Many employers are embracing the idea of career development to keep their employees employable ithin their organizations. By providing the opportunity for employees to expand their skills and competencies, and focus on long-term growth, they:
Reinforce the importance of a learning and development culture.
Increase retention.
Provide coaching support to highly motivated and qualified employees.
Encourage employees to apply for internal positions.
What career services are available through Providence EAP?
Individual career counseling, career testing, resume consultation, interview preparation, career development workshops, college exploration, and pre-retirement planning. Self-assessment tools and self-directed computer programs help employees focus on their goals.
Why would I want to offer my employees career services?
Provide employees with access to resources that encourage them to take charge and manage their own careers.
Enhance staff commitment to the organization: be the employer of choice.
Help employees know how to be the right person, with the right skills, when the right position becomes available in their organization.
Support a flexible workforce who have the right skills to meet the changing needs of the organization, and their own career goals.
Create a learning organization where employee development is a major strategic initiative.
Help employees who are unhappy in their current work situation find a way to leave in a positive manner.
Why might I want to help an employee leave my organization?
An employee who is unhappy in a work situation is not an asset to the organization. A disgruntled employee can create a toxic work environment that impacts many other employees. It benefits the organization to help the employee find a way to change their employment in a positive manner rather than a forced termination. In these situations, the employee is sometimes referred to the EAP by their manager. In other situations, the employee is referred to the EAP because of a layoff, a termination, or health concerns that prevent the employee from continuing to work in their current capacity.
Why would employees contact the EAP for career services?
There are many different situations within an organization that might cause a person to come to the EAP for career services:
Employees who want to establish goals for career development within their current organization.
Employees applying for positions in their organization who want to update their resumes and practice interview skills.
Managers who want to be better able to coach employees in their career development.
Employees who find themselves in difficult work situations and want to learn how to better communicate their needs and how to better communicate with coworkers.
Employees who are feeling burned out and want to find ways to rejuvenate their work life.
Employees who are struggling with work/life balance issues.
Who else comes to EAP to use career services?
Employees who have been downsized or laid off from their current positions. Career counselors help them to find new career directions, deal with the stress of their layoff, help with interview and resume skills, and beginning a job search.
Managers who have to do layoffs receive help with preparing for downsizing and tips for dealing with the survivors after the layoff.
Employees who have experienced health issues that force them to make career changes. Help is provided in dealing with the emotional issues as well as finding a new career direction.
Family members of employees who need to do career exploration because of layoffs, burnout, health problems, choosing a college, choosing a major.
Pre-retirement planning for employees who are thinking about preparing for retirement. They may want to begin a second career or work part-time, or return to school.
Employees considering returning to school. Help can be provided for exploring programs of study and schools in Oregon.
