Career Ladder Program
Auburn University Libraries “best practice” is our career ladder program. Until recently Auburn University Libraries’ support staff worked within a system that did not allow many opportunities for promotion. The only way an employee could advance was by competing for job openings at a higher grade level whenever a vacancy occurred. The career ladder is a means for promoting without changing jobs. The criteria established for this systematic process include appropriate training, evaluation and recognition of the staff member’s contributions to the Library. The employee is held to a higher level of accountability for quality, effectiveness and productivity, is expected to deal independently with more complex issues, and is expected to demonstrate new and/or higher level competencies. These promotional opportunities are possible only after the employee has performed satisfactorily for a specific period of time at their current level (minimum of two years), demonstrated increased higher level competencies, completed any required training (library & Human Resource Development courses), and met any other specific criteria (complies with library policies and work rules; demonstrates spirit of cooperation and team support).
Training is perhaps the major focus in the career ladder process and an extensive coursework component has been designed. The training mimics a four-year college curriculum with increasing degrees of difficulty (Overview, Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced). These four levels of coursework suit the different areas of concentration within the library: Technical Services (acquisitions, cataloging, systems); Reference Services (main library, special collections/archives, two branch libraries — architecture and veterinary medicine) and Access Services (circulation, reserve, stacks maintenance, interlibrary loan).
The career ladder program is employee-driven with supervisor buy-in. The supervisors serve as “academic advisors” helping employees plan their curriculum and are supportive of this promotional process. Specific courses are required at different grade levels and the supervisors ensure that they keep on track. As library procedures change so does course content. Our in-house instructors (faculty and staff) keep abreast of the latest information to train the employees. Occasionally outside consultants are brought in to present timely workshops and credit is allowed for this type of coursework.
A central pool of university money is available for employees who successfully promote. Thirty-eight employees promoted the first year for a total expenditure of approximately $50,000. Costs have not been calculated for the time spent by our in-house instructors to prepare, teach and evaluate courses and the time the employees spend in class away from their regular assigned responsibilities. Obviously the benefit outweighs the cost.
Positive outcomes include the following: facilitates recruitment/retention (reduces turnover), improves morale/job satisfaction, enhances quality of the workforce, promotes cross-training, and most importantly provides advancement without changing jobs.
Submitted by:
Kerry Ransel
HR Specialist
Auburn University Libraries
11/29/01
