Atos unveils global careers framework

Employees can match their own abilities to firm's needs

IT services supplier Atos Origin has implemented a standardised career framework for 46,000 staff in 40 countries to ensure effective skills management. The company has rolled out its Global Capability Model (GCM), a framework that allows staff to plot out their career paths within the company.

The model enables employees to see what skills the organisation is looking for, and to match them with their own capabilities. By highlighting the skills needed to progress up the career ladder, staff are then able to request appropriate training.

‘By supporting employees in planning their individual career paths and transparency in the different skills we have available, the GCM will support us to meet both the needs of our clients and the needs of our people,’ said Lucile de Godoy, global vice president of human resources.

The framework also makes it easier for the company to analyse the skills of its entire global workforce, allowing it to assign appropriate staff to specific customer projects and to focus recruitment on skills gaps.

De Godoy says the model gives Atos a business advantage in developing skills and resourcing projects. ‘We have instant access to all the skills within the company, across the world, as well as allowing our employees to develop their careers and exploit their talents,’ she said.

As part of the GCM implementation, every IT role in the company has been categorised using industry-standard descriptions. The model also covers non-IT roles such as HR, finance, marketing and administration.

Most analysts believe such frameworks will increasingly be adopted by large organisations, as the need to recruit, retain and manage skills flexibly and efficiently becomes more critical to business success.