How Long is Your Tour of Duty?

With low unemployment, employers are struggling to fill jobs with qualified candidates. This has shifted the power from employers to highly skilled employees who, are in a stronger position to dictate the terms of their employment.

In response, employers are becoming more flexible and creative in how they think about relationships with employees.

A new concept of a “Tour-of-Duty” approach allows employers to obtain and retain top talent where skills are in high demand.  During this tour, employees are guided through a career development path that is focused on the employees’ skills and geared toward the most in-demand positions within an organization.

Here is what it looks like:

1. Rotational Tour: This is the first phase of this employment structure encompassing about two years where an employee hones and develops a key skill.
2. Transformational Tour: It is during this second phase when longer term career objectives are mapped out and the employee is given more responsibility and stretch assignments.
3. Foundational Tour: Employees are in their most strategically important role within the company during this tour and in their most highly engaged state during their tenure.

A “Tour of Duty” increases productivity and makes your employees more valuable as they constantly improve and grow in their understanding of how the company functions. In return, they get to build their networks and expand their skill sets.