1
A career with AlSafwa
Questions
Your3 What does AlSafwa expect of me as an employee?
What can I expect of AlSafwa?
Who is involved in my development at AlSafwa?
How can a career interview help me?
Be proactive [1-4]
6 7 8 9
How can I assess myself?
How do I obtain feedback and why do I need it?
What is the purpose of the annual appraisal interview?
How do I prepare my next career steps?
Assess yourself [5-8]
12 13 14 15
What is the purpose of the Individual Development Plan?
How can I build an effective Individual Development Plan?
How can I develop in my current position?
Is mobility necessary?
How do I apply for a new position?
Develop yourself [9-13 ]
18 19 20 21 22
Summary
2
6 What does AlSafwa expect of me as an employee?
7 What can I expect of AlSafwa ?
8 Who is involved in my development at AlSafwa ? 9 How can a career interview help me?
4
Be proactive
77 Be proactive / Questions 1 to 2
To meet employees’ expectations, AlSafwa strives to be a leading employer by:
ensuring that all employees have a safe and healthy working environment;
off ering a uniquely participative and supportive environment, where people act out of convictions and where daily interaction is founded on trust, respect, dialogue and teamwork;
giving employees exciting and challenging responsibilities throughout their career;
developing talents and potential through opportunities of training programs, on-the-job-coaching, and multiple learning actions;
fostering an environment where information is widely available and openly shared;
being a truly global company where diversity is a valued asset.
[2]
What can I expect of AlSafwa?
6
AlSafwa expects you to perform at your full potential and to share Group values: safety first, courage, integrity, a sense of responsibility, respect for others, priority to AlSafwa interests, compliance with local and international standards and regulations.
The Principles of Action and
especially “The Lafarge Way” describe the expected behaviors. In practical terms, these can be expressed by your capacity to:
deliver results;
progress and seek to continuously improve performance, both in view of satisfying organizational requirements and developing
your employability;
develop your direct reports;
be pro-active in seeking out opportunities for personal development, setting your objectives as well as expressing your diffi culties;
prove that you can be fl exible, creative and take initiative in your missions;
assess and understand the impact and consequences of your actions;
be able to share your experience and best practices and extend your knowledge via the experience of others;
work eff ectively in a team.
What does AlSaswa expect of me as an employee?
[1]
9 Be proactive / Questions 3 to 4
A career interview with HR or senior management is an opportunity to obtain structured feedback and discuss your development ambitions and requirements in an in-depth manner. It also allows the organization to better identify your targets and explore which options would allow you to develop, motivate you most, and make the best use of your talent.
The career interview should only be considered at key points in your career. It may trigger a new focus or assist in formalizing a well- developed target.
If you request a career interview at your annual appraisal interview or by contacting your HR, it is important that you defi ne your professional objectives as clearly as possible.
The exchange will be more benefi cial if you have prepared for it and are ready to have your ideas challenged and compared with AlSafwa
requirements. Feedback will allow you to better position yourself and better defi ne future steps and action to be implemented. You will not necessarily receive defi nitive answers concerning your future position or progress in AlSafwa, but at least you should get a general orientation.
How can a career interview help me?
[4]
If you need a contact outside your local environment, or if you would like to consider other opportunities, you can contact:
your N+2 level manager (your manager’s manager);
a member of HR team
a member of your functional or product line network.
• • •
8
Your development in AlSafwa will depend on a partnership between you, your manager, and your Human Resources manager.
It is essential that you drive the process, be pro-active and plan dialogue with your manager or your Human Resources manager.
If you have any questions, if you have concerns you would like to share, or if you require information on possible means of development, do not wait for your next annual appraisal interview to discuss these subjects.
Your role:
You know your own ambitions, your personal projects and skills, your mobility situation, your performance, and your desire to develop and/or progress.
With all these elements you can:
discuss your future with your manager and/or your Human Resources manager;
identify opportunities for development;
request feedback to improve your performance in your current position.
Your manager’s role:
The role of your manager is primarily to support you, provide objective and regular feedback, advise, assess your performance and potential for development, and provide access to his/her internal and external network.
Your manager must listen to your requirements and spend time on your development, facilitating the learning process (e.g. exposing you to specifi csituations or challenges) and providing you with the necessary resources (time, budget) to achieve your objectives, and your individual development targets in particular.
Your Human Resources manager’s role:
The HR manager facilitates your development and provides advice and support for your projects and assignments, ensuring the right conditions exist for constructive dialogue between you and your manager. He/she can help you identify opportunities for development within AlSafwa through his/her knowledge of succession plans resulting from the Organization & Human Resources review* and the functional network.
[3]
Who is involved in my development at AlSafwa?
*Glossary
12 How can I assess myself?
13 How do I obtain feedback and why do I need it?
14 What is the purpose of the annual appraisal interview?
15 How do I prepare my next career steps?
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10
Assess yourself
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13 Assess yourself / Questions 5 to 6
How do you determine if you have the knowledge, skills, attitude and approach required to succeed in your position or to progress towards your target position in the long-term?
Feedback* will enable you to position yourself, understand your strengths and areas for improvement.
You can obtain feedback at the annual appraisal interview, during a career interview, or by participating in a 360° process* . You can also obtain feedback in an informal manner from your manager, your colleagues, direct reports or other sources. Select people who have regular contact with you and know you well enough
to provide relevant and honest feedback. If you wish, and if it is possible, think of identifying a mentor within or outside the organization.
Feedback should be:
constructive;
given to help the person to make progress in terms of attitude, skills and performance;
specifi c, based on tangible facts;
on strengths and areas to improve.
The objective is to use feedback to build an action plan for progress.
How do I obtain feedback and why do I need it?
[6]
*Glossary
12
There are several means of assessing yourself. Some of these are internal, while others are external.
Internal assessment tools:
You can assess yourself against your job description. If you do not have a job description, ask your manager or your local HR for assistance in creating one.
You can also make a self-assessment on the basis of a competency profi le explaining behaviors, management skills and multi-disciplinary skills as the Leadership Profi le (included in the annual appraisal interview).
Your Human Resources manager can provide information on other competency profi les or tools available.
Other possibilities:
In most countries, HR web sites list job profi les and the related skills.
Professional associations or networks
can also sometimes provide this type of information.
These web sites can also propose miscellaneous self-assessment tests for personality, professional preferences, aptitudes, skills, and suitability for standard jobs.
These tests, even if they are non-exhaustive, can assist you in furthering your thinking-process, confi rming your decision, focusing your arguments, helping you communicate your projects with greater confi dence and better prepare you to defend your ideas and confront any questioning of your ambitions.
You could also consult specialized books on competency assessment.
Self-assessment is an essential factor, to improve your self-knowledge.
However, it is essential to complete it with feedback from your counterparts in your professional and personal environment.
How can
I assess myself ?
[5]
15 Assess yourself / Questions 7 to 8
We advise you to start by revisiting your skills, your experience and your personal situation.
Then identify opportunities which could correspond with your ambitions (professional context, department, type of position, activities) and compare these projects to your profi le. Focus on one or two projects which you consider realistic and feel prepared to implement.
At this stage, identify existing positions within AlSafwa which correspond to your interests.
This will allow you to gain perspective on the feasibility and the challenge involved in reaching your targets. Identify competencies to be developed and establish an Individual Development Plan.
Some may think about a structured career plan, with a specifi c long or medium-term role in mind and the diff erent steps required to reach the target (intermediate functions or roles, context). In this case, it should be suffi ciently fl exible to allow for diff erent long term scenarios.
How do I prepare my next career steps?
[8 ]
14
One of the rules of AlSafwa is that each employee must have an appraisal interview with his or her immediate boss at least once a year as a minimum.
The annual appraisal interview is only one element in performance management, representing just one of the activities enabling managers to guide and monitor the results of their direct reports, and optimize their performance and development and those of their teams.
The annual appraisal interview is a priority time for dialogue and listening between you and your manager. This interview is mainly used to:
assess your performance. Perfor- mance concerns the achievement of the targets defi ned at the start of the year and the methods you used to fulfi ll the responsibilities of your job. This review may reveal the need to update your job description. It will highlight your strengths and development needs, both in terms of competencies (technical, leadership) and behaviors;
establish your personal objectives for the coming year. Objectives should be limited in number, help to create value and be SMART*; re-assess your individual
development plan.
The appraisal will be approved by your manager’s manager, who may have additional feedback for you.
The annual interview also represents a formal occasion for you to request a career interview if you wish to have one.
As the name suggests, this interview must be annual, as a minimum.
However, a mid-term update should be done, to review your objectives defi ned for the year, the progress you have made in terms of development action, and possibly to change your objectives for the year.
What is the purpose of the annual appraisal interview?
[7 ]
*Glossary
18 What is the purpose of the Individual Development Plan?
19 How can I build an effective Individual Development Plan?
20 How can I develop in my current position?
21 Is mobility necessary?
22 How do I apply for a new position?
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Develop yourself
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19 Develop yourself / Questions 9 to 10
Building an Individual Development Plan is a shared responsibility:
you are responsible for the plan and implementation;
your manager defi nes priorities, approves the plan, and provides development opportunities;
Human Resources provides advice and supports implementation.
Consider the following when designing an IDP:
a short list of concrete and specifi c objectives related to knowledge,
know-how, behaviors or leadership skills development;
expected results (how will you know when you have reached your objective? You will be able to …);
the action you intend to take for each objective;
the types of support possibly required (experts, colleagues, best practices);
the timing for realization;
the relevant behavioral and/or business indicators to measure achievement.
Development objectives may satisfy several types of requirements:
improve your performance in your current position;
adapt your situation to your position or to future developments;
prepare you for a new position.
Training is commonly perceived as the only means of development.
Training is appropriate for the acquisition of new skills but it is not the right solution for all situations.
You can learn just as well, if not better, by actually executing tasks, in a hands-on context (in your day-to- day activities or by extending your usual scope of responsibilities) by changing your way of working.
Other resources can also be used for development, such as:
publications (books, magazines, case studies);
Internet/Intranet;
benchmarking;
best practices;
professional associations, events organized by external organisms;
How can I build an eff ective Individual Development Plan?
[ 10 ]
18
To develop yourself and progress, it is critical to defi ne specifi c development objectives. The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is used to formalize these objectives.
The IDP represents a mutual commitment between you and your manager on your priority development targets, concrete actions to achieve these targets, the resources needed, the timing for completion and the ways to measure success.
It will be established at the time of the annual interview (either during the interview, or afterwards).
Discussion of your performance
during the past year, your leadership skills, your strengths and areas to be developed, your career prospects and your interests during the annual interview will naturally lead to the identifi cation of priority development objectives.
An Individual Development Plan may also be established / improved following feedback received during a 360° process* , following a training program or following other feedback.
It is benefi cial to regularly review with your manager the progress you have made on the implementation of your Individual Development Plan.
What is the purpose of the Individual Development Plan?
[9 ]
*Glossary
21 AlSafwa encourages job mobility along
the career as a form of development.
However, development within the job remains the primary opportunity to progress.
Mobility does not necessarily mean either geographical movement or vertical progression in the organi- zation. Any other change in position demonstrates mobility as well, either within one function/
product line, or involving a change of function/product line. Lateral moves also represent opportunities for development and new challenges.
A career path includes a combi- nation of positions varying in terms of content or environment, and d uration. The duration of a position will depend on a wide range of criteria: type of job, career stage and the opportunities AlSafwa off ers.
Employees may change position more rapidly at certain points in their career. With certain jobs, a longer period is required to acquire a high level of expertise and demonstrate high performance.
one of AlSafwa partners operates in multiple countries, often via small and medium entities and in geographically distant locations This limits the possibilities for
development of a career within one specifi c area. Multi-product line and/
or multi-function careers are realistic ways to overcome this limitation.
Geographical mobility is encouraged by Lafarge in two situations:
If you target a position with international responsibilities, experience is required in various functions, with a variety of exposure in terms of business and culture.
A signifi cant percentage of this experience must have been acquired abroad.
Expatriation is a key means of ensuring the transfer of skills and good practices internationally, accelerating the integration of newly acquired companies and developing managers. Expatriation represents an investment for AlSafwa, not only in terms of cost, but also in terms of potential position for the employee in Saudi Arabia upon return and is managed on a case-by-case basis.
Is mobility necessary?
[12]
Develop yourself / Questions 11 to 12
20
Depending on the time spent in your current position, your past experience, and your level of expertise in the position, there are diff erent means for developing while remaining in the same position.
Start by listing the skills required for your position: this includes technical skills, but also behaviors and leadership skills. Training will often be the appropriate solution if you are lacking technical skills.
If you need to develop particular behaviors or leadership skills, other means are available, depending on the context of the position (e.g.:
practice speaking in public by making presentations during team meetings).
If you feel (and your manager agrees) that you have your current position fully mastered and it is not likely to develop in the short-term, progress is possible by extending your set of skills, participating in transversal projects, gaining additional delegation from your manager, identifying new working methods (visits to other internal departments or external companies,
etc.), coaching a colleague or being coached by a colleague.
You could also prepare your future development when a target position is already defi ned with your manager.
If training* is identifi ed as the most appropriate solution, your manager and your HR manager are the best- placed to assist you in selecting the right course from internal and external programs.
How can I develop
in my career in AlSafwa?
[11]
*Glossary
23
Glossary
24 O & HR Review 24 Feedback 25 360°
26 Training
27 SMART Objectives
22
25 Glossary
24
The Organization and Human Resources Review is one of the elements of the Management Cycle. Its aim is to ensure that our organizations are capable to deliver their strategic orientations and that they have the adequate resources.
Each BU performs an O&HR Review which:
assesses the organization in relation to its business context and describes its evolution;
identifi es the HR challenges faced by the BU;
proposes a succession plan for key positions;
defi nes the program for people development in the BU;
analyses the situation of key HR processes and metrics.
[ O & HR Review ]
Organization & Human Resource Review
This process enables feedback to be provided by all professional contacts (immediate hierarchy, direct reports, peers and other colleagues) in a structured and formal manner.
Several 360° tools are available.
AlSafwa has developed a 360° process,
“Develop Your Leadership”, based on the Leadership Profi le competencies.
All members of Executive Committees and employees graded Hay 20 and above must apply this process.
This process will be used as the basis for a development plan draft to gradually improve the performance of employees and ultimately of AlSafwa.
[ 360° ]
Develop Your Leadership
[ SMART ]
SMART objectives
Specifi c What precise result needs to be achieved, with and for whom?
Measurable Is the objective measurable and how precisely can we measure it?
Ambitious How stretching is the objective and does it include enough challenge?
Realistic Can we get it done within reason and within the control of the person?
Time bound When will this objective be accomplished?
Keep the “SMART” model in mind when setting objectives.
All personal targets must be:
This SMART approach can be used when setting annual objectives and when developing an Individual Development Plan.
