Agency People Development Manager

The opportunity

As an Agency People Development Manager, will play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and potential of our agency leaders. This role will collaborate closely with the National Sales Head, Zonal teams, and other key stakeholders to implement effective performance management strategies, design professional development offerings, and manage succession planning. The responsibilities will encompass designing and executing a comprehensive performance management system, deriving learning and development needs, and delivering learning strategies and initiatives.

The Agency People Development Manager plays a crucial role in driving Manulife's success by developing its most valuable asset—its people—ensuring that the organization remains competitive and well-positioned for future growth. This role directly impacts employees, agents, and agency leaders, fostering a culture of continuous development and alignment with the company's strategic goals.

Responsibilities

Performance and Potential Evaluation:

• Collaborate with the National Sales Head and Zonal teams to conduct comprehensive performance development reviews for Agency Leaders, focusing on enhancing future performance and unlocking potential.
• Design and execute a robust performance management system, including processes for evaluating broader competencies and team dynamics.
• Implement processes to identify advisors and junior leaders with high potential, preparing them for senior leadership positions that support company growth.
• Execute the performance management process, ensuring alignment with company objectives and continuous improvement.

Succession Management:

• Manage succession planning to ensure leadership readiness and capability across the organization.
• Identify leadership gaps and develop plans to address them. Collaborate with the Agency Capability Development team to develop learning plans and strategies leveraging internal and external resources.

Professional Development and Learning Strategy:

• Design professional development offerings tailored to the needs of agency leaders and their teams.
• Derive learning and development needs through assessments and stakeholder engagement.
• Design a comprehensive learning strategy and philosophy that aligns with organizational goals.
• Develop and source content for learning initiatives, ensuring relevance and effectiveness.
• Design and deliver learning offerings that enhance skills and competencies of agency leaders.
• Measure the experience, effectiveness, and efficiency of learning programs to drive continuous improvement.

Goal Setting:

• Facilitate goal-setting activities that align agency leaders' aspirations with company objectives, using frameworks like SMART goals and balanced scorecards to create motivating and effective development plans.
• Operationalize goal setting as a regular activity within the agency.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders (Sales Team, Agency Capability Development, Top Tier Team) to create effective and motivating development plans.
• Align individual and team objectives with organizational goals, encouraging positive behaviors and greater alignment.

Key Accountabilities: (Individual / Shared):

Performance Management:

• Design and implement a performance management system that effectively evaluates agency leaders and their teams.
• Ensure regular execution of performance management processes, including reviews and feedback cycles.

Leadership Development and Succession Planning:

• Identify high-potential advisors and junior leaders and prepare them for senior leadership roles.
• Develop and manage succession plans to ensure a pipeline of capable leaders ready to step into key positions.

Professional Development:

• Design and deliver professional development offerings that enhance the skills and competencies of agency leaders.
• Ensure development programs are aligned with organizational goals and individual aspirations.

Learning and Development Strategy:

• Derive learning and development needs through assessments and stakeholder engagement.
• Design and implement a comprehensive learning strategy, sourcing and developing relevant content.

Goal Setting and Alignment:

• Facilitate goal-setting activities using established frameworks to align individual and team objectives with organizational goals.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to create motivating development plans.

Program Measurement and Evaluation:

• Measure the experience, effectiveness, and efficiency of development programs.
• Use evaluation data to drive continuous improvement in program offerings.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with the National Sales Head, Zonal teams, and other key stakeholders to ensure alignment and support for development initiatives.

Team Dynamics and Competency Evaluation:

• Utilize assessment tools to evaluate team dynamics and broader competencies of agency leaders.
• Provide actionable plans to develop high-performing teams based on assessment outcomes.

How will you create impact?

The role will report to the Head of Agency Onboarding & Performance Management.

What motivates you?

• You obsess about customers, listen, engage and act for their benefit.
• You think big, with curiosity to discover ways to use your agile approach and enable business outcomes.
• You thrive in teams and enjoy getting things done together.
• You take ownership and build solutions, focusing on what matters.
• You do what is right, work with integrity and speak up.
• You share your humanity, helping us build a diverse and inclusive work environment for everyone.

What we are looking for

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 10 years proven experience in performance management, leadership development, and succession planning.
• Managed employee engagement, design, and communication.
• Strong understanding of assessment tools and methodologies for evaluating competencies and team dynamics.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at various levels.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement effective development plans, strategies, and initiatives.
• Experience in facilitating goal-setting activities and aligning individual and team objectives with organizational goals.

What can we offer you?

• A competitive salary and benefits packages.
• A growth trajectory that extends upward and outward, encouraging you to follow your passions and learn new skills.
• A focus on growing your career path with us.
• Flexible work policies and strong work-life balance.
• Professional development and leadership opportunities.

Our commitment to you

• Values-first culture
  We lead with our Values every day and bring them to life together.
• Boundless opportunity
  We create opportunities to learn and grow at every stage of your career.
• Continuous innovation
  We invite you to help redefine the future of financial services.
• Delivering the promise of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  We foster an inclusive workplace where everyone thrives.
• Championing Corporate Citizenship
  We build a business that benefits all stakeholders and has a positive social and environmental impact.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [email protected].

Hybrid