How can you facilitate career development conversations with resistant employees?

If an employee is resistant to a conversation about career development, it means that they either do not welcome your participation in their career development planning – a perfectly reasonable boundary to set – or they are not in agreement with the career development guidance you provided. It is their career, after all! Here in the US, the vast majority of working people do not have contracts. It is more than a little ironic that we might construct career paths for employees without guaranteeing them employment at all beyond today. We can make career development suggestions and ask employees about their preferences, but career development decisions are theirs, not ours. Our job is to support them in their goals as much as possible.

Employee resistance to career development conversations can stem from 3 key factors: 1. Trust that the leader has their best interests at heart. 2. It is safe to be honest about career aspirations without it impacting their current role or perceptions of the leader, and 3. Believing that there will be subsequent support or training to make the effort worthwhile. Many organizations have the career conversation but no follow through on training or new opportunities.

To address employee resistance to career development, it's vital to understand their reasons, such as fear of change or lack of confidence. If direct communication is challenging, consider a private conversation with their Team Lead and colleagues to gather feedback confidentially. Assure them that feedback won't be used against the employee but to support their growth. During the conversation, avoid revealing the sources of feedback, ask open-ended questions, and focus on finding collaborative solutions. This approach ensures that we respect the privacy of all parties involved while fostering an open and constructive dialogue.

It's absurd to notice that someone is not passionate about career development in this era. It must be a system problem that employee doesn’t have faith in. It's high time to review PMS through a collaborative approach. Transformative leadership is the need of the day. One must understand that effective Manpower utilisation is the most important out of the 4M’s which must be optimised to achieve business goals. Business will be profitable and progressive only when manpower productivity is high. Each manpower should perform to their full potential with high self-motivation. This scenario will ensure employee satisfaction. There must be regular training & feedback to enhance competency level.

Take the time to understand the reasons behind the employee's resistance. It could be due to a lack of trust, fear of change, or skepticism about the benefits of career development. By understanding their concerns, you can adapt your approach accordingly and address their specific reservations.

Career has become a misnomer in most organizations. Do we invest into the human resources? Organizations look at extracting the best out of the individual considering that they might stay only for 24 to 35 months. Employees leave organizations when they don't learn and earn enough. Whose prerogative is to find the balance? the employee or the employer?

Sometimes the trust and support comes from peers or leaders outside of your team. Encourage employees to join ERGs (employee resource groups), Chambers of Commerce, or other workplace groups that support their motivations + needs. As a leader ask about challenges, barriers, and routines that may help the continued connections. You might not always be their needed connection but the trust comes from that fact that you support their career journey.

Work in the US and everywhere that has adopted the US model is seen as a series of transactions. This is an unfortunate mindset. Relationships are not made up of transactions. If we want to build trust, we have to get out of transaction mode. It is important to build trust but you don’t build trust in a conversation that relies on a level of trust you have not built. Once you establish trust, your employees will ask for your career guidance. Until then, your guidance may be seen as interference into their life. If my manager said, here is my career plan for you, I would say, let’s put it in writing and make it a legally binding agreement. Otherwise, it’s just talk. Why would I work toward this plan when it could evaporate tomorrow?

Get the employee’s manager, mentor, lead, or even a high-potential peer to be involved. Having the endorsement from an already trusted person is valuable. Also and more importantly, allow the employee to be the architect of their development plan.

In my experience, creating a safe caring environment goes a long way. When we practice leadership with compassion, we create the caring space for an employee to flourish. Being patient with your team is essential. The team feels that their leaders have their best interest, when they are accepted, and valued for what they already contribute.

If you have to sell the benefits of your career development plan, then it is not an appealing plan on its face. Employees are generally very happy to move up and take on greater responsibility, as long as the financial and non-financial rewards suit the role.

I learned a similar concept from an excellent division leader who applied a similar idea to customer relationships. There were three levels. The lowest was cost and was always transactional. As a result, the relationship was fluid. The second level was relational. More solid but still could change on a whim. The final level was partnership. Built on mutual trust and a win-win for both.

This helps the employee to see the bigger picture and understand how the proposed changes will positively impact their career development. When employees see the benefits of a particular action or change, they are more likely to be receptive to it. Focusing on benefits is also a great way for the employer to communicate that they are invested in the employee's success and are willing to work with them to achieve their goals.

Career development is a two way street and owner is the employee. Hiring right individuals to do the job - with passion and correct value system is fundamental. Anything done forcefully can never be beneficial no matter how fancy the retention/development plan is.

As the saying goes " You can take a donkey to the water, but you cannot force it to drink!". Whilst sharing benefits is great. If they don't see it, they don't. For whatever reason this might not be what they're looking for.

Letting career development to be a pull strategy instead of a push strategy is a good way to start. Let an employee be open and honest about how they see themselves, where and in what time frame. Offer support to align their plans with the business objectives to end up in a win win situation.

Understanding the impact of change on employees is vital to ensure successful career development conversation implementation. The goal is to create an improvement plan for the employee while documenting how moving up their career development ladder will be mutually beneficial while working together with the employee to develop an improvement plan. The plan will address the key skills the employee will develop and why this process is the right direction in their career to ensure the employee continues to be a Top Performer in the company. Career development conversations are not a one-way street. It requires careful planning and effective communication to ensure smooth implementation and minimal resistance from employees.

Recognize that each employee is unique and has different career goals. Tailor the conversation to their individual needs and interests. Ask open-ended questions to encourage them to share their thoughts, ambitions, and challenges. Explore their strengths and areas for improvement to identify potential career paths or development opportunities. Then co-create a plan will be effective and successful!

Think of co-creating a career development plan as constructing a bridge together. When an employee expresses a desire to advance in their career, it's our role as leaders to lay the groundwork for a successful bridge. This involves grasping their goals and aspirations and assisting them in pinpointing the necessary steps and resources. By working side by side with the employee to shape this plan, you ensure that they actively participate in their career growth. This collaborative method empowers employees to take charge of their career ambitions, which often leads to improved outcomes and higher motivation. It's a mutually beneficial situation for both the employee and the company.

As self-help gurus and psychology proponents have risen in popularity, so has the understanding of the need to protect self. Never before has a workforce been more educated and attune to self awareness, shame, balance, respect for person, background, orientation, culture and more. Contrarily, companies, under short-term performance pressure from stockholders, have shown less commitment to the person within the employee and often blame the employee for short term stays. We shouldn't be surprised this has led to a breakdown between the two entities. The question is whether stockholders will support companies that invest in their employees well being in order to regain trust and get commitment back for long term gain.

Recognition is crucial to the overall well being of one's career trajectory. Proper recognition occurs by first observing company culture and finding out what employees actually value. How do they want to celebrate achievements and successes? Employers need to engage their employees in this step to get a better sense of not only what they value but how they appreciate recognition.

Understanding follow-up and follow-through in career development is like maintaining a bridge. Treat your employees' career paths as structures needing continuous care for strength and reliability. Just as bridges need regular inspections, career development is an ongoing process. After creating a plan, schedule regular check-ins, celebrating successes and addressing challenges. Recognizing both achievements and obstacles fosters a supportive environment. Adjustments, like in any project, may be needed; be flexible to adapt the plan as necessary. Promoting a culture of career development benefits the entire workplace, not just individuals, leading to organizational success and motivated, engaged employees.

Change is the only constant. People change and grow and as they do so do their plans. It is imperative to have ongoing regular conversations about career goals and plans. Priorities for each employee may change due to personal reasons and or growth they have had from the last time they set their goals. Fostering a system that allows consistent communication on career development goals is like having regular health checks.

When clients tell me that they want to leave their current employer because they keep getting passed over for a raise or promotion, my first question is usually, "have you asked for the raise or the promotion?" Most often, they haven't. So that's on them. But if they have, I think you have a responsibility as an employer to be as honest and straightforward in your conversation as you can be. If they are lacking the skills for the promotion, how can you help them develop those skills? If they need to just develop more maturity and seniority, how can you tell them that?

The only thing more important than the initial conversation is the follow through. This is the perfect opportunity for the leader to create connection, trust, and safety for the team. Also, motivating the team to pursue the professional growth starts with the environment of excellence. The leader models the path by engaging in professional development opportunities.

It’s about them, not about you and what you want. Yes, you can invite, suggest and promote; still respect and understand that each individual’s journey is different. What matters to you now, may not be relevant to others at this time. Some people require more time or have other priorities and it’s their right. Just be there for them.

Not everyone centers their career in their life. You may have an employee who has reached a level where they feel comfortable and they are taking time to enhance their lives outside of work: learning a non-work skill, taking cooking classes, spending time outside, etc. This doesn't mean they aren't putting effort in while on the clock, just that they aren't living for the clock. A career development conversation is going to look much different for these employees. They may be happier helping their fellow workers climb the ladder by securing the base. A strong, stable base is just as important as providing upward mobility. It allows people to let go of lower level tasks and makes room for learning new things.

When engaging with employees it is important to view the whole person. Work life and career aspirations are a part of who they are but it is not their whole identity. There are many factors that make up their values, motivation, and aspirations. Employees are most productive when they are meeting their own personal goals and feel supported in their workplace. We can offer them areas of advancement or enhancements; however, it has to be a decision that the employee has a high degree of by-in.

It’s important to understand the persons reason for not wanting to engage in a career development conversation. Sometimes people feel that as they have no plans to move up the career ladder such a conversation would be irrelevant to them. They might be fearful of change. Understanding the link between their career development and how engaging in a conversation could help future proof their role is important. This is especially important if the organisation is planning to change direction and therefore be seeking new skills in the future.

Share success stories or testimonials from employees who have benefited from the organization's career development programs. These real-life examples can make the benefits more tangible and relatable.