d u s t r y o f c h o i c e :

A p r a c t i c a l g u i d e t o w o r k f o r c e d e v e l o p m e n t f o r t h e A u s t r a l i a n M e a t I n d

u s t r y

Career progression: What is it?

Facilitating career progression: Why would you do it?



The key reason people leave a job is because ithas failed to meet one or more of theirexpectations—yet they often don't communicatetheir dissatisfaction until it’s too late.

Even if the employees began with falseexpectations, it can benefit you to discover andaddress the perceived failings.

Sometimes, employees themselves don'trecognise the reason for their dissatisfaction. Theymay say they’re happy in the job they have—yetresearch shows people who stay too long doing

the same thing often leave.

Generating interest in growth—whether that’swithin their job or away from it—is in the bestinterests of your employees and your company!

Do you actively seek to learn whetheremployees’ expectations are being met withinyour company or the industry?

Do you have processes in place to test jobsatisfaction and identify retrainingopportunities for those frustrated in theircurrent roles?

Are there opportunities to extend theactivities and tasks of people who say theyare happy at their current level?

Do you display material at your site thatpromotes Vocational Qualifications andencourages people to take part?

Do they know you’ll help them do that?

People need to know where and how they can bepromoted to other levels in the company.

They need to be clear about the competencies andbehaviours that are required for specific jobs andto feel that there are opportunities for them to learnand develop new skills.

One way to do this is to have clear written PositionDescriptions and Person Specifications availablefor each job family.

These documents will be useful to employeeswhen setting goals for jobs and work levels they’dlike to work toward. They will gain a better

understanding of the work they think they'd like todo—and this reduces the risk of people startingdown a pathway which really doesn’t suit them.

A written record of the skills, attitudes andbehaviours already required in their current jobalso helps people to gain confidence in what theyreally have to offer.

When people find ‘a match’ between much of whatthey’re already doing and what they’d need to do in

a new job, it appears much more achievable forthem—they’re more likely to try something theyhad thought was ‘out of reach’.

Employees’ career pathway planning andyour succession planning can work hand-in-hand for mutual benefit—if they are aware ofyour plans.

Do you promote within the workplace whatyour future needs will be? For example, dopeople know that your 3 year & 5 year growthplans mean you will need more trainedSupervisors?

Has your workforce planning analysisexposed a particular area of your plant or aspecific field of work that is destined forshortages as people retire?

Do you take steps to ensure these issues arecommunicated—not just during inductions,but at regular intervals (capturing thosepeople whose life goals and needs havechanged)?

Do you regularly promote on-the-job trainingopportunities?

Are people aware they have opportunities to

upgrade their skills, even if they don't want tomove out of their current job?

How to do it: Motivate employee interest in career progression

How to do it: Communicate opportunities



The most common reason employees fail at careerprogression is that they have chosen a pathwaywhich is not appropriate for them.

We also know that the retention risk for employeesis reduced if you are able to accommodate theirneed for change.

If you don't already have one, can you introduce a job rotation process so people can experienceother work activities?

This not only allows people to try different rolesbefore committing to a career pathway, it can helpyou cover planned and unplanned absences such

as sick leave; annual leave; or resignations.

Job rotations also foster a cross-fertilisation ofskills, behaviours and attitudes between thenewcomer and existing work team.

Working in different sections gives employees abroader understanding of your company and theindustry—and reinforces the impacts on others ofactions in a specific job.

Being able to ‘try-before-they-buy’ is likely to raiseself-esteem in employees who are reluctant to takea risk on making a change.

A little creative thought can createopportunities for employees to explore careerprogression interests—and even generateinterest where it is absent.

Can you rotate representatives on your OH&Scommittee to broaden exposure to issuessurrounding management of HumanResources? (This will also increase exposureto OH&S principles.)

What opportunities do you have to releasestaff to attend workshops and seminars in theregion?

Are you able to arrange opportunities foremployees to ‘shadow’ another employee fora short time in a specific task or project?

Is there any opportunity to develop anexchange program with another business thathas openings in work you can't offer as yet?

Could you arrange opportunities in yourcommunity for employees to volunteersupport in a particular field of interest? This

not only gives them some experience in thetype of work they'd like to do, it helps yourimage as a good corporate citizen.

Employees who have proactively engaged inplanning for career progression may discover theyneed to make a lateral (or even backward) move toget on the appropriate pathway.

Sometimes, dependent on their current life roles,the sacrifices (in terms of money or seniority) willseem too great for them to proceed.

Sharing the burden of those costs will not only giveyou the benefit of employees actively engaged incareer progression, but make a positivecontribution to the image of the meat industry and

your company within the industry—which will assistyour later recruitment programs.

Any costs incurred are an investment in yourcompany’s future!

Do you have an incentive scheme for peoplewho upgrade their skills and/or qualificationswhen it doesn't mean a change of position forthem?

Can you soften any sacrifices that need to bemade in lateral moves? If the job move willmean a loss in pay, can you reduce thedifference?

Loss of status is a significant issue for someemployees and if they need to change fields,they will often leave a company rather than

‘lose face’ within it.

How can you recognise the change is still atransfer of key skills and competencies?

How to do it: Help employees to ‘try-before-they-buy’

How to do it: Soften any losses attached to lateral moves



It’s important that your workplace culture is suchthat employees will make management or HumanResources personnel the first port of call whenplanning to progress their careers.

Not only are you best placed to help them in termsof future prospects, it gives you an insight into theemployee’s goals that may previously have beenunrecognised.

This not only helps your succession planning, butallows you to highlight opportunities where youknow you’re going to suffer future shortages.

Familiarise yourself with career guide websites

such as:

www.myfuture.edu.au

www.jobguide.dest.gov.au

so you can help your employees make best use ofthese resources. If possible, work through thesesites with an employee interested in careerprogression—or arrange for someone else who isfamiliar with the technology to guide unconfidentemployees through the various sections.

Investing time and effort now will pay dividends foryour company and the meat industry in the future.

Employees need to know where they are now;plan where they want to go; work out the bestway for them to get there—and have help tomake it happen.

Keep a good supply of current career guideson site—particularly Australian Meat Industryresources.

The FTH Skills Council and MLA have workedtogether to produce a booklet especiallydesigned to motivate employees towardcareer progression and to help their planningprocesses. ‘Career Pathways in the

Australian Meat Industry’ is supported by a

fold-out poster which you can display inappropriate locations.

MINTRAC also has comprehensiveinformation about careers in the Australianmeat industry; training; traineeships;apprenticeships; and scholarships. Checktheir website at www.mintrac.com.au

Encourage educational institutions orregistered training organisations to visit yoursite to promote relevant programs toemployees.

Food, Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Skills Advisory Council IncTelephone: 08 8362 6012Facsimile: 08 8362 1455Email: [email protected]: www.fthskillscouncil.com.au

Meat & Livestock Australia

Telephone: 02 9463 9106Facsimile: 02 9463 9182Email: [email protected]: www.mla.com.au

© Copyright Meat and Livestock Australia and the FTH SkillsCouncil South Australia on behalf of the Minister for Employment,Training and Further Education, Government of South Australia2007. Provided under licence. All rights reserved .

Although all reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of the information contained in this document, it has been provided in good faith for generalinformation only. No warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness, correctness, accuracy, reliability or currency of that information. Thedocument is not intended to be exhaustive or to replace the need for people to make their own enquiries or to seek independent advice. The informationcontained in the document is provided on the basis that the Food, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Skills Advisory Council, Meat and Livestock Australia, theCrown in the right of the State of South Australia and Adit Communications accept no liability for any loss or damage caused or arising from the use of theinformation.

For further information about workforce development resources for the SA Meat Industry, please contact:

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