We spoke to a the Group Manager responsible for delivering promotions Supervisory and Middle Manager (Leading the Team/ Function) processes in their FRS to find out what led them to VCA and how they found the CPG first time round.
Promotion processes are rarely popular, and approaches can shift like the tide as services struggle to find the holy grail of what will a) cause least complaint from candidates and rep bodies b) be manageable for overworked admin teams c) fit the budget and d) identify leadership potential appropriately. (The pressures of a-c can leave point d. somewhat at the back of the queue.)
Having spoken to many candidates who have experienced both internally delivered feedback, and a developmental feedback session with our team, here are the 4 issues which seem to cause the greatest difficulties with internal feedback sessions, and some tips for making it easier and more effective for all involved.
It’s easy to focus on what the costs would be to the Service of using an external provider such as VCA to run promotions processes, but what about the costs of not doing so, particularly in light of continued scrutiny of FRS fairness, ethics and effectiveness?
What happens if certain individuals aren’t managing the assessment exercise well? What if they aren’t demonstrating the behaviours effectively, not because these aren’t the approaches they usually apply in the workplace, but because they aren’t using the opportunity provided in the CPG to present evidence in a way which demonstrates their full potential?
At VCA we are in the privileged position of having been closely involved with the FRS across the UK for over 20 years, whilst remaining impartial and independent. Here is our perspective on this year from the work we have been engaged in.
The number of Career Progression Gateway (CPG) enquiries and demo’s we are delivering each week is really gathering pace. But why is the CPG getting so much attention now?
‘Fast-track, talent management, high potential, role jumping, leap frogging’… it’s almost as hard to find the right term for it as it is to work out how to do it!
Every once in a while I deliver video feedback sessions; its great way to ‘keep my hand in’ and gives me useful insights into how candidates are finding the CPG and what I can do to further support behavioural development, and ultimately progress positive culture change.
Absolutely. There are a range of ways to drive positive culture change, and the importance of behavioural assessments for recruitment and promotions should not be under-estimated.