Rethinking the career experience

We recently took part in an online event run by our New Zealand partners Fuel50 and IBM to consider the disrupted career experience and how we might make work more rewarding for employees.

Career paths have changed and employees expect to take ownership of their career development rather than relying on traditional career models. The career ladder has disappeared and we expect a more flexible and tailored career path. The career landscape has changed and given that 81 percent of employees feel their skills are not put to best use at work the new employment model needs to offer a more rewarding employee experience.

As consumers we demand personalised services and product, tailored to our requirements, not one size fits all. The same applies to the work experience. We want careers that align with our values, talents and passions.

Josh Bersin talks about the ‘Uberization’ of jobs – we work when and for whom we want to work. Similarly, organisations are becoming much more project-focused, applying resources (people and capital) to specific opportunities, where agility is the name of the game. Gone are the traditional career paths, and CEB report that employees are spending more time at the coalface, with steeper rises in responsibility, less frequently and with consequent risks of failure.