Reviving the Relevance of Career Development in Human Resource Development

Abstract

The nature of work, organizations, and careers has evolved significantly in the past decade. In the wake of these changes, career-development research and implementation have languished. This article addresses this dearth of discourse and practice from the perspective of human resource development (HRD). The authors suggest a framework for reintegrating career development into the HRD function and offer specific learning activities better suited to the needs of individuals and organizations in this turbulent environment. Recommendations for future action are provided.

Making sense of women as career self‐agents: Implications for human resource development

“…We propose that women' s career choices are indicative of the evolved career paradigm of the broader professional work force, and as such, we urge organizations to develop work cultures that support the career self-agency of its employees. We agree with Kahnweiler (2008, p. 79) and McDonald and Hite (2005) when they argued that "HRD is uniquely qualified" to make that change happen because of its focus on workforce dynamics, its interdisciplinary roots, and its mission to link human resource development and the attainment of organizational strategic objectives. Although those scholars were speaking about HRD' s role in promoting work-life effectiveness, we see those same reasons applicable to promoting career self-agency, as our study finds that managing work life is an essential driver of a career self-agent.…”

“…Once using an FWA, employees need skills around time management, organization, and project management. McDonald and Hite (2005) argue that people also need networking skills. The point is that using FWAs effectively and efficiently is a learned skill: HRD is well positioned to know how to assess individuals' skill development needs and to design training to embed those skills.…”

Engaging in personal business on the job: Extending the presenteeism construct

“…In fact, the HRD field is giving increasing attention to work-life balance and integration issues as matters of performance, organizational effectiveness, and career development (McDonald & Hite, 2005;Polach, 2003). As Polach (2003) argues, HRD is about "developing the workforce" and is therefore responsible not only for skill development but for creating a way for employees to integrate their work life with their personal life.…”

A New Era for Career Development and HRD

“…It is clear that HRD needs a new and invigorated approach to CD to create and foster those partnerships. To be effective, HRD must move beyond controlling the design, delivery, and documentation of traditional CD programs to a broad-based tactic that encourages multiple means of CD, growth experiences within and outside the organization, access to opportunities for a multicultural workforce, diverse definitions of success and achievement, and a learning culture (Doyle, 2000;McDonald & Hite, 2005;Short & Opengart, 2001).…”