TalentTalent ManagementTalent Management 2020: HRD’s Top Tips

Talent Management 2020: HRD's Top Tips

HRD Connect's Sam Alberti gives you 4 top tips for keeping your talent management strategy moving during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future.

The talent space is a singularly precarious and volatile aspect of the business world, continually waxing and waning in rhythm with the socio-economic climate.

For instance, in recent times, employers have been faced with a stubbornly baron talent pool as a result of record employment rates and the growth of the gig-economy.

Now, the retention and optimisation of our current workforces is under threat due to the uncertainty and disruption of the coronavirus.

In such scenarios, employers must adapt to survive, tailoring their approach to match the complexion of the new challenges.

So, when it comes to managing talent more effectively during the current crisis, here are some of the things we recommend:

1. Career development

Personal development is a core element of both retaining and optimising individuals in the workplace.

Myriad evidence now exists which clarifies the link between career development opportunity and lower turnover rates, so this should be at the forefront of any organisation’s pursuit of better talent management.

For instance, a report published earlier this year showed that development opportunities were citied among employees and executives as one of the top three talent retention initiatives.

What’s more, this is a particularly important strategy when it comes to high performing individuals (HIPOs), with research showing that they are thought to be twice as valuable to the organisation.

But whilst HIPOs are more valuable, they tend to also show greater desire for growth, meaning that they present a greater turnover threat.

In addition, such individuals are likely to be experiencing a degree of frustration at this present time due to the inertia of the coronavirus.

What's Hot

HRD Roundtable Report: Levelling Up Onboarding for the Hybrid World

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Levelling Up Onboarding for the Hybrid World 5 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Levelling Up Onboarding for...

Attracting new talent is shooting up the priority list, but also proving more difficult than ever. A...

View event
HRD Roundtable Report: Redefining Company Culture in Hybrid Work Environments

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Redefining Company Culture in Hybrid Work Environments 26 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Redefining Company Culture ...

The process of redefining a company culture is a complex one. Culture contributes directly to the da...

View event
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

Whitepaper | Talent Development Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

1y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. I...

View resource
HRD Roundtable Report: Strategies For Re-Engaging The Hybrid Workforce

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Strategies For Re-Engaging The Hybrid Workforce 5 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Strategies For Re-Engaging ...

We know hybrid working is here to stay, forcing many organisations to experiment with innovative and...

View event
HRD Roundtable Report: Making it ‘Worth It’ – What We Need to Reward, Engage and Retain

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Making it ‘Worth It’ – What We Need to Reward, Engage and Retain 3 March 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Making it ‘Worth It’ – What...

We know the pandemic has caused many people to revaluate their careers and relationships with work a...

View event
Dave Ulrich: How can business and HR leaders simplify complexity?

Leadership Development Dave Ulrich: How can business and HR leaders simplify complexity?

1y Dave Ulrich

Dave Ulrich: How can business and HR leaders simpl...

HR thought leader Dave Ulrich outlines ways leaders can deal with complexity in an increasingly busy...

View article
HRD Roundtable Report: Using HR Data to Inform Organisational Decision Making

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Using HR Data to Inform Organisational Decision Making 5 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Using HR Data to Inform Org...

Historically, HR hasn’t been as effective as it could be in sharing and communicating data with wide...

View event
Digital transformation investment grows but critical skills gaps remain - Coursera report

Digital HR Digital transformation investment grows but critical skills gaps remain - Coursera report

1y Leah Belsky

Digital transformation investment grows but critic...

Covid-19 has accelerated the rate of digital learning on a global scale. Coursera's latest report pr...

View article
Wellbeing in the hybrid workplace: how to successfully drive engagement

Employee Engagement Wellbeing in the hybrid workplace: how to successfully drive engagement

1y Alara Basul | Sponsored

Wellbeing in the hybrid workplace: how to successf...

Remote working has impacted the way we communicate as a workforce, but striking the right balance be...

View article
How to create a company culture capable of empowering the modern workforce

Culture How to create a company culture capable of empowering the modern workforce

1y Alara Basul | Sponsored

How to create a company culture capable of empower...

While new working patterns that emerged from the pandemic have earned a permanent spot in the w...

View article
WATCH: Connection and collaboration in a hybrid workplace

Leadership Learnings WATCH: Connection and collaboration in a hybrid workplace

1y Amy Kirkham

WATCH: Connection and collaboration in a hybrid wo...

Alison Noon-Jones, VP of People & Culture at Leidos UK & Europe, shares how crucial employee engagem...

View article
Turbulence ahead: Why it’s time to be bold in your leadership

Leadership Development Turbulence ahead: Why it’s time to be bold in your leadership

1y Terence Mauri

Turbulence ahead: Why it’s time to be bold in your...

HRD thought leader and Hack Future Lab founder Terence Mauri sets out why the biggest risk to leader...

View article

As a result, this should now be a greater focus for employers than ever before.

2. Make WFH an engaging experience

The link between a high-quality employee experience and increased happiness, retention and productivity is no secret.

In fact, one study even found that happier employees can be up to 20% more productive in the workplace.

However, based on this, the disruption of the coronavirus presents an obvious dilemma: how do we keep our talent happy and productive when co-location now feels like little more than a distant memory?

Whilst there’s no simple answer to this question, it is clear that employers must adapt and change tack in order to reengage their workers.

A common viewpoint is that much of this boils down to communication. This is crucial in terms of maintaining company culture and attempting to replicate the experience of working alongside a team of people on a daily basis.

From more regular 1-2-1 catch-ups to company-wide social occasions, this could be a pivotal aspect of engaging your talent during the coronavirus crisis and restoring some of the authenticity of co-location.

3. Data is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal

This is true in all aspects of the corporate world, but could come in particularly handy during a time where performance and productivity is particularly hard to measure.

Though data-backed approaches are becoming increasingly commonplace in business as technology advances, now could be the time for organisations to take the leap if they haven’t done already, or streamline their approach even more.

This is a broad area, and can range anywhere from measuring website performance and social media activity more closely, to analysing periodic sales growth from new angles.

Not only will this create a clearer picture of how well the workforce is functioning as a collective, but perhaps more importantly, it may allow leaders to zero in on the performance and productivity of each individual.

4. Clarify and amplify purpose

This has long been cited as one of the keys to strengthening company culture, but now rings true in a different context entirely.

With remote working in full swing worldwide and the business landscape fraught with anxiety and uncertainty, people are gradually becoming disengaged and disenchanted with their work lives.

One study even found that 38% of workers said they became frustrated and disengaged due to anxiety caused by the introduction of new processes.

So, in order to combat the feeling of futility that can accompany remote working, organisations must ensure that not only is their own purpose clearly communicated to the employee, but that each individual is clear on their own purpose and how they can influence the larger machine.

There are countless studies that support this concept within business literature.

One, for example, showed that companies with a clearly defined purpose have experienced growth of 10% or more over a period of three years.

If executed correctly, this could inspire, motivate and ultimately prove to be pivotal in engaging and ultimately retaining talent.

Was this article helpful?

Comments are closed.

What's Hot

HRD Roundtable Report: Levelling Up Onboarding for the Hybrid World

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Levelling Up Onboarding for the Hybrid World 5 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Levelling Up Onboarding for...

Attracting new talent is shooting up the priority list, but also proving more difficult than ever. A...

View event
HRD Roundtable Report: Redefining Company Culture in Hybrid Work Environments

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Redefining Company Culture in Hybrid Work Environments 26 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Redefining Company Culture ...

The process of redefining a company culture is a complex one. Culture contributes directly to the da...

View event
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

Whitepaper | Talent Development Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

1y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. I...

View resource
HRD Roundtable Report: Strategies For Re-Engaging The Hybrid Workforce

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Strategies For Re-Engaging The Hybrid Workforce 5 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Strategies For Re-Engaging ...

We know hybrid working is here to stay, forcing many organisations to experiment with innovative and...

View event
HRD Roundtable Report: Making it ‘Worth It’ – What We Need to Reward, Engage and Retain

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Making it ‘Worth It’ – What We Need to Reward, Engage and Retain 3 March 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Making it ‘Worth It’ – What...

We know the pandemic has caused many people to revaluate their careers and relationships with work a...

View event
Dave Ulrich: How can business and HR leaders simplify complexity?

Leadership Development Dave Ulrich: How can business and HR leaders simplify complexity?

1y Dave Ulrich

Dave Ulrich: How can business and HR leaders simpl...

HR thought leader Dave Ulrich outlines ways leaders can deal with complexity in an increasingly busy...

View article
HRD Roundtable Report: Using HR Data to Inform Organisational Decision Making

Roundtable Report HRD Roundtable Report: Using HR Data to Inform Organisational Decision Making 5 May 2022

1y

HRD Roundtable Report: Using HR Data to Inform Org...

Historically, HR hasn’t been as effective as it could be in sharing and communicating data with wide...

View event
Digital transformation investment grows but critical skills gaps remain - Coursera report

Digital HR Digital transformation investment grows but critical skills gaps remain - Coursera report

1y Leah Belsky

Digital transformation investment grows but critic...

Covid-19 has accelerated the rate of digital learning on a global scale. Coursera's latest report pr...

View article