There are plenty of talented people out there, but how can you get them to work for you? Setting development plans, seeing potential and offering job variety are just a few tips for the top
Without employees, an organisation simply wouldn’t exist. And without talented and motivated employees, an organisation has no hope of flourishing and staying competitive. Internal talent management is vital to the success of any organisation, and helps ensure that staff and future leaders are engaged, productive and working to their full potential.
There are a few considerations for companies wanting to make the most of their internal talent, all of which are invaluable if a company is to use its existing employees to grow and flourish. First of all, you must work to entice your market’s top talent. It pays to create an attractive induction programme that turns interest in the organisation into deep respect and profound admiration. The aim is to develop a constantly reinforced belief in the new recruit that they have made the right choice in coming on board and that all the talk and promises made at interviews are followed through and delivered.
It’s also worth remembering that everyone has potential, so you should work to create an ethos where every employee is acknowledged as having potential. An in-house learning and development programme can encourage a broad talent philosophy that makes sure everyone is challenged and given the chance of job progression.
Once you’ve captured these fantastic employees, remember to look after their interests. A significant percentage of staff only discover that they were valued and appreciated on the day they leave or when they decide to hand in their notice. This mindset of focusing on flaws and weaknesses, rather than successes and strengths, needs to stop. Everyone should feel valued and there has to be a company-wide culture of sharing talent and not holding on to it, otherwise successful teams become too competitive and problems begin.
There are plenty of other things you should do in order to spread an unmistakable message that staff are valued, respected and have a future in your organisation. For example, create personal development plans and build them in to appraisal systems; seek regular performance feedback and offer staff secondments to other areas of the business. Also provide employees with opportunities to take time out of their regular day-to-day tasks to work on more strategic projects.
The final piece of the puzzle is a fantastic talent manager. The majority of the tips mentioned above are entirely dependent on strong managers who understand that people play a big part in their own success. It takes an intuitive manager to value the talent; talk with other managers to know where opportunities lie and share those skills around the organisation. Without them, employees are faced with little direction and a lack of inspiration, so having the right manager in place will go a long way in helping to support business prosperity.
Never before have businesses faced so many challenges. However, by introducing these simple tips, organisations of all sectors can realise the benefits of having a highly talented, loyal and productive workforce. This, no doubt, will go a long way in helping your business to stay on top, overtake the competition and overcome the daily hurdles presented by today’s ever-changing world.
Kevin Young is managing director of SkillSoft EMEA
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