In Information and Educational Technology (IET), staff can expand their skillset and explore new career opportunities without having to step into a new role or switch departments. It’s possible through the Stretch Assignment Self-Service Program—a flexible framework designed to support short-term, skill-building projects outside an employee’s day-to-day role.

The program was designed by volunteers in the IET Staff Advisory Committee, looking for a way to convert survey feedback into a sustainable pathway for career growth and development.

Data-Driven Direction

A campus-wide survey and a brief IET follow-up survey in 2021 and 2022 found that IET staff craved career development opportunities. However, results also showed most staff were not taking advantage of UC Davis career growth resources, even though nearly half communicated that taking on new challenges was important for their career advancement.

To address this and other staff engagement opportunities, the IET Staff Advisory Committee was born. The all-volunteer group of highly engaged IET staff formed subcommittees to tackle improvement areas highlighted by the surveys. One subcommittee sought to create a career development program to stretch an employee’s abilities and experience.

From Pilot to Proof of Concept

With support from IET leadership, the subcommittee launched a five-month pilot in 2024 featuring two stretch assignments. The results spoke for themselves:

• Significant Skill Gains: Participants reported their knowledge and skill levels jumped by 4 to 6 points on a 10-point scale.
• A Balanced Investment: The projects averaged 144 hours of combined volunteer and sponsor time (more depth than a standard online course, but less disruption than a full job rotation).
• Network Building: Beyond technical skills, participants emphasized the human connection. As one participant noted, "Without this stretch assignment, I would not have developed these relationships."

Empowering Teams via Self-Service

Despite the pilot’s success, a follow-up survey revealed stretch assignments weren’t being widely adopted. Everyday hurdles, such as time constraints, were holding people back even though stretch assignments showed promise. With this in mind, IET shifted in 2025 to a Self-Service Model. Instead of requiring significant staff time managing assignments, the new framework empowered staff and their supervisors to lead career development conversations and embrace learning opportunities.

The Stretch Assignment Self-Service Program provides comprehensive, accessible tools that can be utilized by other campus departments and units, including:

• Targeted conversation training for both staff and supervisors
• Optional one-on-one post-training coaching
• An easily accessible knowledge base article
• A streamlined Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) form to protect time and set expectations
• Alignment with UC Davis-wide HR policy

Fostering a Culture of Growth

In the first year of the Stretch Assignment Self-Service Program, 57 staff and supervisors completed training. These participants now have an HR-aligned framework to initiate, facilitate, and support growth discussions and opportunities. By focusing on transparent conversations and keeping the process simple but well defined, IET fosters a culture where taking on the next big challenge is within reach.