Career Development: The Challenge for Organisations

Implementing career development activities is likely to be a major activity for organisations in the 1990s in Britain. Some of the reasons for this development are outlined, the range of possible careers interventions is described and issues involved with implementing individual career planning activities in UK organisations are discussed. Organisations′ experiences in running particular career interventions and the initiatives that could be used are also discussed. Major challenges for companies are: (1) to select an appropriate mix of career‐planning activities for their employees that will provide the appropriate level of support to individuals; (2) to decide when, in an individual′s career, particular careers interventions should be available; (3) to target interventions at specific groups of employees. Encouraging career planning also requires organisations to examine carefully the information available to employees and has training consequences for personnel and line managers.