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The global ‘talent war’ shows no sign of
abating. Many sectors of UK recruitment
and headhunting reported an upturn in
business during 2010 and graduate
recruitment is also set to rise in 2011.
However, according to
author and key note speaker Jon Lavelle, the
talent picture is selective with demand
for rare skills far outstripping demand
for ‘average’ or more readily available
credentials. He argues we may be seeing
an increased divide between those with
highly desirable, rare skills and ‘the
others’.
So, it seems that
excellent people will be in short supply
over the coming years and if you’re a
business leader responsible for
retaining your most valuable assets,
you’ll need a strategy for effective
talent management. Lavelle proposes a
three step approach.
1. identifying potential
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If you are on
the lookout for top talent, you may
already be preparing for what Lavelle
calls the ‘Battle of the Teenies’.
Indeed for anyone whose mission is to
attract, retain, nurture and grow the
top performers within an organisation,
identifying the next generation of high
potential leaders is a key part of the
battle plan.
This is
because the creation and alignment of
your talent strategy with your business
strategy ultimately dictates your
organisation’s competitive advantage. In
his white paper, Wake Up and Smell the
Coffee, Lavelle explains how your talent
strategy should be centred on building
strategic competitive advantage by
filling mission-critical roles and
functions with the very best talent you
can source or develop internally. |
Excellent people will be in short supply
over the coming years and if you’re a
business leader responsible for
retaining your most valuable assets,
you’ll need a strategy for effective
talent management. |
2. picking winners
How do you know if an individual is
ready to perform at the next or higher
level, as a mid-level leader, as a
country manager or as the next CEO? We
know that the best performing sales
person is not always the best sales
manager and the best golfer is not
necessarily the best coach…or loyal
husband.
Performance in the
current job, even when combined with
wider-ranging ability testing, is still
insufficient to give you a true, total
picture. Lavelle argues that ‘potential’
is where you need to focus. What about
the impact and importance of interests,
predispositions, motivations, emotional
intelligence and experience? Do you ever
think of and consider these factors in
your assessment of an individual’s
potential?
3. the winning formula
Basic recruitment theories often appear
simple on paper but does your
organisation actually apply these
practices.
Lavelle speaks of two
basic entry-level assessments:
‘performance’ based on previous results
and ‘leadership’ ability based on
behaviour. To these, you must add six
other factors: personality, motivation,
cognitive ability, leadership
experience, career goals and interests.
To read the full white paper
click here
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