The Real Idea Behind Talent Management

(From Human Capital Institute) -- If the world was one global organization, all the negative commotion between employees and the HR Department would be considered a form of tacit knowledge. It’s that common. Theory says HR’s job is to keep the employees happy, but practice all over the world tells a different story of employees hating HR for all of the hoops, red tape, and policies that limit their behaviors and processes.

I continue to run into professionals who complain constantly about how employees hate HR. Managers, Directors and even HR personnel share this perspective. Whether intentional or not, the reason can often be attributed to a lack of understanding about the real importance of HR and how it requires an unconventional approach. (Think preventive, not corrective measures).

Talent management needs to be understood and practiced as a complete process. It is not just an activity, but an idea that is stretched out over a vast range of inter-linked practices. More importantly, we have to recognize that it is not the HR show. Successful talent management is a development issue, and it involves active participation by HR, managers, and senior leaders.

You might be thinking, “In my organization, I’m making sure every employee is reviewed once or even twice a year against a certain set of competencies relevant to their work; I’m making sure they are being reviewed by all levels around them - I’m doing everything necessary, right?” Not so fast.

If you want to make sure your organization is not in a rut, you’ve got to make sure you’re doing something to develop your employee’s skills, not just measure them –and that needs to happen more often than once a year. In theory, Talent Management has a much more productive objective than just measurement – it’s about developing each employee to the extent that they are able to improve their skills and abilities to increase organizational excellence.

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