Questions for detecting career growth potential

Not every employee wants to move up in his or her career. In fact, Deedee Myers, Ph.D., MSC, PCC and CEO of CUES Supplier member and strategic provider DDJ Myers Ltd, Phoenix, guesses that around 15 percent of people are happy in their roles and aren’t interested in changing them. She says this doesn’t necessarily mean these employees are disengaged, or may become so in the future, but cautions that complacency on the part of management could result in disengagement for some.

To prevent this, credit unions should initiate regular conversations with these employees about how they’re making a difference to the organization. Fostering engagement by offering them special projects is another effective tactic, she says.

Some employees have outside commitments that prevent them from moving forward in their careers, says Greg Longster, partner with CUES Supplier member and strategic provider Davies Park Executive Search, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based executive search firm. Others may value the flexibility and comfort of their current position, and view advancement and promotion as jeopardizing these benefits.

Far from being a cause for concern, employees who want to remain in their current roles can actually benefit a credit union, considering the typical pyramid-like shape of most organizational charts, he adds.

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