Employee Engagement is the Key
One of the significant element that can retain HiPos is also ‘business transparency and providing strategic opportunities’ apart from engagement
Organizations today are faced with an extremely dynamic business environment characterized by technological shifts and innovation, shifts in customer behaviors, scarcity of talent and the evolving changes that business leaders face every day. In such a context, HR plays a pivotal role as a strategic partner. Along with the understanding of the need to hire, develop and retain talented people, organizations are aware that they must manage talent. As strategic partners, HR's in many organizations develop a significant Talent Management function where the HiPos are identified and defined as top performers who consistently and significantly outperform their peer groups in a changing environment and circumstances and also exhibit behaviors that reflect the companies culture and values in an exemplary manner with the drive to excel with an enterprising spirit.
As HR professionals, the moment we hear the word ‘Talent Management’, the GE 9 Box matrix pops out in our minds. The performance and the potential matrix is one of most widely used tools across organizations and industries for succession planning and to manage talent effectively. In the recent times, with the changing environment, organizations create customized talent management and effective HiPo management solutions that suit the culture of the organization.
A recent survey from one of the top consulting forums shows that leadership and talent management are the most significant elements to face the changing environment. On that note, here's an example of how a good Talent Management program can pave way to great results in an organization. A banking firm in Turkey has experienced sharp growth rates and increased revenues as a result of a solid talent management and a leadership framework in order to sustain long-term growth. As part of the banks best practices, 95% of the banks management positions are filled internally by optimizing talent and the development plans provided to employees. Also, the senior managers in this organization gather once a year to discuss the top talent company-wide at all levels which creates a way for employees to handle strategic positions in the bank. Creating practices of this nature would result in flatter hierarchies and cross-cultural transfers that would lead to greater motivation and new career opportunities for employees in the bank.
Often, organizations manage talent through retention techniques that include providing learning platforms, onsite opportunities and compensation raise, but it is beyond all of these. Engagement is the Key!! Post the HiPo's identification, it is significant for the Talent SPOC to meet and engage with the HiPo's on a regular basis. In one of the top fashion apparel companies, the HiPo's meet in groups and individually on a periodic basis by the Talent SPOC, identified mentors and the senior management. This company strongly believes in engaging HiPo's through connect mechanisms thereby bringing them closer to the organizational vision. In these meetings, the HiPo's development plans, stretch projects are tracked and the glitches faced are provided with timely solutions to ensure the smooth management of the HiPo's growth in the organization.
One of the significant element that can retain HiPos is also ‘business transparency and providing strategic opportunities’ apart from engagement that includes learning platforms and connect mechanisms for the HiPo's. A top e-commerce firm strongly believes in leveraging the talent pool members to act as a shadow to one of the strategic business leaders in the organization. This provides a great opportunity for the HiPo's in the firm to understand the business nuances by understanding his/her role and its significance in the organization. These practices create the leaders for the future in this firm by providing them the opportunity and optimizing the HiPo's strengths that creates an direct business impact.
At this juncture, it is also important to understand that the employees/HiPo's expectations are changing with time. This forces the organizations to create and lay greater emphasis on talent management strategies and practices. Few of my observations of the employees are HiPo's look forward for a meaningful and challenging work, they are eager to understand their significance in the value chain of the business and last but not the least, they look forward for the management to be transparent in all its communications and provide platforms that aligns them to the overall organizational vision.
An engaged workforce leads to a talented workforce!!
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