Managers make the decision of who needs training and in what areas training is needed, because employee training needs must be aligned with organizational goals. “Managers must consider all employees fairly for training opportunities. Selection of employees for training must ensure that all employees are selected without regard to political preference, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or handicapping condition, and with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional rights as provided by the Merit System Principles. Additionally, merit promotion procedures must be followed in selecting employees for training which is primarily to prepare trainees for advancement and which is not directly related to improving performance in their current positions.” (Ivancevich, 2010) Managers can support employee development through training that matches the employees’ goals with the organization's needs and assist employees in the career planning process.
One way managers can assist employees with career development is through a career development plan. Employers are motivated to establish career development programs because such programs are seen as an effective response to various personnel problems, because top managers prefer to promote existing employees and to ensure a good fit between the work and the worker, and because employees have expressed