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Leaders Building Leaders

3) Career Development Conversations

Unlocking Your Team's Potential

Last updated 16 June 2026
Three people discussing a path to a target on a strategy map, symbolising career planning steps

Career development conversations are structured, ongoing dialogues between supervisors and employees that focus on professional growth and future aspirations.

These discussions are essential for:

  • Identifying and nurturing employee potential

  • Aligning individual career goals with organisational objectives

  • Exploring development opportunities and learning paths

  • Creating actionable plans for skill enhancement and career progression

Why Investing in Career Development Benefits Everyone

Employee

  • Deeper sense of engagement and job satisfaction

  • Improved career capital and productive longevity

  • Gain broader and deeper competencies to boost performance at work

Supervisor

  • Boost team productivity and work outcomes with motivated, engaged and skilled employees

  • Promote growth and performance-driven team culture by role-modelling desired behaviours

  • Hone your supervisory and leadership capabilities with career coaching skills

Organisation

  • Increase staff retention as employees develop and flourish with range of growth opportunities

  • Stronger employer value proposition; engaged and motivated employees can in turn attract more talents

  • Enhanced agency business outcomes with a skilled and agile workforce

Role of a Supervisor

  • Evaluate your employee's holistic performance based on what they deliver (i.e., work deliverables and outcomes) and how they deliver it (i.e., competencies)

  • Provide feedback on contributions and discuss future developmental plans

  • Support their career development plan by identifying relevant learning opportunities (e.g., Structured Job Rotation (SJR), Talent Attachment Programme (TAP), Short-Term Immersion Programme (STIP), Gig work, and training courses)

  • Provide adequate resources and support while employees participate in external developmental opportunities (e.g., workload prioritisation), while ensuring that performance in core work is not compromised

4-Stage Model to Quality Career Conversations

Understanding and applying this model can help you structure more effective and meaningful career conversations with your team:

  • Stage 1 — Set Up and Prepare: Gather information, reflect, and plan the agenda.

  • Stage 2 — Establish Trust: Set a positive atmosphere for the discussion.

  • Stage 3 — Seek and Share Information: Listen, clarify, and explore career options.

  • Stage 4 — Agree on Action: Conclude the discussion and plan practical follow-ups.

  • Refer to the Career Development Conversation Guide (available under Learning Resources below) for suggested questions and tips for each stage of the process.

Learning Resources

1. CSC Courses

  • Wayfinding Careerfitness for your Team (CRWCTVL) — For Deputy Director (DD) and Director-level supervisors

  • Navigating Careerfitness for your Staff (CRNCSVL) — For Assistant Director (AD)-level and below supervisors

2. LEARN Course

Visit the LEARN Platform to access these resources (www.learn.gov.sg - login required)


Title

Course Provider

Duration

1

Driving Career Fitness for your Organisation (For Head of Organisations)

Please contact PSD_In-Emp@psd.gov.sg to gain access to this module.

PSD-CSC

30 mins

3. Additional Resources (Intranet-access required)

The following resources are available to support you in facilitating career development conversations as a supervisor:

Public Service Career Coach Network

The Public Service Career Coach Network (PSCCN) provides coaching for all officers, including supervisors, across different career milestones.

Available coaching topics:

  • Adapting to a New Role

  • Building a Learning Mindset

  • Navigating Mid-Career Switches

  • Retiring Purposefully

  • Conducting Effective Career Development Conversation (for supervisors)

  • Building my Team's Capability (for supervisors)

How to book: Officers may book sessions through the Acuity Booking Page or via the Workpal App.