CAREER COCKTAIL : MIXING BUSINESS WITH BOOKS
Looking for log-term career success? Mixing work life with higher studies is the answer,
say experts, as it leads to professional betterment for the employee as well as the
strategic business development for the employer.
According to a survey by UK based Chartered Management Institute, employers accept
that their staff would move on to other jobs, but see immediate business need as a key
factor to encourage learning.
The survey stated that the major reasons given by the firms for supporting employee
development include strategic business requirements, improving individual prospects for
progress and enabling staff to do their job.
The finding also indicates towards a wider research which had revealed that a
combination of studying for qualifications and on the job experience has overtaken
natural ability as the key ingredient for successful management and leadership.Almost
all companies encourage their employees to enhance their knowledge which includes
undertaking new courses for learning and development.
However, it is easier for bigger companies to encourage this as they can offer
sabbaticals to their employees but such perks are attached to caveats like a three-year
bond with the company accompanied with a one year study leave.Besides, interest in
the career growth path of their employees leads to a reduction in attrition and increase
their bonding with the employers.
In the survey by Chartered Management Institute, 24 percent of the managers
interviewed said achieving a higher qualification has lead to a promotion and 23 percent
received a salary increase. About 23 percent transferred their skills to a new career and
22 percent got a new job in the same industry, the survey stated.
Besides, 53 percent claimed that they also gained more respect from colleagues and 70
percent focused on the opportunity to gave them to ‘refocus’ their career. It is a question
of upgrading skill levels of the employees and development of their professional growth.
Flexible working hours also help them to manage their learning with work.
Looking ahead five years, one in three employees also believe that their managers
would become more concerned about professional development. More than half argue
that managers would also need evidence of transferable skills to move across industry
sectors, with a similar proportion (51 percent) suggesting success would be based on
broad business knowledge.
It is becoming increasingly clear that, if the individuals want to succeed, they must
invest time in continually updating their skills. But studying on its own is not the answer,
how mangers apply what they learn in their relationship with the customers and
colleagues as well as their senior counterparts.
-DR. NAVRAJ SINGH SANDHU, www.navraj@gmail.com