Talent Management 101: Approaching Talent Management

Talent Management 101 - what you need to know

Depending on the organization’s goals, size, industry, and other factors, every organization approaches talent management differently. To manage talent effectively, the following elements are crucial:

  • Analyses of data
  • Workforce plan
  • Personnel recruitment
  • Staffing
  • A successful onboarding
  • Development and training
  • Managing performance
  • Feedback gathering and sharing

The talent management process model

There are, however, many of the same steps involved in talent management that are followed by most companies. Below are six steps that most companies include.

1. Planning

Developing an effective talent management strategy involves aligning your efforts with the overall goals and objectives of the organization. This includes identifying any skill gaps across departments in the short- and long-term and understanding any skills you will need in the future.

Consider which roles will be best suited for full-time, in-house employees and which may be better suited to work with independent professionals during the planning phase of the talent management process. In addition to filling skill gaps quickly and cost-effectively, independent talent can give your team the flexibility to scale up and down as necessary.

It is also imperative to take into consideration remote work, as it has become more widely accepted in recent years. As a result of independent talent and remote workers, you will have access to a much larger pool of potential team members.

2. Attracting

An employer’s brand plays an important role in attracting the best talent. Your website’s career page, social media platforms, employee review sites, and other channels provide you with an opportunity to establish a brand that excites prospective employees about your organization.

The following components should be included in an employer brand that is designed to attract qualified, skilled talent:

  • Your website should include a “dedicated careers” section
  • The mission and vision of the company
  • The core values of our organization
  • Job descriptions that are clear and engaging
  • Benefits offered by the company
  • Awards presented at work
  • Testimonials from team members
  • Maintaining a consistent social media presence

3. Onboarding

To enable new team members to quickly adapt to your company culture, resources, and processes, a structured onboarding process should be implemented once you have attracted the right candidates. The purpose of onboarding is to assist individuals in setting themselves up for success so they can feel a sense of belonging, understand their role, and begin bringing positive results to the company as soon as they join.

It is also crucial, however, to leave room for adapting the steps based on the worker and their role-such as individuals from different teams at the organization versus in-house teams.

Steps involved in onboarding may include:

  • Completing required paperwork
  • Receiving equipment and gaining access to systems from IT
  • Joining scheduled ramp up sessions
  • Completing initial assignments
  • Taking time for self-guided learning

4. Developing

You can begin the process of developing your team members by onboarding them. Your team can provide your employees with professional development resources including career development overviews, on-demand courses, stipends for professional development events, and performance evaluations and coaching sessions throughout their tenure with the company.

It is pertinent to note that performance reviews are intended for members of the in-house team, while independent professionals receive feedback based on their completed projects and results.

5. Engaging and retaining

Organizations need to be proactive about employee engagement following the Great Resignation and widespread adoption of remote work.

A worker’s level of engagement is determined by how connected he or she feels to his or her organization and colleagues. Team members who are engaged are more likely to be satisfied and motivated by their jobs, which is both beneficial to their well-being and can positively impact the overall performance of the company.

Workers who are disengaged can suffer from a decline in productivity, which can also spread to the other members of the team. In addition, Gallup research indicates that disengaged teams experience a turnover rate of 18% to 43% higher than those who are engaged.

To improve the overall employee experience, which also contributes to employee engagement and retention, you can take the following steps:

  • Collect and address team member feedback
  • Check in with individuals about their workloads
  • Provide training and coaching opportunities
  • Offer flexible work arrangements (such as remote work and flexible hours)
  • Decrease meeting times and encourage asynchronous communication
  • Recognize team members for their contributions

6. Transitioning

In today’s workplace, employees rarely remain with the same company or role for the duration of their careers. An individual’s transition may include moving to a different team, getting promoted, becoming an in-house team member, or leaving their company. To navigate transitions among team members effectively, talent management processes need to include proactive steps.

When employees move internally within the organization, your company should provide them with training or resources that will assist them in making the transition successfully. Furthermore, have a plan in place to quickly backfill positions when workers move internally or leave the company.

As a result of a lack of a proactive plan, other members of the team will tend to take on more responsibilities during transitions, resulting in burnout, turnover, and costly errors.

With over 100 years of combined experience, we are experts, helping organizations with business strategy and talent management for over 30 years. To find out more on how we can help, contact us for a consult.

 

 

This is a 3 part series on talent management. 

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