2011 was a fascinating year in HR - particularly in terms of recruitment and talent management.
Business finally realised in many segments that the 'war for talent' was perhaps real - and the need to present a strong talent strategy, both retaining it, attracting it, and developing it were key to riding out the storm that is the ongoing GFC, brain drain and so on.
I remember well the days when recruitment was a process, and am grateful that recruitment has moved into Talent, and Talent has become a more strategic function allowing practitioners who work internally to actively participate in the business, to foster and grow relationships and to really gain a depth of understanding that previously wasn't there.
Developing capability and skill as a talent practitioner at this time is still an evolution - but there are some core skills that I would recognise as being critical to the path of success:
Build your relationships - understand your people, listen to them more than you talk to them, and develop your ability and skill in being recognised as a value add in the business, not an overhead. Understand the culture, and remember, each team can often have its own culture which is distinct to that of the broader organisation - the same can be said for country or state in the case of global or national organisations. Network Network Network with everyone.
Learn about the functions - what is it that X job actually does, why does it do it, and how does it contribute to the big picture. This is a little bit like (read almost identical to) Job Analysis and Design, but if you as a Talent professional don't understand the nuts and bolts of every role you are working with - how can you truly identify the best people to do it?
Social Media - grow your network, join groups, set up Google Searches, become an active participant in groups and discussions. Forums such as LinkedIn really allow us the opportunity to get our names and companies out there, to listen to real time market occurrences, to identify those who are active and who perhaps have opinions that will bring value into your business. Create your own social media brand, and link it to your business if permitted to do so. People generally connect with people more than Brand - so, be positive, be informative, be helpful and be relevant, and you might well find useful connections and potential talent will find their way to you. An interesting test, how many 'connections' do you have compared to how many 'followers'?
Put the Right People in front of the Right People - Think about the future, what is on the horizon for your business - have you spotted a connection that just says 'wow' to you? Is it someone who could really bring that 'wow' to your team - there may not be a role today, but there may be one tomorrow, so why not connect, and link up your connection with your business brand, and perhaps even with some of your managers who might be looking for someone with the 'wow' factor (I know, wow factor - very cliche and usually applied to architecture or home design, but if it works.....)
Engage the talent and treat it respectfully - People connect with people, treat people generously, warmly and with respect and they will remember it. Treat them like a number and it's unlikely they will remember you fondly and likely they will tell their friends about their experience. Communicate, listen, be honest and be upfront. Be positive and help people to understand your business, don't just direct them to a website, talk to them, share your knowledge, and create an experience that will bring them back time and again.
This is my little piece of wisdom for the day, it really is about being 'human' in what you do, being strategic and operational at the same time, working positively with your colleagues and representing your company as the best place to be, walk the talk.
Talent Management has evolved - people expect more, people are not 'human capital' and indeed perhaps people are not assets either, the knowledge they have may be one or both of those things, but fundamentally people are people, and we each have talents and skills that can and do make a difference every day.... so, my goal is to continually improve the way in which I engage, learn and work with people, be they internal, external or any other option you can think of, fundamentally to be a better person, and to always have respect for others capabilities and skills, and I believe and hope this will allow me to be a participant in the evolution of Talent Management....
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