Canon’s
pilot study to develop a more consistent method for assessing its European
managers has led to increased job rotation.
Canon
Europe’s head of HR Bill McQueen explained that the main driver for overhauling
its assessment system was the need to address career planning more
progressively.
He
said, "We identified a willingness among managers to relocate across
Europe. We found that people wanted more job variety and rotation."
Canon,
which manufactures cameras and office equipment, met this demand by placing the
CVs of its European managers on a database which resulted in greater job
rotation.
McQueen
said, "In the past three months we have relocated 35 senior managers
across Europe."
The
job rotation also gives the managers the benefit of networking within the
company, claimed McQueen. He said, "Managers can learn how different
businesses work and how to deal with people in a multicultural
environment."
The
pilot assessment scheme has been rolled out to over 100 managers across Europe.
One
area to benefit from the job rotation system has been the strategic corporate
centre in Stockley Park, Uxbridge. The centre, responsible for a range of
strategic activities such as finance and IT, has 50 per cent of the staff
managed on a rotational basis.
McQueen
said, "This has enabled us to staff the centre with people with a good
track record of intellectual capital and experience. It has helped us create a
knowledge centre."
The
next stage for Canon is to put the copies of personal development plans for
senior managers online, claimed McQueen at the 33rd HR Conference in Barcelona
earlier this month.
Canon
employs 81,000 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of $26bn last year.
By
Karen Higginbottom
