Making sense of women as career self-agents: Implications for human resource development

In this article, we explore the shifting career paradigm of managerial women in the United States, what it may indicate for the broader professional workforce, and human resource development's (HRD's) role in supporting that change. We examine the literature on evolving career definitions, women's place in that evolution, the rising use of flexible work arrangements (FWAs), and the evolving work goals of women. Findings from our survey of 389 managerial women indicate that they are using FWAs as support mechanisms to enable them to enact their career goals and stay in the workforce. We invite HRD professionals to interpret women's career choices as a signal that the conventional career model with its attending organizational practices and culture is outdated and no longer meets the needs of today's managerial women and of the U.S. workforce in general. We recommend actions HRD professionals can take to move their organization's culture to one that supports career self‐agency as a way of attracting and retaining critical talent in the 21st century.