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Dual Career Structures - how to implement one


Key things to consider when implementing a dual career structure in your organisation are:

Structure: Levels – how many do you want? Also what your ratios between the levels will be. And will you have limits or targets for each level?

Process – appointments, promotions, nominations (I recommend management and not self nomination but there are pros and cons both ways, peer nomination is another option), removal (if you decide to do this), technical guidance, ongoing coaching etc. If you are using the ladder to stretch your people technically into areas they could not yet imagine then providing a technical mentor is essential.

Criteria – I recommend that you create the headings, put in some stuff to kick start the managers [they will find it hard to start cold] and then depending on how you and your organization work do a series of one to ones or a group meeting or both. I would recommend you include input and output measures in the scheme. If you are really starting from scratch you could do a series of interviews to kick start things.

Career Development, Succession Planning – done well this can really make the scheme. We have had some great successes here

Benefits, compensation and recognition – how do you align these

Marketing and launch – how will you do this, how do you want to position this scheme. What are your consultation obligations? Do you want to do any co-development with people who will be in the ladder?

Company sign off – do you need to establish costs and benefits? Or is it fully accepted by senior mgt already?

Mobilisation – use the dual ladder to create a community for your technical people/specialists; consider the use of awards etc

Building the framework/metrics take days not months - but it can take time to get managers to feedback etc. I would recommend setting a launch date to keep things focused. Involving the likely participants in design and launch pays dividends.

Key steps are

1. Develop criteria
2 Develop HR infrastructure
3. Get sign off
4. Prepare for launch
5. Launch
6. Undertake intial appointments - requires nomination cases, discussion, sign off
7. Schedule ongoing process activities including meetings
8. Review after one year and thereafter annually

Published by: Lisette on 05/08/2009 - Add a comment

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