Are career centers worthwhile? : Predicting unique variance in career outcomes through career center usage

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the extent to which the use of career center services results in the significant incremental prediction of career outcomes beyond its established predictors. Design/methodology/approach – The authors survey the clients of a public agency's career center and use hierarchical multiple regressions in order to examine the extent to which it achieved its goals. Findings – Career center usage predicted career resilience and action as well as perceived management commitment to employee development beyond established predictors for these variables. Employees' belief that they were personally responsible for their careers was the prime predictor of career center usage. Research limitations/implications – The primary limitations of this research are the cross‐sectional research design, the self‐selected sample, and the single source of survey data. Practical implications – Making a career center available to employees can help them adjust to the new protean career model and an environment of considerable downsizing. Using the career center leads to positive results with respect to the perceptions of management. Originality/value – Although the cultural barrier to career center usage is likely to be resolvable only over time, supervisors could be encouraged to offer more support and coaching to employees. Also, employees' jobs can be developed by increasing the extent to which supervisors provide feedback to employees, allow employees to work autonomously, and require the use of multiple skills.