Online Career Coach - the CiZone

"The Ci Zone has been hugely valuable in helping our people to clarify their career aspirations before sitting down with their line manager for a discussion. The result? A more productive and engaging conversation, and a focus on development for tomorrow as well as performance for today.”

Andrew Wright,
(at the time) GMS Director of Learning & Development, GlaxoSmithKline

The Ci Online Career Coach (CiZone) is a suite of easy-to-use interactive exercises and advice modules available to employees 24/7, via a link on the organisation’s internal website. The tools provide ideal preparation for all career development conversations, for both individuals and their managers.  It is a cost-effective and scalable way of improving the quality of conversations, and improving employee engagement, retention and agility. 

The modules focus on four key areas:

• Career Assessment
• Career Goals
• Career Tactics
• Career Discussions

Set-up is simple with virtually no demands being placed upon your own internal IT resources. Career Coach is entirely modular and can operate either as a standalone resource or as an integrated resource linked to any number of HR or corporate resources (eg. job board, training opportunities, appraisal process, industry data etc).

For more information about Ci’s Online Career Coach contact us.

User Feedback

Our Clients

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is the tool aimed at?

It is relevant to all levels of employees, although it was developed from our Riding the Wave research that looked at the specific career needs of highly talented knowledge workers across 70 countries.

If you are a manager it helps you, as your team members become better prepared for having career conversations. The tool also provides useful guidelines for how to have effective career and development discussions.

Can it be customized?

Yes. Basic customization to brand the site is included in the start-up costs, and further customization can also be provided. Examples include incorporating company specific competencies, and links to internal processes and resources.

How is it implemented?

We can host the tool for you on our own server, thus minimising the IT support you need to provide, or the tool can be hosted on your own systems. We can help you assess the best route to integrate, promote and deploy the tool across your organisation. We also provide user administration training when you have the tool installed.

Can I try it out?

We are happy to send you a link to our demonstration site which gives you access to the tool for a fixed period. We can also help you to run a short pilot to trial the tool and gather user feedback in your organisation.

Is it a stand alone tool?

Whilst the tool is very robust and self-contained it will bring most value to an organisation when it is implemented alongside other interventions and processes that support and embed career development. For example it can be embedded into the annual performance review process to support the development of robust personal development plans, or introduced within a Learning Management system.

How much does it cost?

The cost to implement the tool is typically made up of two components, an annual license fee and an annual hosting fee. These fees include all the start-up costs and are determined by numbers of users having access to the site. As a result, the cost to provide the tool to an organisation can work out at less than £2 (US$4) per employee per year.

Who owns the data?

No data is permanently stored when the tool is used by an employee, so we can ensure total confidentiality of an individual’s personal data. As employees complete activities in the tool we ask them to print any data they want to keep for their own use. This reassures them that they have control over the information.

Can it be used across different cultures/languages?

These tools are based on 'social constructivist' thinking that means they are effective across cultures and situations. The site coaches people to think through key questions about themselves and their future.

Although the site is in English, it currently has users across many countries. Where required it would be possible to translate the site to other languages.

Where is it currently being used?

The tool is currently being used in a number of global organisations, including GlaxoSmithKline, Marriott International, RSA and Unilever.

How else is the tool being used?

In addition to supporting career development, some adapted Ci tools have also been deployed on the external career portal of a number of organisations. This is helping to enhance their employment brand, provides potential recruits with self–selection tools, and helps new entrants to be better prepared to join the organisation. We can provide links to these external sites on request.

Is the tool only suitable for large global companies?

No. The tool is suitable for any size of organisation provided there is a community of appropriate users and where the organisation has the processes, and commitment to foster career development to improve employee retention and engagement.

How can I find out more?
Contact the Ci team who will be happy to discuss your interest and provide you with a full demonstration of the site.