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Career Development Planning and Job Information

One of the goals of the compensation and classification redesign project was to better support individual career development.

Career development is the overlap of the organization’s needs with the individual employee’s career interests.  It can also be described as an ongoing process of gaining knowledge and improving skills that allows an employee, when in alignment with the organization’s needs and individual career interests, the opportunity to advance their career.

The organization’s needs may arise from new competencies needed in the workplace, new strategic initiatives or other opportunities to fill emerging roles or open positions. Individual career interest may be identified through the person’s strengths and development needs, long term career interests or annual goals for professional development. When the needs of the unit overlap with the individual’s interests, career development plans and goals can be developed. (This is illustrated in the following graphic).

 

The key areas of responsibility (KAR's) defining the new job classifications and the competencies that are necessary to carry out these responsibilities will help individuals and their supervisors in setting goals and planning for career development to meet the needs of the unit.

The new pay practices will also support career development by providing the opportunity for salary adjustments to recognize significant changes in responsibility, whether or not the change is sufficient to justify new classification assignment via promotion or career shift.

What has changed; what is the same?

To understand the procedures involving career development and potential salary adjustments resulting from career advancement, promotion and career shift, it may be useful to understand what has changed and what aspects remain unchanged.

What is new or different?

• The ability to use the key areas of responsibility that define job classifications, to better identify skills and competencies you will need to advance your career, whether in the same job function and family, or to other jobs outside of your current path.
• A new and more concise Career Development Documentation form, replacing the former Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) to assist in planning and documenting changes in your job responsibilities and competency level (knowledge, skills, abilities).
• The concept of a career advancement salary increase to recognize significant changes in job responsibilities within your current job classification. This provides an additional way to receive an increase in base salary to recognize your career development and your new responsibilities.
• Flexibility in determining the amount of increase for a promotion or classification change, in contrast to the fixed amounts used in the past. There is also flexibility in the amount of increase resulting from career advancement.

What is the same?

• Career advancement or career promotion in your current position is dependent upon the needs of the unit and the availability of funding to support salary changes.
• The expectations for the ongoing professional development of University staff.
  • For staff members, this means the responsibility to seek opportunities to enhance your own knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to your current position and/or to prepare for potential future roles.
  • For supervisors, this means the responsibility to identify opportunities for and create development plans that encourage employees to attend to the growth of their personal and professional capacity.
• The expectation that professional development is discussed as part of an individual's annual performance review, and periodically during the year.
• The ability of a staff member to initiate a request for a change in classification, whether as a promotion or career shift, and the procedures for reviewing that request at the department, college/division and University levels. The procedures for processing appeals of the decisions made in regard to job classification assignments are also unchanged from the old reclassification process.
• The workflow processes and forms to initiate salary increases.
• The ability of individuals to request administrative review on decisions regarding their salary.

Responsibilities of supervisors and staff in the new procedures

Employee responsibilities:

• Review unit needs and career interests with your supervisor to identify career development opportunities, and potential changes in job responsibilities that are in alignment with unit needs.
• As significant changes are sustained for six-months or more, consider a request for career advancement, promotion or career shift.
• Complete employee Documentation of Career Development.

Supervisor responsibilities:

• Review unit needs and career interests with your staff member(s) to identify career development opportunities, changes in job responsibilities and performance expectations that are in alignment with unit needs.
• Discuss career development plans with department and organization leadership to confirm their support
• As significant changes are sustained for six-months or more, consider a request for career advancement, promotion or career shift. Consult with your Human Resources representative for assistance.
• Review completed Documentation of Career Development from your staff member(s), and complete the supervisor section, using the instructions provided. This includes your recommendation and assessment of the change requested, and confirmation of the most recent job performance rating.
• Consult with your Unit Human Resource Representative and department leadership regarding the funding available and the amount of any proposed salary increase.
• Forward the Career Development Documentation to the appropriate administrator in your area to begin the workflow transaction, when appropriate.

Typical considerations in evaluating a request for a classification change

Three-Step Process

1. Is the job function still correct? Review the job function purpose statement for the job function; is it still the best fit? If yes….
2. Is the job family correct? Review the job family purpose statement for the job family, is it still the best fit or is there another job family that is a best fit due to the changes in responsibilities? In determining the best fit….
• Be sure to consider the guiding principles for each job family that are embedded with the job family purpose statements. You will find information there that may help guide your thinking. For example, a guiding principle for the Admissions and Enrollment Services job family indicates that this job family includes positions at the departmental, collegiate and University level. The guiding principles also give a summary of the key areas of responsibilities.
3. Which classification within the job family is the best fit? For example, study the current classification and the next classification in the job family series as defined by their key areas of responsibility; keep in mind the following:
• The new classification system defines classifications by their key areas of responsibilities that are focused on outcomes.
• Key areas of responsibilities within a job family are cumulative; meaning they build upon the responsibilities from the previous classification in the job family.
• Different levels of responsibility and competencies may exist between jobs that are appropriately classified in the same classification.
• Do the job changes reflect a change in outcomes (KAR's) or in the responsibilities within the same outcomes (KAR's)? What is the significance of the change?
• How do the individual's responsibilities compare or contrast to others in the same classification and budget unit?
• Is career advancement more appropriate than a classification change? Would the use of or change in a working title be appropriate?
• Is the person now performing the majority of the key areas of responsibility of a different classification such as the classification requested or to another?
• Considering the options, what classification is the "best fit"? The match will not be exact; it is expected that some individual responsibilities may be described in higher or lower classifications, but most should be in the classification designated as a best fit.
• One way to check your conclusion is to look at the level profile and determine if the job attributes for the job level you propose are consistent with your evaluation of the job.

Typical considerations in determining salary adjustment amounts for career advancement, promotion/career shift

The University Pay Practices allow for some discretion in the amount of increase for career advancement, promotion or career shift. The following are typical and appropriate considerations for departments and organizations in utilizing this discretion. Different factors may be weighted differently based upon the circumstances of individual salary decisions:

• Significance of the change in responsibilities of the position
• Individual position responsibilities in relation to the job classification
• Competency level of the individual in the new responsibilities
• Individual responsibilities in relation to the responsibilities of others in the same classification and budget unit
• Relationship of the individual salary to the relevant market range and median zone
• Salaries of others in the same level within the budget unit in relation to the same market range and median zone
• Salaries of others in the same budget unit in different classifications and pay levels and their relationship to their different market ranges and median zones
• What salary increases are anticipated for others, either during the year or on July 1 that would change any existing relationships; remember that increases to base salary on July 1 focus on performance and market, while increases to base during the year through career advancement, promotion and career shift reflect changes in responsibilities and competencies.
• Past practice with similar adjustments during the year
• Funding: what is available currently and can it be sustained?
• Any additional guidelines provided by your college/organization leadership

Considerations for Career Advancement:

• Change in scope and complexity of Key Areas of Responsibility (KAR's) and/or competencies
• Introduction of new KAR's from same or different classifications
• Competency level in performing new KAR's
• Classification and pay level of new KAR's and/or competencies
• What responsibilities have already been recognized in previous pay decisions?
• Any org level guidelines specific to career advancement

Considerations for Promotion/Career Shift:

• Scope and complexity of new KAR's
• Competency level in performing new KAR's
• Difference in the market ranges and median zones for old and new classifications
• What responsibilities have already been recognized in previous pay decisions (if within same budget unit)
• Any org level guidelines specific to promotion

Documentation of Career Development

• Instructions for using the new Documentation of Career Development form
• Documentation of Career Development Form (docx)
• Examples of a completed form supporting:
  • Career advancement - Salary Increase for HR classification (docx) UPDATED 12/12
  • Career Advancement - Salary Increase for Research Classification (docx) UPDATED 12/12
  • Career Shift (docx)
  • Promotion (docx)

Page Last Updated March 2012