AN

ARTICLE ON
TALENTMANAGEMENT

By

P.B.S. KUMAR
B.Sc.MA(PM),MA(Ind.Eco.),MBA(HR),BGL,DLL,PGDIRPM

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 Talent Management

Infosys, Wipro, Satyam, HCL Technologies and i-Flex Solutions. These are some of the
companies, which have the highest revenue growth rates year after year. Few of them
also have revenues exceeding $1 bn. They provide great work environment to their
people. Good salary, perks, overseas assignments, challenging and highly competitive
work environment and a great future - these are some of the pluses associated with
these companies. Then, can these companies be considered as the picture perfect
companies with no problems whatsoever?

Think again!!!

Have a look at these figures:

Infosys - 10.7 %
Wipro - 17 %
Satyam - 18 %
HCL Technologies - 13.1 %
i-Flex Solutions - 19 %

These are the attrition rates of the employees of the above mentioned companies.
Some of these actually match their revenue growth rates!!! This is giving a severe
headache to the top management in general and HR department in particular. So, this
has added to the functions of the HR department a new function - Talent Management.

Introduction

Talent management implies recognizing a person's inherent skills, traits, personality

and offering him a matching job. Every person has a unique talent that suits a particular
job profile and any other position will cause discomfort. It is the job of the Management,
particularly the HR Department, to place candidates with prudence and caution. A
wrong fit will result in further hiring, re-training and other wasteful activities.

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Talent Management is beneficial to both the organization and the employees. The
organization benefits from: Increased productivity and capability; a better linkage
between individuals' efforts and business goals; commitment of valued employees;
reduced turnover; increased bench strength and a better fit between people's jobs and
skills. Employees benefit from: Higher motivation and commitment; career
development; increased knowledge about and contribution to company goals; sustained
motivation and job satisfaction.

In these days of highly competitive world, where change is the only constant factor, it
is important for an organization to develop the most important resource of all - the
Human Resource. In this globalized world, it is only the Human Resource that can
provide an organization the competitive edge because under the new trade
agreements, technology can be easily transferred from one country to another and
there is no dearth for sources of cheap finance. But it is the talented workforce that is
very hard to find. The biggest problem is how to retain the present workforce and stop
them from quitting?

Importance

First, let us look at some of the reasons for the importance of talent management.

Globalization: Now for any jobseeker the whole world is the potential place to find
employment. One can know the opportunities available in any part of the world easily
and the number of talent seekers has also increased.

Increased Competition: Increased competition in the market place has necessitated

the need for consistently good performance on the side of organizations. These have
made the companies to put in all efforts to hire and retain the best talent in the
respective field of operation.

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Increasing Knowledge: The knowledge era has necessitated the retaining of those
talents which have the ability to assimilate new technologies and knowledge, which are
growing at a pace never seen before.

The Challenge

The challenge of talent management has two facets to it. First is how to find new people
and second is how to retain the present workforce. Each of the challenges has to be
tackled in the most efficient way possible so that the organization can achieve its
objectives.

The First Challenge - Where to find new talent?

All the organizations are finding loads of business opportunities and consequently, their
revenues are growing at a rapid pace. The increasing business opportunities has
necessitated that these organizations go in for massive recruitment. But, the question is
where to find the best talent which is able to fit the job description and also adjust to the
organization’s values and norms. If we scan the environment, we find there is a
shortage of skilled workforce that can be employed.

Some of the possible reasons that have led to the shortage are: -

Demographic Constraints: This is a common problem faced by many of the

developed countries, where a large chunk of its population is nearing the age of
retirement or is over 50 years. USA, Germany and Japan are facing the same problem.
All these countries will see a decline in their workforce and talent. In the coming years,
they will see a great shortage in their skilled professionals.

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Existing Educational System: The graduates and the postgraduates that are being
churned out of the universities are found to be ill-equipped to handle the challenges of
the workplace. They are mostly equipped with only the theoretical aspects of the issues
and lack the application part. The educational system is faulty and does not take
industry needs into consideration, resulting in a mismatch between industry
requirements and educational preparation.

Cost Factor: Recruiting new employees is becoming tougher and tougher in the
developing countries, where the HR department has to sort out thousands of
applications for a handful of jobs. Finding right person for the right job becomes a very
difficult process. It also involves very high cost to conduct the recruitment and selection
process for such a large population of applicants.

Attracting the Best Talent: This is another challenge. As was the case in the past, the
best available talent is not just motivated by the name and fame of the organization. Not
anymore. They have a new set of motivators like - challenging work, conducive work
environment and freedom from bureaucratic structure.

The Second Challenge - How to retain the existing employees?

Gone are the days when a person would join an organization in his mid-20s and would
work till his retirement in the late-50s. Today the young professionals hop jobs,
especially during the first 4-5 years of their work life. Though the Indian service industry
is basking in the light of outsourced jobs from the developed countries, they also cannot
ignore the fact that the BPO industry is also facing one of the highest attrition rates,
infact never heard before in India, of around 35%.

It is a fact that its the people that add value to organizations. It is also a fact that
humans are a restless species who, unlike the immovable Banyan Tree, cannot stay
rooted in one place. People need to move on for one reason or another, and the
organization stands to lose. Let us look at some of the reasons behind the massive
attrition rates: -

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1. Gap between organizational values and goals and the personal values and goals
is one of the major reasons of the attrition rates. If they go parallel, there is no
way both would be satisfied and inevitably, the organization would lose out on a
talented employee.

Working environment is another major factor. Employees in the knowledge era

demand creative and a democratic work environment. Failure on the part of the
management to provide such an environment will result in a talented employee
leaving the organization.

2. The competitive world has made sure that there is high work pressure on the
employees of any organization. This has led to psychological problems like
stress, and in extreme situations, total burnouts. It also leads to other health
related problems.
3. Movement for higher salary is also common among the younger professionals.
There is no shortage for organizations who are looking for talented employees
and who are ready to shell out a hefty salary for a talented person. Other lures
like better job opportunities, higher posts and overseas assignments are also
major factors in the attrition rates.
4. Not taking proper care during the recruitment and selection process and not
taking proper care to fit the right person to the right job also breeds
dissatisfaction among the employees.
5. Bad or opaque policies from management on issues of succession planning and
promotion, appointments for senior positions also is a major factor which makes
the organization lose out on the talented employees.
6. The professionals have different aspirations at different times of their career.
During the initial years, they have good salary and foreign assignments. Next on
the list is working on cutting edge technology. More seasoned professionals look
for learning opportunities. So employees tend to move to those organizations
which provide them with means to fulfill their aspirations.

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Retaining the present employees is of the foremost importance to the organizations
because; the company would have already incurred heavy costs in the form of training
and development. Now if the organization has to look for a replacement for the
employee who has left, it involves a lot of costs like - hiring costs, training costs and the
induction costs.

Also it takes some time for the new employee to adjust to the new work environment.
During this time the productivity of the employee will be low. The HR department will
have to fit the new employee into a proper role in the organization. Apart from causing
the company a monetary loss and breaks in their day-to-day operations, attrition
contributes to knowledge transfer, which is a great loss and adversely affects business.

The Question is - How to Manage the TALENT?

It is now proved beyond doubt that, in the era of technology and knowledge, talent is in
the driving seat. One who possesses it dictates. Not he who pays for it. It is the demand
of the time that business leaders elevate management of talent to a burning corporate
priority. It is not a walk in the park for the talent market. Quality people are no longer
available in plenty, easily replaceable and relatively inexpensive.

These are some of the measures that should be taken into account to hire and retain
talent in the organization, to be efficient and competitive in this highly competitive world:
-

Hire the Right People: Proper care must be taken while hiring the people itself. It
would be beneficial for an organization to recruit young people and nurture them, than
to substitute by hiring from other organizations. Questions to be asked at this stage are:
Whether the person has the requisite skills needed for the job? Whether the person's
values and goals match with those of organization's? In short, care must be taken to fit
the right person to the right job.

Keep the Promises: Good talent cannot be motivated by fake platitudes, half-truths
and broken promises. Unfulfilled expectations can breed dissatisfaction among the
employees and make them either leave the organization or work below their productive
level. Promises made during the hiring stage must be kept to build loyalty among the
employees, so that they are satisfied and work to their fullest capability.

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Good Working Environment: It has to be accepted by the organizations that highly
talented persons make their own rules. They have to be provided with a democratic and
a stimulating work environment. The organizational rules must be flexible enough to
provide them with freedom to carry out their part of task to their liking, as long as the
task is achieved. Opportunities should also be provided to the employees to achieve
their personal goals.

Recognition of Merit: It is highly motivating for any person if his talent is recognized
and is suitably rewarded. One way is providing them with salary commensurate with
their performance. Promotions and incentives based on performance are another way
of doing it. Another way is by providing them with challenging projects. This will achieve
two objectives - it makes employee feel that he is considered important (a highly
motivating factor) and gets the work done in a efficient manner and brings out the best
in the employee.

Providing Learning Opportunities: Employees must be provided with continuous

learning opportunities on and off work field through management development
programmes and distance learning programmes. This will also benefit the organization
in the form of highly talented workforce.

Shielding from High Work Pressure: If an organization has to make the most of the
available talent, they should be provided with adequate time to relax, so that they can
di-stress themselves. It is very important to provide them with holidays and all-
expenses-paid trips, so that they can come back refreshed to work and with increased
energy. They must also be encouraged to pursue their interests which are also a good
way of reducing work environment stress. Recreation clubs, entertain programmes, fun
activities within the work area will also reduce the work life stress of the employees and
develop camaraderie among the workers and result in a good working environment.

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Talent Manage ment profe ssion als need go od information
and insight. It's the basis of goo d decision making and risk
management.

I T TA K E S T a le nt to s p ot T a len t ! A t on e de af will n e ve r b e ab le to
a p p re c iat e th e m usic of ma e st ro s. On ly a s e a s o ne d jewe lle r wo u ld
kn o w t h a t a ll t h a t glit t e rs is n o t re a l! A n d , o n ly t h o se wh o c an re co gn ize
t h e wo rt h of a d iam o nd can va lu e it , f o r o th e rs it 's ju s t a s t on e ! Ta le nt
is d o in g e a sily wh a t o th e rs f ind d if f icu lt .

I n an o rga n iza t io n , t h e re is n o th in g mo re c ru c ia l t ha n f itt in g t h e righ t

e m p lo ye e in th e righ t p o s it io n. O r e ls e yo u wo u ld b e t ryin g t o f it a
squ a re p e g in a rou n d h o le . W he n p eo p le d o job s t ha t ju st do n 't su it
t h e ir lik in g, in c lin at io n o r tem p e ram en t , th e re su lt s , o r ra t h e r th e la c k of
t h em , will b e d is a st ro u sly o b vio u s. Lo w p ro d u c t ivit y, d i ss a t isf a c t ion ,
lo w m o ra le , ab se nte e ism a nd o th e r ne ga t ive b e h a vio u r wi ll b e c o me
t yp ica l t ill t h e em plo ye e is s h o wn t h e d o o r. O r p e rha p s , t h e re is
a n o th e r op t ion - Ta le n t Man a gem e nt.

Ta le n t Ma n a gem en t : A con scio u s, de lib e ra t e a pp ro a ch u n de rt a k en to

a t t ra c t , d e ve lo p a nd re t a in p eo p le w ith t he ap t it ud e an d a b ilit ie s t o
me e t c u rre n t an d fu t u re o rg a n i za t io n a l n ee d s .

Ta le n t ma n a ge me n t in v o lv e s ind iv id ua l a nd o rga n i za t io n a l de ve lo p me n t
in re sp on se to a ch a ng in g a n d co mp le x o pe ra t ing en v iro n me n t . I t
in c lu d e s t h e cre a t io n an d ma in t en a n ce o f a sup po rt ive , p e op le o rien t e d
o rg a n i za t io n c u lt u re .

Ta le n t ma n a gem en t imp lie s re c o gn izin g a p e rs on 's in he re n t s kills ,

t ra it s , p e rso n a lit y a n d of f e rin g h im a m a t ch in g jo b . E ve ry p e rs o n h a s a
u n iqu e t a le n t t h at su it s a p a rt ic u la r jo b p rof ile an d a n y o t h e r p o sit ion
wi ll c a u s e d isc omf o rt .

I t is t he jo b of t h e Ma n a ge me n t , p a rt ic u la rly t h e HR De pa rt m en t , t o
p la c e ca n d ida t e s wit h p ru d e n c e a nd c a u t ion . A wro n g f it wil l re su lt in
f u rt h e r h irin g, re -t ra in in g a n d o th e r wa s t ef u l a c t ivit ie s.

No m at t e r h o w in s p irin g t h e Le a de rs a re , t he y a re o n ly a s ef f e c t ive a s
t h e ir t ea m. A te am's o u t pu t is h e a lthy o n ly if t h e m embe rs a re in s yn c.
T o a c h ie ve su ch ha rm on y, t h e ke y in gre d ie n t is "p u t t ing t h e righ t
p e op le in th e righ t jo b s " .

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W hile th e re is n o m a gic f o rmu la to m a na ge t a le n t , t he t ric k is t o lo c at e
it a n d e n co u ra ge it.

T a len t Man a gem e nt is b en ef ic ia l to bo t h th e o rga n iza t io n a nd th e

e m p lo ye e s . T h e o rga n iza t io n b e nef its f ro m : I n crea s e d p ro d u ct ivit y a n d
ca p ab ilit y; a b e t te r lin k a ge b e t we e n in d ivid u a ls ' ef f o rt s a n d b u sine s s
go a ls ; c o mm itm en t of va lu e d em p lo yee s; re du c e d t u rno ve r; in cre a s ed
b e n ch s t re n gt h a nd a b e t te r f it be t we e n pe o p le 's jo b s an d s kills .
E m p lo ye e s b en ef it f ro m : High e r m ot iva t io n a n d com m itm e nt ; c a re e r
d e ve lo p me n t; in cre a sed kn o wle d ge a b ou t an d co n t ribut io n to c om pa n y
go a ls ; s u st a ine d mo t iva t io n a nd job sa t isf a ct ion .

S o , ho w d o e s a n orga n iza t io n ef f e ct ive l y m a n a ge ta le nt?

Re c ogni s e ta l e nt: No t ice wh a t do em p lo ye e s d o in t heir f re e t ime an d

f ind ou t th e ir in te re st s . T ry t o d is co ve r t h e ir s t ren gt h s a n d in t e re s t s.
A ls o , en c o u ra ge t he m t o d is co ve r t h eir o wn la t e n t ta le n ts . Fo r in st an c e ,
if a n e mp lo ye e in th e op e ra t io n s d e pa rt m en t co n vin c in gly e xp la in s wh y
h e th in k s he 's righ t e ve n wh e n he 's wro n g, c o n s id e r mo vin g h im t o
sa le s!

At tr a c ti ng Ta l e nt: G o od c om pa n ie s c re a t e a s t ron g b ra n d id e n t it y wit h

t h e ir c u s to me rs a nd t he n d e live r o n th a t p ro m is e. G rea t e mp lo ym e n t
b ra n d s d o t h e s ame , wit h qu a n t if ia b le a nd qu a lit a t ive re su lt s. A s a
re s u lt , t he righ t p eo p le ch o o se t o jo in t he o rga n is a t io n .

S e l ec ti ng Ta l e nt: Ma n a ge me n t sh ou ld im p le me n t p ro ve n t a len t
se le ct io n s yst e m s a n d t o o ls t o crea t e p rof ile s of t he righ t pe o p le b a se d
o n th e co mp e te n cie s of h igh p e rf o rme rs . I t 's no t sim p ly a m a t te r of
f ind in g t h e "b e s t an d th e b righ t e s t , " it 's a b ou t c rea t in g th e righ t f it -
b o t h f o r to d a y a nd t om o rro w.

Re ta i ni ng Ta l e nt: I n t he cu rren t c lima t e of cha n ge , it 's crit ic a l t o h o ld

o n t o t he k e y p e op le . T h e se a re t he pe o p le wh o wil l le a d t he
o rga n is a t io n t o f u tu re su cce ss, an d yo u can 't af f o rd t o lo s e th em .

T he c o s t of re p la c in g a va lu e d emp loye e is e n o rmo u s. O rga n iza t io n s

n e ed t o p rom o te d ive rs it y a n d d e s ign st ra t e gie s t o re t a in p eo p le ,
re wa rd h igh p e rf o rm a n ce an d p ro vid e o p po rt u n it ie s f o r d e ve lo p me n t.

10 | P a g e
Ma na gi ng S uc ce ss i on: Ef f e c t ive o rga n is a t ion s an t ic ip at e t he
le a d e rs h ip an d ta le n t re qu irem e nt t o s u cc e ed in t h e f u tu re . Le a de rs
u n de rs t a nd t ha t it 's c rit ica l t o s t ren gt h e n t h e ir ta le n t p oo l t h ro u gh
s u c c e ss io n p la nn in g, p rof e ssion a l de ve lo p m en t , jo b rot a t io n a nd
wo rk f o rc e p lan n in g. Th e y n e ed to id en t if y p o t en t ia l t a len t an d gro om it .

Cha nge O r ga nis a ti on Cul tur e : A sk yo u rs e lf , "W h y wo u ld a ta le nt e d

p e rs o n ch oo se to wo rk h e re ? " If t he o rga n isa t io n wis h es t o
su b s t an t ia lly st re ngt h e n it s ta le nt p oo l, it sho u ld b e p rep a re d t o ch a n ge
t h in gs a s f u n da men t a l a s t he bu s in es s st ra t e gy, t h e o rga n is a t io n
st ru c t u re , t h e cu lt ure a n d e ve n th e calib re of lea d e rs in t h e
o rga n isa t io n .

A righ t ly m a n a ge d t a le n t t u rn s o u t t o b e a G o ld Min e . It 's in e xh a u s t ib le

a n d p rice le s s. It wi ll ke e p su p p lyin g we a lt h a n d va lu e to t he
o rga n is a t io n .

I n t u rn, Ma na ge men t ne e d s t o rea lis e it s wo rt h , e xt ra c t it , p o lish it an d

u t ilis e it . Do n 't hoa rd T a len t - s p en d it la vis h l y, lik e a millio n a ire
f la sh in g h is lu xu rie s, b e ca u se Ta le nt is W ea lth !

I m por ta nc e of Ta le nt Ma na ge m e nt

L ik e hu ma n ca p it a l, Ta l e nt Ma na ge me nt is ga in in g in c re a s ed a tt e nt io n .

T a len t m an a gem e nt (T M) b rin gs t o ge th e r a n um b e r of imp o rt a nt hu ma n

re s o u rc e s (HR) a nd ma n a gem en t in itia t ive s. O rga n is a t io n s th a t f o rma lly
d e c id e t o "m a na ge t h e ir t a le n t" un d e rt a k e a st ra te gic a na lys is o f th e ir
cu rre n t HR p ro ce ss e s . T h is is to en su re t ha t a c o -o rd ina t e d,
p e rf o rma n ce o rie nte d ap p roa c h is a do p t ed .

Q u it e of t en , o rga n isa t io n s a d op t in g a T M ap p roa c h will f o cu s o n co -

o rd in a t in g an d int egra t in g:

• Re c ru it m en t - en su rin g t h e righ t p eop le a re a t t ra ct e d to t he

o rga n is a t io n .
• Re t e n t io n - de ve lo p in g a n d im p le me nt in g p ra c t ic e s th a t re wa rd
a n d su p po rt em p loye e s .
• E m p lo ye e d e ve lo pm e nt - en s u rin g c on t in uo u s inf o rma l a n d f o rma l
le a rn in g a nd d e ve lo p me n t.
• L e ad e rs h ip a n d "h igh p o t en t ia l emp loye e " d e ve lo pm en t - s p e c if ic
d e ve lo p me n t p ro gra m s f o r e xis t in g a n d f u t u re le a de rs .

11 | P a g e
 • P e rf o rma n c e ma nage m e n t - sp e c if ic p ro c e ss e s t h at nu rt u re an d
s u p po rt p e rf o rm ance , in c lud in g f e edb a c k/m e a su rem e nt.
• W orkf o rce p la nn ing - p la n n in g f o r busin e s s an d ge ne ra l c h a n ge s ,
in c lu d in g t h e o lde r wo rk f o rce an d cu rre n t /f ut u re s k ills sh o rt a ge s.
• Cu lt u re - d e ve lo pm e nt of a p o sit ive , p ro gre ss ive a n d high
p e rf o rma n ce " wa y of op e ra t in g" .

A n imp o rt an t ste p is t o id en t if y t h e staf f o r e mp lo ye e s (p e op le an d

p o s it io n s ) th a t a re crit ica l t o t he o rgan is a t io n. T h e y d o n o t n e c e s sa rily
h a ve t o b e se n io r st af f m em be rs . Man y o rga n is a t io n s lo s t a lo t of
" o rga n isa t ion a l kno wle d ge " in t he d own s i zin g e xe rcis e s of a f e w ye a rs
a go . Th e im pa ct of t h e lo ss wa s n o t im me d iat e ly a p p a ren t . Ho we ve r, it
d id no t ta k e lon g f o r m an y co m pa n ies t o re a lize t he ir mist a k e wh e n
t h e y d id no t h a ve p e op le wit h t h e kno wle d ge a n d sk ills t o e ith e r
a n t icip at e o r so lve p ro b lem s th a t a ros e .

T he c u rre nt d is cu ssio n s ab o u t sk ill sh o rt a ge s an d t h e age in g

p o pu la t io n a re a ls o h e lp in g o rga n isat io n s to f o cu s on th e ta le n t
m a na ge me n t issu e. I t m a y n o t b e p o ssib le t o s im p ly go o u t a n d re cru it
n e w p e o p le t o me et o pe ra t io na l ne e ds. Ma n y le a d in g com p an ie s h a ve
d e c id ed t o d e ve lo p t h e ir o wn p eo p le, ra t h e r th a n t ryin g t o h ire f u lly
sk ille d wo rke rs .

I n s umm a ry, e ve ry o rga n isa t io n s h ould b e im p lem en t in g t a le nt

m a na ge me n t p rin c ip le s an d ap p roa che s.

S e ve n Ta l e nt Mana ge m e nt pr ac ti ce s tha t m a tte r

Co m pe t in g in a "f la t wo rld " , a t e rm po p u la rize d b y co lum n ist To m

Frie d m an , re qu ire s (we ll ) ro u n d ed p eo p le . B e com in g a we ll ro u n d e d
t a le n t re qu ire s c o nt in u ou s le a rn in g a n d de ve lo p me n t of kn o wle d ge a n d
sk ills . O rga n iza t io n s t ha t wa n t to s uc ce e d in f la t wo rld c o mp e t it ion
b e t te r b e c re a t in g e n rich in g wo rk p la ce e xp e rie n c e s if t he y wis h t o
a t t ra c t a n d re t a in th e h igh -ca lib e r ta le n t th e y n ee d .

Ho w c a n yo u cre a te a n e n ric h in g wo rkp la c e ? I t isn 't e a sy a n d d oe s n 't

h a pp e n o ve rn igh t . B u t wit h som e p lan n in g, a lot of p e rsis t e n c e a n d
a d ep t e xe c u t ion of se ve n ke y p ra ct ice s, an y o rga n iza t i o n can c re at e a n
e n ric h in g wo rk p la ce .

12 | P a g e
1 . J ob S tr e tc h a nd Mobi l i t y
Fe e l lik e yo u 're stu c k in a b o x a t wo rk? If yo u do yo u 've go t p len t y of
co m pa n y. Ma n y o rga n iza t io n s d ef ine jo b s na rro wl y a n d a llo w lit t le o r n o
m o ve me n t a c ro ss o rga n iza t io n a l b oun d a rie s o r e ve n wi t h in th em . Bu t to
gro w, t a le n t ed pe op le ne e d t o b e co nst a n t ly c h a lle n ge d a n d st re t che d .
T h is m ea n s t h e a bilit y t o t a ke ris ks , to t ry n e w t h in gs , a n d ye s , e ve n to
f a il - wh e t h e r b y do in g so me t h in g d if f e re n t ly in a n e xis t in g jo b o r
t a c k lin g a n en t ire ly n e w o n e . If e xp e rie n c e is in de e d t he b e st t ea c he r
h o w m u c h a re we le a rn in g if wh a t we d o ra re ly ch a n ge s?

S E I In ve s t m en t s, a le a d in g glo b a l p rovid e r o f o u t so u rced in ve s t m en t

b u s in e ss s o lu t ion s, h a s c rea t ed an en viro n m e n t t h at p ro vid e s co n t inu a l
ch a lle n ge to st af f a n d e n ab le s th em t o re gu la rly m o ve a ro u nd t he
o rga n iza t io n a n d to f re qu e nt ly t a ke on n e w t a s ks a n d res p o n s ib ilit ie s.

2 . Me ntor i ng Not J us t Ma na gi ng

No t h in g s p ee d s u p t h e t ra n sf e r of kno wle d ge a n d k no w-h o w o r

e n ha n c e s in d ivid u a l d e ve lo pm en t m ore t h an a qua lit y o n e -t o -on e
d ia lo gu e be t we e n a n e xp e rie n ce d p erso n a nd an up -a nd -co me r.

W .L. G o re, c re a to r of Go re -Te x f ab rics , is a m e nt o rin g-in t e n sive

o rga n iza t io n . Ma na ge rs a re c a lle d "S p o n so rs " a n d a c t a s a d vo c a te s f o r
t h e ir a s sign e d s t af f . T h e y c om m it t o b e in g kn o wle d ge ab le ab o u t t he ir
a ct ivit ie s , we ll b e i n g, p ro gre s s , a cc om p lishm e nt s, pe rso n a l co n c e rn s
a n d a mb it io n s. E ach a ss o ciat e h a s at le a st o ne s po n s or a n d so me ha ve
m o re t h an on e .

3 . Fr ee dom a nd Sti m ul a ti on

O f t e n t he en viro n m e nt in wh ic h pe op le wo rk c a n ma ke a hu ge
d if f e re n ce to t he sp e ed a nd qu a lit y of p eo p le d e ve lo pme n t . T wo
in gre d ie n t s e sse n tia l t o m a kin g a work p la c e c on d u cive t o le a rn in g a re
st im u la t io n - th ro ugh f re qu en t e xp o s u re t o a wid e va rie t y p e o p le a n d
id e a s a n d t h e f re ed o m t o e xp lo re a nd p u rsue ind ivid u a l id e a s a n d
p a s s io n s.
G o o gle is a n irva n a f o r th e b e s t a nd b righ t e st t e ch n ic a l t a le nt in th e
wo rld . T h e co mp any's co m m itm e nt t o h u ma n ca p ita l is stro n g a n d wa s a
co re p rin c ip le e xp re s se d in it s no w f am o u s I P O f ilin g in 2 0 04 . S taf f a re
gi ve n h u ge am ou n ts of f ree d om t o d et e rm ine wh e n , wh ere , h o w a n d o n
wh a t t h e y wo rk. E a ch is a llo we d to sp e nd 2 0% of t he ir t im e e a ch we e k
wo rk in g o n p e rsona lly in it ia t e d p ro jec t s.

13 | P a g e
4 . De e p I m m e rs i on
No t h in g f ru st ra te s t a le n te d p e op le , pa rt ic u la rly yo u n g u p -a n d -com e rs,
m o re t h an be in g aske d to wa it t h e ir tu rn b ef o re ge tt in g t h e o p po rt u n it y
t o c on t rib u te t o imp o rt a nt p ro je ct s o r in it ia t ive s . Th is is n o t o n ly
d e mo t iva t in g t o peo p le b u t co u nt e r-pro d u c t ive t o p e rf o rm a n ce a s
o p po rt u n it ie s t o con t rib u t e d ep en d mo re o n t en u re a n d p e ck in g o rd e r
t h a n me rit .

T rilo gy, a s of t wa re c o mp a n y b a se d in A u s t in Te xa s n o t o n ly a vo id s t h is
p ro b lem , bu t h a s cre a t e d a f a s t - t ra ck , m e rit -ba s e d p roce s s t ha t sta rt s
wit h e ve r y n e w h ir e . I t s in d u ct io n p rogra m is o n st e ro ids - go a ls a re no t
o n ly c u lt u ra l in d u ct io n , b o nd in g a nd skill d e ve lo p m en t b u t to c re at e th e
co m pa n y's n e xt ge n e ra t ion of id ea s, p ro d u ct s a nd lea de rs. Th e p ro gra m
is le d an d run b y Trilo g y's t o p e xe c u t ive s , in c lu d in g it s CE O .

5 . Te ac hi ng a nd Coa c hi ng

T h is m ea n s h a vin g p e op le in t h e o rgan iza t io n - b o th m an a ge rs a nd

sp e c ia lis t s - wh o se ro le it is to he lp o t h e rs to gro w, le a rn a n d re a lize
t h e ir p ot e nt ia l. Man y o rga n iza t io n s h a ve d e -e mp ha size d t h is ke y t a sk
a s p re s s u re t o mee t qu a rt e rly p e rf o rm a n ce ta rge t s h a ve c a s c ad e d d o wn
t o e ve ry le ve l o f t he o rga n iza t io n .

S ch o o ls p ro vid e an in sp ira t ion an d m o de l f rom wh ich o t h e r

o rga n iza t io n s ca n le a rn . T he y h a ve t e a c he rs wh o s e o n ly jo b is t o
d e ve lo p t he ir st ude n t 's s kills a nd learn in g. W hile f e w o rga n iza t io n s a re
p o s it io ne d to emp lo y f u ll-t ime t ea ch ers , m an y sh o u ld en co u ra ge a n d
h e lp m an a ge rs a nd s t af f t o t a ke on th is ro le . T he y c a n d o th is b y
e xp lic it l y a c kn o wle d gin g t h e va lu e of t e a c h in g a n d co a ch in g a n d
in c lu d in g t h e se resp o n s ib ilit ie s in t he e xp e ct at io n s a n d m ea s u re s of
p e rf o rma n ce se t f or m a na ge rs a nd staf f .

6 . Di ve r s i t y of Ta l e nts a nd Pe r s onal i ti e s

T he va lu e of d ive rsit y in b u sin e ss see m s o b vio u s t o most o b se rve rs ,

b u t f e w le a d e rs rea lly k n o w h o w t o le ve ra ge t h e d if f e re n c e s t h at pe o p le
b rin g t o t he wo rkp la c e . A s Ric a rd o Se m le r, h e ad of t he in n o va t ive
B ra zilia n c o n glo me ra t e S em co p u t s it - " I p ref e r Co q-au -V in t o Ch ic ke n
Mc Nu gge t s " . He is n o t t a lkin g a bo u t fo o d b u t ra t he r c u ltu re s t ha t b le n d
d ive rs e t a le n t s a nd p e rs pe ct ive s (lik e t he in gre d ie nt s in a slo w-c o o ke d
Co q-a u -V in ) ve rsu s t h o se t ha t im p o se n um b in g c o nf o rm it y o n t he ir
p e op le (lik e t he ind u st ria l-s t yle s a me n e s s of Ch icken McNu gge t s ). A n d

14 | P a g e
b e lie ve m e, ma n y co m pa n ie s h a ve Ch ick e n Mc Nu gge t ta le n t - m a s s
p ro d u ce d , st a nd a rd ize d a n d co n s isten t ly m e d io cre . Fa r b e t te r t o b le nd
d ive rs e in gre d ie n ts in t o a rich an d un iqu e t a st in g s te w - a la c o q a u vin !

S e m co ba c ks up its wo rd s wit h a ct ion s. I t re gu la rly p a irs yo u n ge r a n d

o ld e r wo rk e rs t o ge t h e r. It s "L o s t in Sp a c e" p ro gra m af f o rd s yo u n g st af f
t h e o p po rt u n it y t o m o ve a ro un d t h e co m pa n y o n a re gu la r b a sis du rin g
t h e ir f irs t f e w ye a rs. Th is h e lp s t hem t o bo t h d e ve lo p ne w p e rsp e c t ive s
a re we ll a s in je c t th e ir o wn f re sh idea s t h rou gh o u t t he b u sin e ss. T h e ir
" T rad in g P la ce s" in it ia t ive le t 's p eo ple t ra d e jo b s a s a wa y o f ga in in g
n e w e xp e rie n c e a nd sk ills .

7 . Hor i z onta l G r ow th Pa ths

Fla t t e n in g of h ie rarch ie s in re cen t ye a rs h a s se ve re ly c u rt a ile d gro wt h

p a t h s in m a n y o rga n iza t io n s. Bu t growt h s h o u ld n 't ju st b e up th e lad d e r
o r d e pe nd pu re ly o n a cqu irin g m a na ge ria l s kills . A n o th er p ro d u c t ive
gro wt h p a t h is h o rizo n t a l a n d p ro gre ssive o rga n i za t io n s h a ve cre a t ed
la t e ra l pa t h s t h at allo w p e o p le t o b roa d en t he ir skills a n d k no wle d ge
wit h in t h e ir d isc ip lin e s an d job s .

Co m pa n ie s like I BM, T e xa s In st rum en t s an d In t e l h a ve in s t it u t ed

t e c h n ica l ma st e ry p ro gra m s t o a llo w in d ivid u a l c o n t rib ut o rs a nd
sp e c ia lis t s t o d e velo p t he ir kn o wle d ge a nd le a rn in g a n d t o be pa id a n d
re c o gn ize d f o r it . T h is m ea n s t a le nt ca n ad va n ce ba s ed o n t he ir
le a rn in g p a ce ra t he r t h an ha ve t o cha n ge jo b s o r be p ro m ot e d t o ge t
a h ea d .

Hy pe or Re al i ty ?

S o ho w d oe s you r w o rkp la ce s ta c k up o n t he s e se v e n p ra c t ic e s th a t
ma t t e r mo s t t o crea t in g a n e n ric h in g w o rk p la ce ? A re job st re t ch a nd
mo b ilit y , f re e d o m a n d st imu la t io n a nd h o ri zo n t a l g ro wth p at h s th e
e xc e p t io n o r t h e rule a t yo u r e mp lo y er? A re me n t o rin g , te a c h ing an d
co a c h ing ra re o r pe rv a sive t h rou gh ou t you r o rg an i za t io n ? I s d ive rs it y
me re ly a n o ve ru sed wo rd in yo u r comp a n y 's c o mmu n ic a t io n s o r a rea l
p rin c ip le on w h ich yo u r o rga n i za t io n o p e ra te s e ve ry d ay ?

15 | P a g e
Ta r ge te d Ta le nt Ma na ge m e nt :

Mo s t la rge o rga n iz a t io n s t a lk ab o ut Ta le n t Man a gem e nt a s pa rt of t h e ir

wid e r s t ra t e g y. I t is a c ru cia l wa y o f s e c u rin g, d e ve lo p in g a n d
m o t iva t in g p eo p le wit h t h e righ t s k ills a n d a pp ro a ch e s to me e t b u s ine s s
o b je c t ive s .

B u t ho w m a n y of ou r s t ra t e gic go a ls a re f u lly m e t b y o ur t a le n te d
p e op le ? A ll t o o of te n , we f in d t ha t we d on 't ha ve t h e righ t p e op le in
p la c e to f ill a ga p wh e n it a p pe a rs , or we sim p ly c a n 't k e e p h o ld of t h e
in d ivid u a ls we wa n t . E ve n wo rs e , t a le n t ed pe o p le m a y sim p ly n o t be
o p e ra t in g a t th e leve ls we re qu ire .

S o wh a t can we d o t o s e ize t he se m isse d op p o rtu n it ie s? I b e lie ve th a t

t h e b igge s t s in gle ch a lle n ge is a ch ievin g ge n u in e " c o nn e ct ed n e ss"
b e t we e n T a le n t S t ra t e gy a n d Bu s in e ss S t ra t e gy. A wid e ra n ge of
p e op le p ro ce s se s of t en t a ke p la c e wit h o ut a c le a r re la t io n sh ip wit h t h e
u lt im a te a im s an d cu lt u re of t he bu s in e s s .

T h in k a bo u t re c ru itm e nt , pe rf o rm a n ce m an a ge me n t a nd d e ve lo p me n t -
t o wh a t e xt e n t a re t h e se p ro ce sse s ba s e d o n a c le a r a na lysis o f th e
t a le n t s a nd s kills th a t p e op le will n e ed t o o pe ra t e a t th e n e xt le ve l? To
wh a t e xt e n t do yo u b u ild p e op le 's capa b ilit y a n d m o t iva t io n to me e t t he
n e ed s of t he b u sine ss in a f e w ye a rs ' t im e? It is vit a lly im p o rta n t t o
b u ild a c le a r def in it io n of wh a t ea ch o rga n is a t io n rea lly m ea n s b y t a le n t
t h ro u gh ou t th e o rga n isa t ion . T he a cid t e st is s im p le - do p eo p le wit h
t h e se qu a lit ie s de live r t h e k in d s of bus in e s s s u cc e s s we a re a im in g
f o r?

I n a p ro je c t t h at I a m in vo lve d wit h a t t h e mo me n t, I a m wo rk in g wit h a

m a jo r o rga n isa t io n t h a t h a s a ve ry c l e a r se n se of it s f u tu re st ra te gic
d ire c t io n . I t is in ve st in g n o w in it s pe o p le b y p ro vid in g f e ed b a ck a nd
co a c h in g - t a rge t ing n o t on ly e a c h pers o n 's n at u ra l a reas of s t ren gt h ,
b u t a ls o p inp o int ing t h e s pe cif ic qu a lit ie s t ha t th e o rga n isa t io n will
n e ed in th e f u t u re . Cru cia lly, t h is is n o t a on e -h it wo n de r - t h e
o u t com e s a re lin ked t o h o w p e op le a re ma n a ged , de ve lo p e d a n d
m o t iva t e d. T he d ire ct ef f e ct o n b u sine ss o ut com e s will b e t ra c ke d a n d
a n a lys e d . I t is th is jo in e d -up qu a lit y t h a t ma k e s a s ign if ic an t d if f e re n ce
- lin k in g b u sin e ss st ra t e gy t o p e op le 's d a ily e xp e rie n ce of t he
o rga n isa t io n .

16 | P a g e
I t is vit a lly im p o rt a n t t ha t ind ivid u a l asp ira t io n s a n d o rga n isa t ion a l
go a ls a re de live re d t o ge th e r. To o of t e n , t h e se a re s e en a s u n e qu a l
p a rt n e rs. Ho we ve r, o rga n isa t io n s t ha t ge n u ine ly f o cu s o n
u n de rst a nd in g e a ch p e rs on 's o wn n atu ra l t a len t s te n d t o a ch ie ve
co rp o ra te s u cc e ss. W e n ee d t o c rea te d if f e re n t ro u t e s f o r p e op le to
p ro gre s s a n d d e velo p ; ot h e rwise we wi ll o n ly a p p e a l to a n a rro w ra n ge
of pe o p le. T h is a pp ro a ch re qu ire s a n o p en m in d , t a c klin g qu e st io n s
lik e " Ho w c a n we use t h is p e rs o n 's t ale n t s an d e n e rgie s? " , " Ho w c a n
we o rga n is e o u r wo rk d if f e ren t ly? " o r " A re we a im in g f or t h e wro n g
t h in gs ? " B u t if s u ch is su e s a re ge nu in e ly a d d re s s ed , gre a t th in gs c a n
b e a ch ie ve d .

" A lign m en t " is a not h e r ke y e lem e nt of a s u c ce ssf u l Ta len t S t rat e gy.

W hen s e le ct in g o r d e ve lo p in g p eo p le , m o st o rga n isa t ions f o c u s o n t h e
sk ills , kn o wle d ge , e xp e rie n ce an d b eh a vio u rs re qu ire d f o r t h e ro le .
Ho we ve r, s o m e o rga n is a t io n s a re begin n in g t o lo o k a t th e be h a vio u rs
re qu ire d t o op e rate ef f e c t ive ly in a p a rt ic u la r t e am o r cu lt u re . W ork in g
wit h P ro f e s so rs Mich a e l W es t a nd Neil A n d e rson , AS E ha ve a n
a p p roa c h th a t lo o ks a t a ll of th e f a c t ors t h a t d rive t e a m p e rf o rma n ce
(n o t s imp ly t h e "t yp e s " of p e op le in th e te am ), an d th is le a d s to
im p re s s ive re su lt s. W e n ee d t o u n ders t a n d th e re la t io nsh ip be t we e n
p e op le 's mo t iva t ion s a nd th e so rt s of o rga n is a t io na l cu lt u re s in wh ic h
t h e y wil l t h rive .

T a len t Man a gem e nt sh ou ld be ab o ut d e live rin g b u s in e s s su c ce s s

t h ro u gh un de rs t a nd in g wh a t we a c t u a lly m e a n b y t a le nt , a nd ho w it wi ll
a ch ie ve t h e s p e c if ic go a ls of th e o rga n is a t io n. I t is a bou t en s u rin g t h at
we va lu e t h e n at u ra l t a len t s an d a s p ira t io n s of ou r p eop le . It is ab o ut
e n s u rin g t ha t we un d e rs t an d wh a t b lo c ka ge s ca n s p o il a ll o u r ha rd
wo rk . it is a b o u t op e ra t in g pe o p le p ro c e ss e s t h at jo in to ge t h e r no t o n ly
wit h e a c h o th e r, bu t wit h t h e b u sine ss 's go a ls . A nd f ina lly, it is a ls o
a b ou t un d e rs ta nd in g h o w t o ma n a ge p e op le f o r a lign m en t a s we ll a s
a b ilit y. I f we a d o pt t h e se ap p roa c h es, n o t o n ly wil l b u s in e s s s u c c e s s
f o llo w, b u t we sh ou ld a lso h a ve f u lf ille d an d ef f e ct ive p e o p le.

17 | P a g e
Conclusion

Highly demanding business environment makes it imperative for the organizations to

build competence in the form of superior intellectual capital. It is agreed by almost all
CEOs of big companies that it is the human resource - a talented one - that can provide
them competitiveness in the long run.

So it is the duty of the HR department to nurture a brigade of talented workforce,

which can win them the war in the business field. The talent has to be spotted, carefully
nurtured and most importantly preserved.

Right person for the right job - is the new mantra.

18 | P a g e