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We talk with Deloitte Services' Anne C. Weisberg, a director specializing in talent diversity, about the firm's experience in keeping up with the changing workforce. Anne C. Weisberg, a director specializing in talent diversity at Deloitte Services LP, spoke with Myra Thomas about her new book Mass Career Customization: Aligning the Workplace with Today's Nontraditional Workforce, which highlights the need to address a workforce interested in personalized career paths that incorporate more work/life balance. Her co-author is Cathy Benko, vice chair/chief talent officer for Deloitte & Touche USA.
Your book talks about the pilot of the Mass Career Customization program conducted between 2005 and 2007 at Deloitte. Now, the firm is rolling out the program to 20 percent of its U.S.-based employees. What initiatives are specifically in place?
Every employee in the initial roll out, which is roughly 7,000 people, is determining their baseline Mass Career Customization profile, in conjunction with their counselor or manager. This profile records each employee's current choices along each of the MCC dimensions - pace, workload, location/schedule and role. In building these profiles, employees and their managers are having more robust career conversations and learning about each other's career stories and aspirations in the process.
What were the pitfalls and successes in instituting the program?
The results from the early pilots showed improved retention, satisfaction and intent-to-stay scores, which was important to senior leadership when they were deciding whether to roll out MCC firm-wide. However, we also had to convince the line partners that there was something in it for them. We did this by discussing with them the challenges they face trying to manage teams that are increasingly diverse, complex and highly skilled, and then showing them how Mass Career Customization actually helps them do that part of their job.
A knowledge-driven economy changes the nature of how business is conducted, as you note. With a lack of qualified candidates, businesses must respond to the needs of their employees. How can firms personalize this without getting into a cumbersome and expensive process?
Just as with mass product customization, mass career customization has significant business benefits. By providing employees with a defined set of choices (not an infinite set of choices), and allowing them to collaborate in the design of their career path, you will reduce turnover, improve productivity and strengthen employee loyalty. Not doing so is more complicated, cumbersome and expensive, because you will be dealing with all these choices on a one-off basis, without any coordinated approach or transparency into people's decision-making around their careers.
Many people think of flextime as a cornerstone of this, but you point out that most people, especially men, aren't willing to make any sacrifice in advancement. Can you elaborate on this?
We don't think flexible work arrangements are bad. In fact, we are keeping the Deloitte FWA (Flexible Work Arrangement) program intact during the transition to MCC. But they are not a systemic, corporate solution to what is a systemic or structural problem. FWAs by themselves do not align the workplace with the workforce, because they are one-off point solutions that do not scale, and are not integrated into talent management processes and systems.
You mention that today's Gen X and Y employees are driving the changing demands as they look for a personalized career path and remain more concerned about balance. Wouldn't it seem necessary for firms to consider a change in company culture and work situations?
Yes, we see the younger employees being a big driver of change. They simply will not stay at a company if they feel it doesn't fit with their choices and values - so companies cannot wait for that Gen X and Y to "assimilate" into their corporate culture. The best approach, and one we strive to achieve at Deloitte, is to address their needs while at the same time educating them about the nature of our business - to help them shape realistic expectations while giving them lots of opportunities to grow and develop.
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