Talent management has been recognized as strategically important for a long time, but many companies still think of it in ways that are too traditional. Consider these three things when setting your talent management strategy.
1. Focus on today, not on the future
Instead of focusing on talent management interventions that hopefully have a long term effect (such as traineeships and development programs), you can focus on the initiatives that can have an effect today. Here are some examples:
- Remove the blocker in the management team, and appoint one of your top potentials instead;
- Appoint one of your biggest talents as Chief Digital Officer;
- Give teams of high potentials responsibility for the development of new business and new markets;
- Don’t hesitate to put your best people on the most important jobs.
2. Move away from standard and think individualization instead
One of the most important trends in HR is individualization. In consumer marketing, the individual approach has been common for a long time. The way organizations view and treat employees is lagging. Employees are more and more expecting the type of experience they have as consumers, in the workplace. Loads of work remain for most companies to get here.
In talent management, a tailored and individual approach is very important. If you know what the capabilities of people are, what their wishes are and in what direction they want to develop, you can design opportunities that fit best with the individual needs and wishes. With the technology of today, you are able to know your employees better than they know themselves.
3. Blurring the line between internal and external
There is talent everywhere. Organizations limit themselves unnecessary if they focus too much on developing and retaining the talent on the payroll. You can make your talent pools larger, if you include talent elsewhere – at suppliers and partners, customers, in the group of alumni or among the self-employed professionals who work for your organization. The network around your organization is just as important to take into account when defining your talent pool, as the people you have already recruited!