HR Management: Talent Unification...

A single view of talent is what makes it an asset........

• Developing a unified talent management approach by breaking through talent management silos
• A performance-centric culture is important to get a clear view of talent as it is here that people, data and competencies coincide for increasing performance.

A disengaged employee translates to thirty percent productivity losses! An astounding figure considering that most leaders and managers wear a deadpan expression about the engagement figures in their organisation. A significant percentage of corporates do not indulge in exercises like engagement assessment and so have no clue about the percentage of employees fully engaged, nearly engaged and actively disengaged. This also reflects the level of efficiency of talent management efforts that one can expect from such organisations. So what is the fuss about “people – our greatest asset” all about? For most organisations they have taken this HR phrase and have horded “people” irrespective of whether they have talent or not!

According to Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great”, people are not an asset, the right people are. So organisations need to keep its growth impetus by managing and detecting talent successfully. Employee retention, engagement, commitment and alignment are all fallouts of effective talent management. Organisations that hold a clear view of talent and understand what talent means to them can rest assure that their organisation is treading a safe path. Despite the awareness about how clear visibility about talent can propel organisational growth, employee retention continues to be a persistent itch.

Why do organisations fail to keep talent when they know the solution lies in preserving a single view of talent and following it to the hilt?

Haze and silos

Organisations fail mainly because of two reasons - they live in a talent haze that deprives them of a clear vision and secondly because organisations work in talent management silos. Talent management silos are independent units of the same function. In this case silos would represent independent units representing subfunctions like performance management, succession planning, hiring and retention, grouping them into silos that have little or no link with one another. Lack of integration results in multiple views on a given subject and therefore fails to muster the steam required to perform to its peak levels. Therefore, experts believe that organisations that wish to capitalise on the potential of talent management as a strategic business instrument should remove silos from within and create an environment of interdependence and integration.

How can leaders be sure of putting their talent to good use and not wasting them? An understanding of this is important for increasing employee potential. Leaders should therefore introspect and discover if:

• Top talent is working on projects that are strategic and growth-oriented
• Aligning of Individual goals and organisational objectives are not going out of sync
• Profiling the skill gaps and competency of candidates after every review.. Identifying performance improvement by recommending actionable development plans
• Axing the bottom ten percent at regular intervals to raise the quality of employees
• Managing talent is just another administrative exercise

If the answer to these apprehensions is a “yes” then the organisation is failing in its talent management efforts. However, for organisations that are doing everything right the opportunities are endless.

An understanding of what works best for talent management helps leaders focus on people, data and competencies. The trio together help leaders build a unified approach to talent management. With a single view on talent, organisations can overcome the hurdles erected by the “silos” culture.

The best methods

Following is an account of best practices in unified talent management approach:

• Get the right people for the right job, a mismatch here can hinder employees productivity
• Build a performance-centric culture by rewarding employees at every achievement and encouraging them to do better every time
• Try at unifying talent management practices
• Empower employees to take charge of their careers

Incorporating these basic practices will help organisations break free from the silos culture and take a clear view of talent. Organisations can then leverage their unified approach to talent management to align, engage, keep and develop talent in a way that creates a positive and resounding impact on the bottom-line.

Reference:
The ManageMentor