Design career plans aligned with individual motivations and opportunities in the company.
THE CLIENT:: Energias de Portugal (EDP)
THE CHALLENGE
Mobilize High Performers to define, develop and actively execute their career plans.
THE OUTCOME
New career opportunities discovered. A strategic vision of an individual journey in the company. Awareness of the impact of personal values on the definition of own career. Participants take ownership of their career management.
The energy industry has always been an essential pillar of human well-being and economic development. In the last decade, the energy Industry in Portugal has faced numerous challenges, one being its ability to balance the needs for development and diversification with commitments at an environmental level.
Energias de Portugal (EDP) is the leading company in the energy sector in Portugal. Present in 14 countries and four continents, it employs over 6,000 people in Portugal.
Knowing its people are its greatest asset and in order to face ongoing challenges and the need to innovate and grow, EDP invests in the training of its employees. From the moment they join the company, employees enter a robust development and training program.
In addition to this unique training activities, they can also be invited to participate in customized development programs.
One of these differentiating programs, launched every two years, is the Energizing Development Program. The objective of this programme is to invest in a group of people – high performers – so that they can acquire more knowledge, skills and tools and as a result bring about positive change in the Organization.
Over the years, the program has integrated different components: training sessions, cross functional projects, access to an extensive internal network of contacts, and an internal mentoring program.
“It was one of the aspects that employees valued most because it was an opportunity to reflect on their career, challenge themselves with someone external to EDP.
The program is not over yet, but from the informal feedback that we have been getting, counselling is one of the experiences that the participants highlight the most.”
Filipa Lemos, Corporate HR Specialist – Career and Mobility at EDP Energia
For the 2017-2018 edition there were plans to strengthen the programme with: 1) an auto-reflection on skills, objectives and career ambitions; and 2) auto creation of an actionable individual development plan aligned with EDP’s existing opportunities.
Although it could have chosen to go with a traditional Career Counselling process, Consulting House proposed to add an innovative component. It was paramount to ensure that these high performers felt genuinely responsible for their choices and invested in their self-development. For this reason, a motivational assessment tool was included – the Reiss Motivation Profile (RMP). This innovative tool, which is scientifically validated, allows for individuals to become aware of their needs and personal values. Its use would allow participants to analyse and reflect on their present situation, available choices and career goals.
31 people from different organizational structures of the company, with different functions, technical profiles and informal or formal leadership functions were selected to join the programme.
In order to support these individuals throughout the program Consulting House conducted three sessions spaced in time. It started with the motivational profile, then possible career definitions and finally the exploration of what the participants needed to create an actionable action plan. These three distinct moments allowed the continuity, redesign and consolidation of the career plan that was being created.
Participants pointed out that one of the greatest advantages of the Career Counselling process based on the RMP was the opportunity to make decisions in a more conscious way. In other words, self-awareness was essential to define objectives and outline possible development paths that reconciled the interests of the company and the participant.
“With the Career Counselling process, I gained the ability to structure a professional development plan aligned with my basic motivations. I believe that I leave the process with a different view on the way I think and guide my professional journey, being more alert to the need to take an active role in defining my career.”
André Coelho, Superior Technician Specialist at EDP Energia
Among the gains mentioned by the participants, the following stand out: challenging assumptions about who they are as professionals; greater understanding of their behaviours and attitudes in different contexts; clearer perspective about the organization’s functioning and how they are the central agents in defining their paths; ownership of the definition of one’s own evolution. It is also noteworthy that, among the participants who aspired to a new career opportunity, 6 managed to make it happen still during the Energizing program.
At the end of the program, all participants had established short, medium and long term goals about their career path with EDP. They leave the program grateful for the investment EDP made in them, aligned with the Organization and committed to the actions they have decided to carry out. More than ever, they realize how important it is to know themselves and what moves them to actively seek to live a life aligned with their personal values and motivations, both privately and professionally.
In the words of Paula Carneiro, Human Resources Director at EDP Energia, “Career couselling helps us make informed decisions about our development options and professional path. The set of tools and methodologies help in achieving the goals in a more structured and unbiased way. The Reiss Motivation Profile is one of the tools that can support us in this process. It gives us a “fingerprint” of what our basic , vital motivations and values are. It provides for a new look at human personality and interpersonal differences, contributing to increase our self-awareness. ”
