Reassessing Talent Management
If you’re looking for a new role or you’re needing to hire someone, this past year has changed how both sides of that coin approach their search. As with other areas of the business, a change of this magnitude has created an excellent opportunity for reassessing talent management.
It’s in adversity that leadership is honed. The same can be said of process. Too often we continue to do things because we’ve been doing them that way and there is no reason to change anything since nothing is broken. But that mindset can also set you back. There is always going to be a new entrant into your industry that is going to try things differently. And while it may take a crisis for you to improve areas of your business, there’s no reason not to embrace that opportunity.
A recent whitepaper from Korn Ferry looks at how you can review, re-evaluate, and redesign your talent delivery approach. They note that during difficult times, leaders who are willing to embrace uncertainty, navigate complexity, demonstrate empathy, show decisiveness, and are not afraid to run towards the fire tend to emerge.
As an HR leader, now is the time to work with other executives on talent management initiatives. While others put HR on the back burner, you can leapfrog them in the coming years by building a “shock proof” talent management strategy. We know that tomorrow’s employees are going to look different from the past. Diversity, soft-skills, adaptability, and technology acumen are critical elements of finding great talent.
This past year has also provided a new window on skill sets. Who has stepped up and who has demonstrated lateral thinking. Where are there areas that you can support employee well-being? If you haven’t already, consider more frequent reviews and check-ins. Remote working demands that we invest more time communicating with our teams as employees and as people.
The need for face to face interactions may not be as important as you thought. According to Korn Ferry’s discussions with 300 client executives, they felt liberated by the virtual environment. “It provided a safe space in which they could be curious, open to different views, and willing to engage in dialog, rather than seeing the conversation as a competition, which can often happen in traditional face-to-face meetings.”
The paper outlines four principles that you can adopt for your talent management approach.
- Seize the moment
Take advantage of the uncertainty to reassess your talent management processes.
- Measure what matters
With new challenges come new solutions, consider what traits have come to the forefront this year and make sure they are part of the process moving forward.
- Update your data
The new information you’re seeing should be reflected in your assessments. Are high potential people still considered high potential based on your new data? There may be new people who rise to the top.
- Virtual by design, not by default
Remote workforces require remote processes. Be thoughtful about how you design your talent management program and don’t feel the need to force online processes into a digital format.
If you have questions or need help with your talent management process or need to recruit executive HR leaders, let us know, our team of retained search consultants are here to help.