ARCHIVED - Career Development in the Federal Public Service - Building a World-Class Workforce

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A Message from: Peter Harder

It seems fitting that the Canadian Public Service shares a common challenge with the nation it serves - the challenge of human development and growth. Like Canadians, public servants yearn to achieve their potential, to be ready for the challenges ahead. They instinctively understand that learning and growth is the only way to ensure their continuing relevance, their continuing capacity to serve Canadians with honour and distinction. In this publication the collective voice of federal public servants speaks to this issue and informs us about the priorities that must be addressed to meet the challenge.

People are the lifeblood of any organization. Without them, aspirations cannot be achieved and legacies cannot be built. It therefore follows that responsible employers must learn to listen and serve the needs of the individual. Armed with this conviction a partnership was created with a goal to listen to the men and women of the public service, and to learn from them about their experiences, about what helped them be successful and about what they believe needs to be changed. It is our hope that this information will inform others in Canada about how to meet the needs of individuals in their organizations, and by extension, to ensure the continuation of productive, thriving workforces that are the basis of our collective prosperity in Canada.

Funded by the Royal Bank, the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada, and Carleton University researchers from the Centre for Education on Women and Work conducted a research study on career development. The study's purpose is to provide the necessary data to assist the public service to build a world class workforce. The results of a survey of over 2500 men and women public servants, and over 250 in-depth interviews, are found in this publication. The data provided by this research are rich and instructive. They provide government and other employers with a deeper understanding of what must be done to ensure our people and our organizations are ready for the future.

As the Royal Bank Visiting Chair on Women and Work, I am proud to have participated with others in bringing this research to light. As Secretary of the Treasury Board, I call on public service employees, their managers and our human resource practitioners to study this research and to understand its implications. I issue a challenge as well - a challenge not just to listen and to learn - but a challenge to act. I also affirm my responsibility and commitment to using what we have learned from public servants to develop the policies and practices that will answer the challenges presented in the data.

A final pleasure is to thank our partners, the Royal Bank and Carleton University, and all those who contributed to the development and publication of this research. Most of all I wish to thank those public servants who contributed generously of their time to provide us with the information necessary for this research study.

V. Peter Harder
Secretary of the Treasury Board and Royal Bank Visiting Chair on Women and Work

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge and thank the following groups and individuals without whose assistance this research would not have been possible:

• The project's Advisory Board (Karen Brown, Doreen Steidle, Carole Swan, Cathy Downes, Kay Stanley, Ivan Fellegi).

• The departmental contacts for the interview and survey studies (Environment - Ron Duval and Lynne Houde; DND - George Domaradzki and Michelle Richardson; Health - Patricia Jaton and Carmen Rule; DFAIT - Doreen Seguin; Revenue Canada - Tracy Lyall and Christine Dumoulin; PSC - Douglas Booker; Justice - Zina Glinski; Treasury Board/Finance - Mariette Ledo and Nicole McMullen; Industry - Jo-Ann Williamson; HRDC - George Thwaites and Julie Desjardins; Statistics Canada - Lee Reid, Eve Simpson, Diane Snowball and Martin Hiltz; Natural Resources Canada - Robert Levis).

• Organizational and departmental contacts for best practice interviews (Xerox Canada Ltd - Jocelyne Traub; Pratt & Whitney Canada - Michel Gagne; Royal Bank - Frank McAuley, Mike J. Kavanagh, Blair Pollard, Sharon Wingfelder, Shelley Lockhart, Miro G. Skrivanic; Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Ltd - Janet McChesney, Sherry Adams, Clare Norman; Bell Canada - Denis Coderre, Stephanie L. Sykes; Bank of Montreal - Dennis F. Arnold, Gabriella R. Zillmer; IBM Canada - Terry J. F. Whittam, Donna M. Marks, Sheri G. Stewart, Bob Willard, Cathy Poulin, Susan Williams; Alcan Aluminium Ltd. - Clermont Le Breton; Business Development Bank of Canada - Pauline Rochefort; Statistics Canada - Eve Simpson; National Research Council - Estelle Vincent-Fleurs; Health Canada - Patricia Jaton; Treasury Board Secretariat - Dawn Nicholson-O'Brien, Helene Charlebois and Mariette Ledo; Ontario Public Service - Murray Le Masurier, Rita Greenidge, Gwen Strachan).

• The individuals who participated in the interview study and those who completed the survey.

• Our research assistants (Les Szamosi for looking after data entry and data analysis; Carole Campbell for, amongst other things, taking charge of getting the surveys sent out: Donna Coghill, Parise Cote and Karen Johnson for conducting the interviews and coding the results; and Karen Johnson for developing the coding scheme and keeping us on track).

• The team who helped put the report together (Karen Johnson for her work on the executive summary and her excellent job of editing the final report and Vivian Proulx at Ryan/Smith Design for typesetting and design).

• Janet Weichel McKenzie from the Department of Communications, Carleton University for organizing the media release of the report.

• The Royal Bank for funding the Royal Bank Chair in Women and Work, School of Business, Carleton University.

• Paula Bennett from the Treasury Board for taking the lead role in getting the conference organized.

• Pam LeBlanc from the Treasury Board for her help in keeping the research on track.

• Our families for their support (especially during the writing phase of this research!).

• Dr. Ivan Fellegi of Statistics Canada for helping us with the survey design and the sampling frame.

Finally, we would like to thank Peter Harder for his leadership during all phases of this project. The study could not have been done without his interest and active involvement in this project.

Thank-you
Linda Duxbury, Ph.D " Lorraine Dyke, Ph.D " Natalie Lam, Ph.D

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Executive Summary

Career Development in the Federal Public Service: Building a World-Class Workforce

by

Linda Duxbury, Ph.D,
School of Business, Carleton University

Lorraine Dyke, Ph.D,
School of Business, Carleton University

Natalie Lam, Ph.D,
Faculty of Administration, University of Ottawa

BACKGROUND

In today's uncertain environment, the recruitment, retention, and motivation of employees, particularly in key areas such as the scientific, professional and computer fields, is a growing challenge. Fundamental to designing and evaluating career development program and policy, however, is an understanding of existing career opportunities and barriers from the employee's perspective.

This report presents the results of a recent study of perceptions of career development among knowledge workers in the federal Public Service. The research topic was identified for study by Peter Harder, Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada as part of his mandate as Visiting Chair on Women and Work at Carleton University's School of Business. The research was conducted in the summer and fall of 1998 by researchers associated with Carleton University's Centre for Research and Education on Women and Work.

The objectives of the study were:

1. to explore various career development strategies, opportunities, and constraints among federal Public Service knowledge workers in an effort to better understand the perceptions and experiences of these employees; and
2. to suggest ways in which the federal Public Service can make it easier for Public Service knowledge workers to meet their career goals

The method of data collection involved three phases:

1. an interview study, conducted with a small, selected group of federal government knowledge workers in order to allow an in-depth exploration of employee opinions, concerns and insights
2. a pencil and paper survey, conducted with a larger sample of federal government knowledge workers in order to allow researchers a more structured examination of the factors associated with career development, including work background and environment, career aspirations, and work attitudes and behaviours
3. a "best practices" case studyof a sample of Canadian organizations on the leading edge of career development in order to allow federal policy makers to reflect on their own human resources practices and to help them identify a set of career development practices that might contribute to organizational success and employee growth

The samples for the interview and survey studies were developed in an attempt to represent key groups of knowledge workers in the federal Public Service. Under the recommendation of a research advisory board of senior Public Service executives, 3 employee categories were sampled: Executive, Scientific and Professional, and Administrative and Foreign Service.

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THE INTERVIEW STUDY

Objectives

The interview study was designed to explore employees' perspectives and experiences in terms of:

• their definition of success in career and in life
• their career goals and strategies
• their perceptions of the factors associated with promotions
• rewards, frustrations, and turnover intentions
• organizational support for their career development

Each of the above issues was examined as a function of gender, job type and program participation status (whether or not the employee was a participant in one of four formal career development programs (CDP)- - Accelerated Executive Development Program (AEXDP), Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) Pool, Career Assignment Program (CAP), or Management Trainee Program (MTP).

Method

A series of semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted by experienced interviewers and tape recorded with permission. Work history and demographic data for the interview study were collected by means of a supplementary "fax-back" questionnaire.

Sample

The interview sample consisted of 254 employees representing 19 federal government departments and 48 job classifications. The sample was distributed as illustrated in Figure A.

The "typical" employee in the interview sample was married, held at least one university degree, was in his or her mid- to late-career years, and a member of the "sandwich generation". He or she had been with the Public Service for at least ten years (one third of the sample over 20 years), had held at least four different positions, and had a wide variety of professional experience both within and outside of the Public Service. This sample was highly mobile (over half had made recent lateral moves; three quarters had been promoted in the past five years), suggesting that interviewees were a "select" sample who might have a number of successful career development strategies to share.

Definitions of Success

Respondents defined career success in terms of:

• enjoyment and satisfaction in the work itself (51% of sample)
• self-esteem, reward and accomplishment (34%)
• career progress (32%)
• recognition and extrinsic rewards (28%)
• learning (27%)
• the ability to contribute and influence (25%)

Virtually all respondents defined life success in terms of family, lifestyle, and leisure. A substantial majority (two thirds) commented that a successful career, although important to life success, was merely one aspect.

Career Goals

When asked where they saw their careers within five years, some respondents aspired to a particular position; others defined their goals in terms of intrinsic reward. Goals included:

• a Deputy Minister (DM) or Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) position (10%)
• a "management" position (29%)
• a job yielding satisfaction, self-esteem, accomplishment, or learning (27%)
• a job that shows progress, is a clear "step up" (18%)
• a job outside of the federal Public Service (11%)
• a job where I can make a difference/contribution (11%)
• "I'm already where I want to be" (14%)

When asked where they saw their careers "ultimately", respondents were more likely to aspire to particular senior government positions, or to want to broaden their horizons by making a move to another area of government, or leaving the Public Service to work in another sector. Long-term goals included:

• a DM or ADM position (21%)
• a job yielding satisfaction, self-esteem, accomplishment, or learning (21%)
• a "management" position (18%)
• a move to another area of the federal Public Service (18%)
• a job outside the Public Service that pays more/offers greater recognition (18%)

Career Strategies

Respondents were asked what they had done within the past three years to increase the chances they might reach their goals. Less than 5% of the sample believed they had done "nothing" personally to move their careers forward. By far, the most common strategy was to take steps to increase their breadth of knowledge and experience, including such strategies as a lateral move within the department or a move to a new and challenging area outside the government:

• increased my breadth of experience (62%)
• trained (e.g., language, HR, finance; 28%)
• joined a specific career development program (e.g., CAP, AEXDP; 28%)
• increased my visibility (put myself on the "radar screen"; 21%)
• scanned the horizon to learn about trends and issues (16%)
• networked or found a mentor (16%)

Factors Associated with Promotions

Interviews also explored employees' interpretations of their experiences in the promotion/competition arena. Over 90% of the sample had earned at least one promotion in the course of their Public Service career. When asked why they thought they had been successful in obtaining their promotion(s), respondents typically attributed their success to personal qualities:

• I was the best qualified (55%)
• I had a strong performance history (45%)

Two thirds of the sample recalled at least one instance in which they had been unsuccessful. In contrast to their successes, lack of success was attributed both to personal experience and to external factors over which respondents felt little control:

• I did not have enough experience, someone else was better qualified (42%)
• poor "fit" with those doing the selection (16%)
• someone else had been groomed for the position (15%)
• equity/diversity issue (wasn't in the "target group", old boys' club; 14%)

Rewards, Frustrations, and Turnover Intentions

In order to assess the extent to which respondents might be considering alternatives to a Public Service career, employees were asked about the rewards and frustrations associated with working in the federal Public Service. For the vast majority of respondents, the ability to make a contribution to society was the most rewarding aspect of their work:

• ability to make a contribution (59%)
• variety of challenging work available within the Public Service (19%)
• work provides a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem (16%)
• stimulating people to work with (15%)

Bureaucracy and a work atmosphere characterized by intergroup conflicts and heavy workloads was the greatest frustration:

• bureaucracy (related to processes, staffing, or outcomes; 75%)
• work atmosphere/culture/values (21%)
• political interference (between my needs, needs of public, needs of officials; 16%)

A large majority of respondents (75%) had considered leaving the Public Service at one time or another, most for the private sector (58%) or to start their own business (25%).

Organizational Support for Career Development

Interviews explored three sources of organizational support for employee career development: supervisory support, departmental support, and support from the Public Service as a whole. When asked what each of these three levels of the organization did to help employees reach their goals, responses were consistent with participants' personal career development strategies: organizational measures which increased employees' breadth of experience and exposure were most highly valued. Supervisors were the most influential source of support (only 17% of respondents said their supervisors did nothing to help them with their careers), with perceived support diminishing with more distal aspects of the organization (25% felt their department did nothing; 30% felt the Public Service did nothing). As expected, strong interpersonal relationships and explicit career discussions were important at the supervisor level, whereas more formal initiatives were mentioned at the level of the department and Public Service:

Supervisor support

• good people skills, sincerely interested in me (39%)
• increases my breadth, exposure (34%)
• good communicator, keeps me posted (24%)
• gives me autonomy (24%)
• overtly focuses on my career (22%)

Departmental support

• increases my breadth, exposure (28%)
• supports training and education (24%)
• offers formal career development programs (18%)
• focus on people skills and management (15%)

Public Service support

• offers formal career development programs (48%)
• increases my breadth, exposure (17%)
• supports training and education (17%)

Group Differences

The pattern of responses to the interviews varied according to gender, job type, and program participation status. Key between-group differences were:

Gender

As compared to women, men were more likely to:

• define career success in terms of recognition
• see career goals in terms of leaving Public Service
• be frustrated by political interference
• mention that their supervisor provided autonomy

As compared to men, women were more likely to:

• define career success in terms of esteem
• see career goals in intrinsic terms
• be frustrated by the work environment
• mention that their supervisor had good people skills

Job type

The senior management and scientist groups emerged on many measures as distinctly different from others. As compared to employees in other jobs,

Senior managers were more likely to:

• define career success in terms of esteem
• see career goals in terms of influence and contribution
• have scanned the horizon as a career strategy
• attribute their promotions to experience, performance, and a good "fit" with those in charge of selection
• find rewards in the variety and challenge of work
• be frustrated by political interference
• have thought of leaving the Public Service
• mention their supervisor provided autonomy
• think the department did nothing in the way of support

Scientists were more likely to:

• define career success in terms of satisfaction and recognition
• describe career goals in intrinsic terms
• say they were already in the position they aspired to
• attribute their promotions to meeting a formal requirement or being "good" at the competition process
• find rewards in a sense of accomplishment and the variety and challenges of the job
• have thought of leaving the Public Service
• mention that their supervisor supported them by giving them breadth
• mention that their supervisor hindered them by not being knowledgeable about their work
• think that the Public Service had done nothing in the way of support

Managers were more likely to:

• find rewards in the opportunity to learn

Officers were more likely to:

• define career success in terms of satisfaction and recognition
• describe their goals in terms of progress
• have pursued training and increased their visibility as career strategies
• find rewards in the people they worked with

Analysts were more likely to:

• attribute their promotions to "being automatic-part of their program"
• find rewards in the people they worked with
• mention that their supervisor supported them by mentoring

Program Participants Versus Non-program Employees

Employees who were participants in formal career development programs (AEXDP, ADM Pool, CAP or MTP) differed from non-program employees in the following ways:

Program participants were more likely to:

• define career success in terms of learning and contribution
• see career goals in terms of achieving a DM or ADM position
• attribute their promotions to their performance history
• join a formal program, scan the horizon, or increase their breadth as career development strategies
• find rewards in the variety and challenge of work
• have thought of leaving the Public Service
• mention that their supervisor had good people skills, mentored them, and increased their visibility
• think that their department had helped them by offering formal career development programs and communicating information to them

Non-program employees were more likely to:

• say that they were already in the position they aspired to
• pursue training as a career strategy
• attribute their promotions to meeting a formal requirement
• find rewards in a sense of accomplishment and the people they worked with
• think that their department had done nothing to help them
• think that the Public Service had done nothing to help them

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THE SURVEY STUDY

Objectives

The survey study was designed to investigate career development in the federal Public Service in a more structured format with a larger group of respondents. Primary objectives were to examine:

• what employees valued in a career and what they hoped to achieve
• the steps they had taken to attain their goals
• their perceptions of career support provided by the organization
• their work attitudes and behaviours

Each of the above issues was examined as a function of gender, job category (Executive, Scientific and Professional, Administrative and Foreign Service) and promotional status (whether or not the respondent had been promoted at least once in his/her federal government career).

Method

Each of 13 participating departments was asked to draw a random sample of 20% of their Executive, Scientific and Professional, Administrative and Foreign Service employees. This procedure produced an initial sample of 6,908 federal employees in the target job categories. Questionnaires in both official languages were distributed via internal mail by a departmental contact person and returned in sealed envelopes to protect confidentiality. A total of 2,350 usable questionnaires were returned before the cut-off date, resulting in a final response rate of 40% (net of undeliverables and late returns).

Sample

The survey sample was distributed as illustrated in Figure B.

The "typical" survey respondent was similar to the interview respondents in many respects (married, university educated, in the mid- to late-career years, with both child- and elder-care responsibilities). Respondents had an average tenure of 17 years with the federal government, and had worked on average in two different departments during that time. Nearly half of the respondents (44%) worked in sites outside of the National Capital Region.

Career Values

The survey format allowed researchers to contrast what employees valued in their careers with what they actually encountered in the federal Public Service work environment. From a list of 15 possible achievements, respondents were asked how important each was to his or her definition of career success, and to what extent these same achievements were available to them in their work. Results suggested a considerable gap between "dreams" and "reality". Following are some noteworthy differences:

	Important to me	Available to me
Doing work that is enjoyable	97%	75%
A sense of accomplishment	96%	59%
Learning and developing skills	89%	62%
A salary that affords a comfortable lifestyle	86%	51%
A balance between work and non-work life	85%	63%
Being surrounded by stimulating people	78%	45%
Contributing to society	71%	50%
Influencing the direction of the organization	54%	22%
Increasing financial rewards	53%	25%

Career Goals and Strategies

Many federal employees had given considerable thought to what they wanted to achieve in their careers: 68% had specific career goals; 51% scored high on a measure of career planning. To get a sense of which career actions respondents might like to pursue, respondents were asked to indicate how likely it was that they would take advantage of 13 opportunities if they became available within the next two years. A majority of employees indicated that they would be likely to take advantage of opportunities which enriched or challenged them professionally:

• a new challenging assignment (71%)
• advancement to a higher position (67%)
• a special work opportunity or project (66%)
• intensive employer-funded training (56%)
• an opportunity to help younger employees develop professionally (51%)

Only a minority of employees indicated that they would likely take advantage of opportunities which removed them from the workplace or reduced their pay. Least likely options were:

• an unpaid leave (15%)
• a sabbatical (20%)
• a reduced workweek at prorated pay and benefits (23%)

In order to examine what steps employees took to further their careers, respondents were asked to indicate to what extent they had engaged in a list of 20 possible behaviours. Four strategies were used to a great extent by three quarters or more of the respondents:

• showing initiative (85%)
• consistently exceeding performance expectations (73%)
• doing quality work on things superiors pay attention to (73%)
• doing things that are well beyond what is required by the job (73%)

Conversely, less than one quarter of respondents used the following strategies:

• showing a willingness to relocate (25%)
• moving from one department to another (13%)
• cultivating a powerful mentor (11%)

Organizational Support for Career Development

The survey format also allowed a comparison of "dreams" versus "reality" in terms of responsibility for career development. When asked who they thought should be responsible for employee development, 71% of respondents indicated the responsibility should be shared between employer and employee. Only 17% of respondents, however, believed that responsibility was shared in the federal Public Service: most employees (73%) said that career development was left to the employee.

Items which tapped supervisor and departmental support for employee career development mirrored the results of the interview study: supervisors were rated higher than the department in terms of support (37% of supervisors were rated highly supportive, versus 18% of departments). The perceived level of support from either source, however, was rather low.

Work Attitudes and Behaviours

Career satisfaction

Less than half of the survey respondents (49%) indicated that they were very satisfied with their career progress to date. They were even less positive about their future prospects: only 35% believed it likely that they would be able to meet their career goals if they spent the remainder of their careers within the Public Service (30% considered it unlikely).

Job satisfaction

The inability to satisfy career goals can be a source of dissatisfaction which can spill over into attitudes about the job itself. When assessed in terms of overall job satisfaction, only 44% of respondents were highly satisfied with their jobs. This is a lower level of satisfaction than has been reported in similar studies with other employee groups.

The highest levels of satisfaction were associated with:

• the schedule of work
• the job in general
• the types of things done on the job

The lowest levels of satisfaction were expressed in reference to:

• the ability to advance
• pay

Commitment

Employees who are highly committed to the organization work hard, are absent less often and are less likely to leave for a new job. Earning employees' commitment, therefore, is an important organizational goal. The survey suggested that only 32% of employees were highly committed to the federal Public Service, a much lower proportion than has been reported in other employee groups (typically as high as 55% to 66%). Allegiance leaned more toward the department: 42% of employees indicated they were highly committed to their departments.

Turnover intentions

Three quarters of survey respondents (74%) had considered leaving the Public Service at one point or another, a proportion very similar to that obtained in the interview study (75%). Survey respondents were most likely to think they might leave for the private sector or to start their own business, again similar to the interview responses. The survey also tapped, however, the proportion of respondents who were considering leaving at the time of the survey: 21% scored high on their turnover intentions when asked if they were thinking of leaving the Public Service within the next year. Again, this was a higher level of turnover intention than has been reported elsewhere.

Group Differences

The pattern of survey responses varied according to gender, job category, and promotional status. Key between-group differences were:

Gender

As compared to women, men were more likely to:

• value the ability to influence the direction of the organization
• experience greater gaps between their goals and their opportunities
• pursue high visibility projects or become a leader in their peer group as career strategies
• be dissatisfied with their career progress and believe that they were unlikely to meet their career goals if they remained in the Public Service
• be dissatisfied with their jobs, particularly in the area of workload, pay and ability to advance
• have a low level of commitment to the Public Service
• consider leaving the Public Service within the next year

As compared to men, women were more likely to:

• value the ability to achieve a balance, the development of new skills, and the ability to move through positions of increasing responsibility
• be interested in developmental opportunities such as a special assignment or challenging new work
• be interested in reduced work week or an unpaid leave
• exceed performance expectations and go well beyond the requirements of the job as career strategies
• have had a mentor
• have acquired breadth through a variety of work
• have been promoted in the past five years
• be satisfied with their career progress and were more positive about future prospects if they remained with the Public Service
• be satisfied with their jobs
• be committed to the Public Service, and less likely to consider leaving the Public Service within the next year

Job category

As compared to employees in other job categories,

Executives were more likely to:

• value the ability to influence the direction of the organization and being surrounded by stimulating people
• say they would like the opportunity to move to a central agency or help develop younger employees
• have utilized a wide range of strategies, including line experience, staff experience, stretch assignments, special work opportunities, and opportunities to interact with senior managers
• have had mentors
• perceive higher levels of support from both supervisors and the department
• be satisfied with their career progress and believe that they could meet their goals within the Public Service
• be more satisfied with the job in general, but less satisfied with workload and the number and scheduling of work hours
• be committed to the Public Service

Administrative and Foreign Service Personnel were more likely to:

• place a lower value on making a contribution to society
• experience greater gaps between their goals and their opportunities
• be interested in advancement to a higher position, a parallel move, a move to a central agency, or developmental opportunities such as a special assignment or training
• have had access to training
• believe they may not be able to meet their career goals within the Public Service
• be dissatisfied with their pay

Scientists and Professionals were more likely to:

• place a lower value on moving through positions of increasing responsibility or on obtaining increasing financial rewards
• have a lower rate of promotion
• be interested in a sabbatical or unpaid leave
• have a lower level of commitment to the Public Service

Promotional status

Employees who had been promoted were more likely to:

• perceive smaller gaps between goals and opportunities
• report that their jobs provided for a personal sense of accomplishment, growth and development, and a salary commensurate with a comfortable lifestyle
• be interested in advancing to a higher position or moving to a parallel assignment
• have built breadth (worked in a variety of areas), focused on work important to their superiors, and solicited career support from others as career strategies
• have had a mentor
• perceive higher levels of support from both supervisors and the department
• have individual career counselling and formal career discussions with a superior
• be satisfied with their career progress to date, and more optimistic about their ability to meet their career goals within the Public Service
• be satisfied with the job in general, particularly in terms of pay and their ability to advance
• be committed to the Public Service

Employees who had not been promoted were more likely to:

• experience larger gaps between goals and opportunities
• report that their jobs did not provide a comfortable salary and opportunities for learning and skills development
• have attended career planning workshops
• be interested in taking a sabbatical
• be dissatisfied with their career progress to date, and more negative about their ability to achieve their goals within the Public Service
• be dissatisfied with their jobs in general, particularly with pay and the ability to advance
• have lower levels of commitment to the Public Service
• be thinking of leaving the Public Service within the next year

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THE "BEST PRACTICES" CASE STUDIES

Objectives

The best practices study was undertaken in order to "benchmark" the HR practices of organizations considered to be high performers in the career development arena. Benchmarking embodies the idea that it is possible for decision-makers to examine the best practices of other organizations, reflect on the appropriateness of these practices in their own context, and then implement changes based on their observations. It was hoped that the lessons learned from best-in-class organizations would help the Public Service to identify, define, and refine its own career development practices so as to better contribute to organizational success and employee growth.

Method

Fourteen Canadian organizations were identified and in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals responsible for career management and career development programs in each organization. The employers featured in this phase of the study were selected on the basis of their outstanding reputations in the Canadian career management arena (e.g., having been identified as one of Financial Post's 100 best companies to work for, a government department with a reputation of innovative programs in the area). Information was obtained through in-depth personal interviews, written policy summaries guidelines and other material provided by our contact people. On average, interviews lasted three hours.

Sample

Of the 14 organizations, eight were private sector companies: Alcan Aluminum, Bank of Montreal, Hewlett-Packard Canada, IBM Canada, Pratt & Whitney, Royal Bank, Bell Canada, and Xerox Canada; one was a crown corporation: Business Development Bank of Canada; and five were public sector organizations: Health Canada, National Research Council, Statistics Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada, and the Ontario Public Service. Due to space limitations, only seven of these organizations are profiled in this report; the remainder will be featured in upcoming reports.

The final organizations selected for this report were:

• Alcan
• Bank of Montreal
• Health Canada
• Hewlett-Packard
• IBM Canada
• Royal Bank
• Statistics Canada

Lessons Learned

Although, given the diversity of these organizations, there was a wide range of approaches to career development, there also were some striking similarities. Following is a summary of some of the key similarities and "critical success factors" associated with exemplary management of career development.

Organizations who are top performers in managing employee career development:

1. Have top management's full commitment and supportSenior executives set the tone for the organization's culture, so without this driving force, even the best processes will not provide the benefits they are capable of delivering.
2. Invest in career developmentBest practice organizations back up their visions with actual commitment of financial, human and technical resources.
3. Align development with corporate objectives as well as personal goalsThere was consensus that it is of utmost importance to link career goals to business strategies, directions and needs if both parties are to win.
4. Have a culture which values, supports and rewards learningCareer development systems thrive in a culture that supports and rewards learning and participation.
5. Share the responsibility for career developmentIn these organizations, career development is employee owned, manager facilitated, and organization supported.
6. Build accountability into the systemManager accountability for the development of their employees is particularly critical in these organizations, as managers play a pivotal role in coaching employees, rewarding them, and evaluating their performance.
7. Train their managers in the skills they needto support employee career developmentBest practice organizations recognize that for managers to be comfortable and competent in their career development roles, they need to be trained in skills such as coaching, providing performance feedback, etc.
8. Give employees the processes, information, tools and resources they needIf organizations are to charge employees with responsibility for their own careers, then employees must have the resources they need to proceed. Most of the organizations in this study provided a host of information and resources to facilitate career planning and development (e.g., self-assessment tools, catalogues of training options, workshops).
9. Are good communicatorsWithout employee awareness of career development options, initiatives are without value. Many organizations made use of existing communication systems in order to spread information regarding career development (e.g., using the job posting system not only to advertise jobs, but also to communicate organizational priorities and activities and opportunities in other parts of the organization.)
10. Offer employees a number of development optionsA range of options are typically available, including formal courses, seminars, workshops, mentoring, and online self-paced learning.
11. Emphasize experiential learningOn the job learning through rotations, assignments and project work serves organizational needs in peak areas while broadening employees' scope.
12. Integrate career management processes into other key HR processesGood career managers recognize the interrelationships among various processes and integrate career development within existing systems, such as performance management, succession planning, recruitment, staffing, and in some cases, compensation and reward.
13. Identify and nurture high potential employeesBest practice organizations identify high potential employees and target them early in their careers for systematic development and exposure and planned career moves.
14. Focus on identifying leadership throughout the organizationFocusing on high potential employees is not enough -- organizations also need to pay attention to their "solid citizens", the good contributors who may not be "high-flyers", but whose contribution is critical to the organization's success.
15. Regularly evaluate their career development systemAlthough many best practice organizations invest in career development because they simply believe in the importance of people, good career development managers also track program usage, costs, and satisfaction with training.

The success of the above approaches depends largely on culture. While what works in one organization may not work in another, lessons can be learned and strategies adapted. Organizations hoping to become better career managers first need to examine their own culture and commitment to employee development in order to determine which of the above success factors will work within their individual environments.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

The research generated 45 recommendations in 18 different areas.

Definitions of Career Success and Career Aspirations

To provide appropriate career development supports to employees it is important to understand how employees define career success and how these definitions of success are linked to career aspirations. The research findings suggest that there is not one common view of career success held by federal knowledge workers. Nor do all workers have the same aspirations. Approximately 40% of the study participants ascribe to "traditional" definitions of career success (i.e. define success in terms of career progress, recognition and increased financial rewards) while the rest espouse newer, more holistic definitions (i.e. define success in terms of satisfaction with the work they do, a personal sense of accomplishment, a chance to make a contribution, and being able to learn and develop new skills). Unfortunately the data would suggest that current Public Service career development practices satisfy neither of these definitions of career success. Nor do they help employees in either group meet their career aspirations. These data give rise to the following recommendations:

1. The Public Service redefine "career success" to include traditional and non-traditional career paths and career aspirations. This re-definition should include changes to the compensation system.

2. The Public Service develop different types of career development programs to accommodate these different definitions of success and career aspirations.

Sense of Accomplishment

Approximately half of both samples defined career success in terms of "a sense of accomplishment." Unfortunately, the data suggest that for many federal knowledge workers the Public Service work culture and the bureaucracy are reducing their ability to obtain a sense of accomplishment from work. The following recommendations deal with sense of accomplishment:

3. The Public Service identify ways to increase the personal sense of accomplishment felt by its knowledge workers. Specifically it needs to:

• provide greater autonomy to its knowledge workers
• find new ways to provide recognition for work accomplishments

With respect to the provision of greater employee recognition we recommend that the government explore the following options:

• improve salaries, especially at the executive level (concerns about salary are often about recognition as well as money)

• give managers training on how to give and receive feedback

• explore new ways of publicizing the good work the Public Service does (the data suggest that the widespread Public Service bashing in the media and elsewhere is demoralizing for those in the Public Service knowledge sector)

• make employees more aware of existing recognition and awards programs

• redesign recognition and rewards programs to align what is rewarded with what different groups of employees value (the data suggest that the Public Service is "using the wrong carrots" for employees with non-traditional views of success)

Contribution to Society

The data show that a substantive number of Public Service knowledge workers feel that one of main rewards of working in the public sector is the chance to make a contribution. The chance to make a contribution is especially important to those in the executive ranks. Unfortunately the data would suggest that the bureaucracy and the work culture in the Public Service is making it more difficult for many employees to feel that they are making a contribution. The following recommendations with respect to contributions to society are suggested:

4. The Public Service identify ways in which they can let knowledge workers know how their work was used by others.

5. The Public Service explore ways to publicly reward "contributions to Canadian society."

Work-Life Balance an Issue

The data indicate that work-life balance is a critical issue within the federal knowledge worker population. The majority of employees in both samples were in the full-nest stage of the life cycle and had significant family responsibilities (i.e. childcare and eldercare).

Furthermore, almost all of the interview respondents indicate that career success and life success are closely inter-twined. The data from both studies suggest that work-life balance issues were more problematic for female Public Service knowledge workers than for their male counterparts.

Managing the work-life issue from an organizational as well as an individual perspective is difficult but if current conditions are any indication of long term trends (and the elder care data suggest that they are) then the Public Service can be sure of one thing - this "problem" is not going to go away. The following recommendations around work-life balance are suggested.

6. The Public Service examine why motherhood and career advancement are perceived by many female Public Service knowledge workers to be mutually exclusive goals.

7. Future career development initiatives be developed using a "work-life" lens.

8. The Public Service develop explicit policies around the career development of dual-career parents.

What Career Strategies are Linked to Promotability?

Promotions are one of the most tangible forms of career progression. This research indicates that Public Service knowledge workers who received promotions used a different set of career strategies than employees who had not been promoted (see above summary on differences associated with promotional status). The following career strategy recommendations are submitted in the report:

9. The Public Service redesign their career planning workshops to make them more relevant to today's workforce.

10. The Public Service explicitly indicate the criteria that will be used in different promotion and advancement decisions.

11. The "number of promotions an employee receives within a certain time frame" be part of a set of outcome measures used by departments to formally evaluate the success of their career development initiatives and processes.

12. The Public Service make career development opportunities and initiatives such as stretch assignments, special work opportunities, individual career counselling and formal career discussions with a superior more available to interested and qualified knowledge workers.

The Individual's Role in Career Development

The data indicate that most knowledge workers in the Public Service have taken steps to develop their career. Unfortunately, the data also suggest that many employees are using strategies which are not linked to career advancement and not adopting strategies which are! Accordingly we recommend that:

13. The Public Service make employees more aware of which individual career development strategies are associated with career advancement.

14. The Public Service provide interested employees with the opportunity to network with those above them in the organization.

15. The Public Service develop and implement formal and informal mentoring programs.

16. The Public Service provide managers with training on how to effectively mentor employees.

Organizational Support of Career Development

The research suggests a number of ways in which managers, departments and the Public Service can take a more active role in the career development of its knowledge workers. Since most career support comes from one's immediate supervisor it is critical that the Public Service help managers become better people developers. We recommend that the Public Service consider the following initiatives:

17. Assess supervisors on their people management and people development skills.

18. Provide managers with training on how to deal effectively with people (i.e. communication skills, negotiation, feedback, conflict resolution).

19. Devolve responsibility for career development to the level of the employee's immediate supervisor. This will allow managers to tailor developmental opportunities to an individual's needs and values and avoid the "one-size-fits-all" approach to career development.

20. Provide supervisors with training which gives them the business rationale behind career development as well as the skills and tools they need to be a career development "partner".

21. Keep supervisors informed about future career opportunities so that they can give career-counselling to interested employees.

22. Readjust workloads so that supervisors have time to support employee development (i.e. concretely recognize it is a critical part of the management job function).

23. Make managers accountable for the career development of their subordinates.

24. Make departments accountable for the career development of their knowledge workers.

25. Make effective developmental experiences more accessible to interested employees. The survey and interview data identify a number of such developmental experiences including career discussions with supervisor, individual career counselling, career planning workshops, job rotation, formal coaching and mentoring, assessments of career potential, parallel assignments, the opportunity to acquire line experience, the opportunity to mentor younger employees, the opportunity for intensive training funded by the Public Service, challenging new assignments, special work opportunities, and stretch assignments.

26. Involve employees in the development of appropriate career development experiences and programs.

Breadth

The research indicates that "breadth" of knowledge and experience is one of the most important determinants of career advancement and career success in the knowledge sector. Given the importance of "breadth" to the career development of those in the knowledge sector it is recommended that the Public Service:

27. Make the importance of breadth of knowledge and experience(as defined in the report) widely known.

28. Make it easier for employees to make lateral moves by identifying some of the most likely lateral moves both within and between departments.

29. Develop new strategies to help knowledge workers acquire breadth using a "work-life" balance lens (i.e. how can employees gain breadth without relocating).

30. Develop a compensation system which recognizes and rewards breadth as well as depth (the Public Service has a need for both in its knowledge sector).

Visibility

While breadth may be critical for career development, many employees believe that visibility is essential for career advancement. Given the perceived importance of "visibility" to the career advancement of those in the knowledge sector it is recommended that the Public Service:

31. Make the importance of "visibility" widely known.

32. Make it easier for employees to interact and network with senior management.

Education/Training

With respect to education and training, we recommend:

33. The Public Service explicitly indicate how formal training and educational qualification are used in different promotion and advancement decisions (i.e. are they considered a requirement for the job, an indication of breadth, an indication of depth, not considered at all?).

34. The Public Service redesign their training programs to make them more relevant to today's workforce (i.e. experiential learning, on the job training, mentoring).

Equity Issues

The research suggests that there may be some backlash to government policies around employment equity and diversity. This backlash seems to centre around issues of language, gender and age. These data are cause for concern. To counteract these perceptions the Public Service needs to:

35. Provide employees with information on why employment equity and diversity initiatives are necessary.

36. Make recruitment, hiring and promotion decisions transparent.

Federal Career Development Programs

The research indicates that the Public Service needs to re-examine the design and delivery of their CDPs. In particular we recommend that:

37. The Public Service offer a broader range of federal career development programs to meet the needs of today's more diverse workforce (i.e. those with traditional definitions of success as well as those with more "holistic" views).

HR Practices

The following recommendations were made with respect to human resources management:

38. The Public Service needs to redesign the competition process. Employee involvement should be sought during this redesign.

39. HR policies and practices need to be aligned with the demographics of the Public Service work force (i.e. work- life balance, sandwich generation, elder care, dual-income couples).

40. HR policies and practices need to be redesigned to be more flexible and user friendly.

41. HR policies and practices need to be integrated with individual departmental missions (the data suggest that there is no one set of programs or policies that will meet everyone's needs).

42. Departments should measure "organizational health" on an annual or bi-annual basis. Measures of organizational health should include (but not be limited to) work stress, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, intent to turnover, morale and satisfaction with career progress. These measures can be used by departments to formally evaluate the success of their career development initiatives and processes. They can also be used in the accountability process.

Communication Key

The research indicates that the government should not simply focus on the generation and implementation of new career development opportunities. In addition:

43. The Public Service should explore new ways to disseminate relevant information on career development to interested employees.

44. The Public Service should seek, wherever possible, to involve employees in the design of future career development programs and initiatives (i.e. develop channels which facilitate upward communication).

Recognize Job Type Differences

Current federal CDPs have been developed to accommodate different career-cycle stages (i.e. MTP, CAP, AEXDP, ADM pool). The data collected in these studies suggest that job type differences are also important determinants of career aspirations and career strategies. Consequently we recommend the following:

45. The Public Service should develop CDPs which take into account job type differences in career aspirations and definitions of career success.

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Chapter 1 - Introduction

Career planning and development have been receiving increased attention in public and private sector organizations. Growing numbers of managers and professional staff are seeking more control over their worklife. As organizations downsize and restructure there is less trust in the organization to provide job security. "Employees are not willing to let their careers "just happen" and are taking an active role in planning and managing them. This is particularly true for women, employees in mid-career and university recruits who are increasingly asking for career planning assistance. On the other hand, organizations are becoming more and more reliant on their "intellectual capital." Providing career planning and development opportunities for organizational members helps to recruit and retain skilled and knowledgeable workers⁽¹⁾."

The research literature indicates that career development benefits both employees and employers alike. From the individual viewpoint, human capital theory predicts that education, training and development are valuable investments that yield returns such as higher expected income, greater employment security and higher job satisfaction. World economic and demographic trends are combining to put even greater pressure on those who lack basic and marketable skills.

From the organizational point of view the role of development ranges from the basic goal of providing employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform to acceptable standards on their job to empowering workers so they can make decisions, solve problems, help managers change the company, achieve quality (service quality or production quality), become more competitive, and rapidly and fairly exploit the potential benefits of technological change.

One can also consider how training and development can contribute to organizational effectiveness. The research literature indicates management development will make it easier for organizations to recruit high performers, retain employees who value opportunities for growth and advancement, improve interpersonal relations within the organization, increase an organization's ability to cope with change, improve employee relations, and reduce turnover.

Career development programs and processes are critical to the rebuilding of the Canadian federal Public Service; to the "building of a vibrant and creative institution relevant to the needs of Canadians - an institution capable of attracting and retaining the talent it requires and providing its public servants with rewarding and stimulating careers."⁽²⁾ Years of downsizing and pay freezes, criticism, insufficient recruitment and the premature departure of experienced public servants have made it more difficult to retain, motivate and attract people essential to the work of the Public Service⁽³⁾. In such an environment career planning and development is critical.

In the 1997-98 Annual Report of the Public Service Commission the Commissioners talk about the importance of career development and human resources management (HRM) to the rejuvenation of the federal Public Service.

"We are fully aware that to meet the ... challenges there is much work to be done. This will involve a major shift in organizational culture, in mind set and behaviour. We are committed to becoming a learning organization. We will provide the conditions and the incentives for our employees to develop the knowledge, skills and competencies we will need to achieve our goals. Our people are our future and as Benjamin Franklin once said "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." (Ginette Steward, p. 4)

"As nations increasingly face critical and complex choices it is fundamentally necessary to increase the competency of those involved in governing including public servants .... we need to nurture our staff so that their needs are identified and addressed, their skills and competencies are enhanced and their energies are sufficiently replenished and rejuvenated. Thus learning emerges as a key strategic lever since it is a significant vehicle for a rapid increase in the competency and effectiveness of our Public Service." (Mary Gusella, p. 5)

"We must do all we can to retain those who make the commitment to serve and who achieve excellence in what they do by ensuring that they continue to learn and develop." (Ruth Hubbard, p. 4)

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Research Objectives

This report summarizes the results of a major study, begun in May of 1998, on career development of knowledge-based workers⁽⁴⁾ in the Canadian Federal Public Service (Public Service). The objectives of this research were to:

1. Identify the career goals and aspirations of knowledge workers in the federal Public Service
2. Identify career development strategies currently in use in the Public Service
3. Identify ways in which the organization (supervisor, department, Public Service):
   • the career development goals of Public Service knowledge workers
   • the career development goals Public Service knowledge workers
4. Identify changes that would make it easier for knowledge workers in the Public Service to meet their career development goals
5. Use a number of critical outcome measures to evaluate organizational success with respect to career development (i.e. satisfaction with ability to meet career goals, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, intent to turnover)
6. Examine how the above issues are affected by:
   • gender,
   • job type,
   • whether or not a person has been promoted in the last five years, and
   • participation in a federal career development program (i.e. ADM pool, AEXDP, CAP, MTP).
7. Highlight state of the art practices with respect to career development through a series of case studies of career development systems in best practice organizations.

To make federal career development programs and initiatives more meaningful to public servants we first need to have a comprehensive understanding of their career goals and aspirations and their career management strategies. We need to know what development strategies work and which do not. We need to know if different groups of employees have different career aspirations. The research summarized in this report provides a significant step forward in these directions. Data collected during the course of this research should prove invaluable to all stakeholders in the career development of federal public servants: managers, employees, departments, the Public Service itself, government institutions, elected and appointed officials and the Canadian public.

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Approach

Three research studies were undertaken to meet the above objectives:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 254 knowledge based Public Service employees. Just under half of those in the interview sample participated in a federal career development program. The results from the interview study are presented and discussed in Chapter Two of this report.

• A random sample of 2,350 knowledge based Public Service employees representing 13 government departments were surveyed regarding career aspirations, career strategies, work attitudes and behaviours and work history. Survey results are presented and discussed in Chapter Three of this report.

• Case studies were conducted with seven public and private sector organizations who are considered to be "best practice" organizations with respect to their career development programs and practices. These case studies are given in Chapter Four of this report.

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Outline of Chapter

This chapter is divided into five additional sections. Section three examines reasons for the increased interest in career development in public and private sector institutions. The impetus behind career management may come from either of two sources or both: (1) employers who strive to retain and effectively utilize their human resources, (2) employees who desire satisfying work and personal growth (Stone and Meltz, 1993). Sections four and five provide a summary of the current thinking on the roles of these two career development partners: the employee and the organization. Section six provides a short description of a number of current federal career development programs. The chapter ends with a brief description of how the report itself is organized.

A number of academic journal articles and career management texts were reviewed during the course of this research. There was a great deal of duplication within these documents with respect to key ideas, approaches and perspectives. To increase the readability of this document the use of academic references will be kept to a minimum. A complete list of source documents is provided for the interested reader in Appendix A.

BOX 1.1 - Definitions CAREER: The word career can be viewed from a number of different perspectives. From one perspective a career is a sequence of positions held by a person during the course of a lifetime. This is the objective career. From another perspective a career consists of all the changes in values, attitudes and motivations that occur as a person grows older. This is the subjective career. CAREER GOALS: the future positions one strives to reach as part of a career. These goals serve as benchmarks along one's career path. CAREER PLANNING: the process by which one selects career goals and the path to those goals. Career planning is important because the consequences of career success or failure are linked closely with an individual's self concept, identity and satisfaction with career and life. CAREER DEVELOPMENT: the process by which one undertakes personal improvements to achieve personal career plans or goals. A deliberate attempt by an individual to become more aware of his or her own skills, interests, values, opportunities, constraints, choices, and consequences. HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING: the process of forecasting human resource needs of an organization so that steps can be taken to ensure all those needs are met. This means avoiding both shortages and surpluses of labour.

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Why The Increased Interest in Career Development?

Profound changes in the Canadian business climate are requiring organizations to do more human resources planning and career development than in the past. These changes include the challenges of globalization and international competition; the effects of technology; government employment equity legislation; redefined concepts of client-driven service delivery and shifting demographics. Federal public sector coping strategies have included program review, Public Service reform, downsizing, restructuring, La Relève and improved customer service. These strategies demand that both employees and managers think and behave in new ways. Career development plays a tremendously large role in assuring the successful implementation of these strategies as it: (1) provides employees with the knowledge and skill needed for organizational change, and (2) can be used to communicate and sell people on the need for change.

Organizations engage in career development activities for a number of reasons (See Box 1.2). The most critical of these motivations are discussed on the next page.

BOX 1.2 - Why Worry About Career Management? The research literature reports that companies who practice career management and career planning activities indicate that they are influenced to do so by: a desire to develop and promote employees from within a shortage of promotable talent a strong expression of interest by employees a desire to increase productivity/improve customer service a concern about employee turnover a personal interest by managers a desire for a positive recruiting image employment equity legislation and planning pressures rising educational levels and occupational aspirations slow economic growth and reduced advancement opportunities Sources: Stone and Meltz (1993); Cascio and Thacker (1994)

Demographic Changes In The Labour Force

An important factor contributing to the increased importance of career development is the changing demographics of the Canadian labour force. Demographers have predicted that at the turn of the millennium as our workforce ages and many employees retire there will be shortages of educated and skilled labour. The growth rate of the labour force has declined by nearly half since the 1960s (Stone and Meltz, 1993). The number of Canadians aged 15 to 24 (the age group that typically enters the paid workforce) dropped 28% between 1980 and 1990. The average age of employees is higher than at any time in recent history. The education and skills of many seeking employment are often inadequate for the jobs that are vacant (i.e. specialized skill requirements). Within the government context it is anticipated that approximately 300 executives may leave the Public Service in each of the next five years given the age profile of this cadre. It has also been estimated that by the year 2000 approximately 80% of the new entrants to the workplace will be a mix of women, visible minorities and immigrants (Cascio and Thacker, 1994). These trends have two key implications for managers:

• the reduced supply of entry level workers will make finding, keeping and developing skilled employees a top priority in the years ahead

• the task of developing and managing a culturally diverse workforce will present managers with one of their biggest challenges in the millennium to come

A second major demographic transformation, changing attitudes in the workplace, was noted by Arnold Deutsche in his book entitled The Human Resource Revolution: Communicate or Litigate. Key attitudinal changes noted include rising expectations for a more rewarding career, more humane working experiences and a greater "democratization" of the workplace. At this point in time many employees, especially but not only those who are highly educated, want a career not "just a job" and many have high expectations about gaining satisfaction from their work now and in the future. Increasingly, workers want a say in decisions affecting their jobs and their employment. These types of employees have higher expectations with respect to career development programs and experiences.

The federal Public Service has responded to these demographic changes in a number of ways including: (1) The Universal Classification System (UCS) a redesign and simplification of the classification system, (2) new recruitment strategies to address skills shortages; (3) new or revised corporate development programs including those for executives; and (4) the renewal of functional communities such as IT, science and technology, communications, middle management and policy specialists.

Downsizing and Restructuring

At the outset of the 90s the Canadian business climate was battered by a combination of factors that produced a record high level of bankruptcies, declining employment and rising unemployment. Factors that had a negative effect on the economy included (among other things) high interest rates, a high exchange rate for the Canadian dollar vis-a-vis the U.S. dollar, the introduction of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the slowdown in the U.S. economy (Stone and Meltz, 1993). These changes in the Canadian economy and the need to compete globally has lead many organizations to reduce staff and restructure employment in order to lower their operating costs. For employees this downsizing and restructuring has lead to decreased morale and job satisfaction and increased job insecurity and stress. For the human resources function this downsizing has had a major impact on compensation and functions such as recruiting, retraining, benefits and layoffs. The other reality of slowed economic growth and downsizing is that upward mobility is less of an option for many. In such an environment, career planning and development increases in importance as a vehicle for meeting employee demands for more satisfying work and job security.

In recent years the federal Public Service has undergone considerable restructuring and downsizing. Program Review, announced in the 1994 budget, involved a comprehensive review of federal government programs and services. Its goals were to clarify the government's roles and responsibilities; to ensure that resources are used for priorities; and to deliver on the government's commitment to achieve better, more accessible and more affordable government. Although program review was originally scheduled to terminate on March 31, 1998 it was later extended for an additional 12 month period and will officially end March 31, 1999. The program has so far managed to streamline federal programs and services and reduce federal government spending. As a result of this major initiative, the Public Service has witnessed a 17% decline in the size of the workforce.⁽⁵⁾

In the midst of downsizing and restructuring, career related programs are not just possible but vitally important. Restructuring can lead to many redundant or inappropriately placed employees and a career management strategy which focuses on in-placement is critical⁽⁶⁾.

Technological Change

Technological advances have fundamentally changed the nature of work. They have changed when and where we work, blurred the boundaries between work and non-work, increased the pace of work, and changed service delivery. Technological change is creating and destroying new jobs at an astonishing rate. Employees need to learn new skills and knowledge. When jobs changed radically in the past, many employers simply laid off older, "redundant" employees and hired new, usually younger workers. The labour demographics of the 1990s make this approach to human resources much more difficult.

Technological changes are linked to career development and HRM in two ways: (1) they have increased the need for retraining so that existing employees will be part of the future, and (2) the need to recruit and retain employees with skills in Information Technology (IT) has become critical. In this regard, it should be noted that while technological needs are increasing in the Public Service and the demand for IT professionals is constantly rising, the Year 2000 challenge has compounded the difficulty of recruiting qualified individuals for this group.

Government Legislation

The expansion of government legislated programs such as employment equity, pay equity and other employment standards has also had a profound effect on career development and management in terms of responsibilities and activities. In a recent survey, one-third of senior HR executives in Canada ranked employment equity and pay equity as crucial in achieving business and human resources objectives (Stone and Meltz, 1993). The La Relève Task Force focus on HRM issues has created increased awareness of the importance of a representative workforce and the human resources challenges in achieving it. Despite a long-standing commitment to Employment Equity, the Public Service has yet to achieve a representative workforce.

Human Capital

Another factor leading to an increased awareness of the importance of career development is the organization's need to make the best possible use of their most valuable resource - people - in times of rapid technological growth and change. With global competition has come the realization of the enormous potential of a highly educated, trained and motivated workforce. People are what make organizations work. How these people are trained and developed determines to a large extent how successful an organization will be. By developing employees for future positions an organization is assured a supply of qualified, committed employees to replace higher level employees who either terminate or advance. This facilitates internal staffing of the organization and reduces the costs of external recruiting and selection. In addition a career planning and development strategy enables organizations to develop and place employees in positions compatible with their individual career interests, needs and goals thus boosting employee satisfaction and optimizing the use of employee abilities.

Collective Bargaining

The Public Sector Compensation Act (PSCA) has also presented a number of unique challenges to career management and development initiatives in the federal Public Service. Approximately 88% of the federal Public Service is unionized. In Oct. 1991 the government passed the Public Sector Compensation Act (PSCA) which suspended collective bargaining and precluded salary increases. This act was subsequently extended and broadened in its application. It was seen by the government as an important component in accomplishing its financial objectives. In 1996-97, the President of the Treasury Board, Marcel Masse announced the PSCA would not be extended and would be allowed to expire as scheduled. Beginning in June 1996 the two year suspension of annual increments (imposed in the 1994 budget) was lifted. At the same time performance pay, the equivalent of increments for more senior employees which had been suspended since 1991, was reintroduced. The government has stated that it is committed to returning to collective bargaining in a way that is fair to both employees and taxpayers. In 1996 the government passed legislation to suspend binding arbitration in collective bargaining for a three year period. All groups will be subject to the conciliation process as outlined in the Public Service Staff Relations Act (PSSRA) if the parties are unable to reach a settlement on their own.

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