Talent Management today is not just about getting the right talent; it is more about the long-term impact of the talent you hire. For us at Apollo hospitals, hiring quality talent, capacity development and employee retention are the topmost Talent Management priorities in 2016.

Hiring the best talent available, those with the passion to succeed, fitment to Apollo culture & values, and a commitment to partake in enterprise growth are the strongest focal areas for the upcoming year. Improving the quality of hires amidst a competitive environment and limited talent landscape is without doubt a huge challenge, especially when it comes to core medical talent. Innovative sourcing methodologies and novel channels of information on talent form the core of our talent strategy for 2016. And to drive this internally, we have designed revised metrics for the recruitment teams to measure the quality of hires and the implementation of innovative hiring programs. ‘Quality of hire’ for us today is the most important metric that has pushed ‘Time to Recruit’ to the second position (also substantiated by the recent LinkedIn Survey on India Recruitment Trends 2016). While employee referrals act as the top source in most organizations, we have to be a little more cautious in our industry given the impact that any position would have on patient care. 

Another major thrust area for Apollo is creating additional value with existing talent. I believe that one of HR’s fundamental but unattended areas is to increase the value add of every associate/individual in the organization. Today, tools for helping people improve their capacity have to be more innovative and inclusive. Also, available talent has to correlate with enterprise growth. Only the very exceptional make that quantum leap while others continue where they are with limited growth options. To drive this, we are revamping our Talent Needs Identification Framework and Impact Measurement Standards. We are relooking at whether the rewards are appropriate today and ensure maximum productivity by tapping individuals and teams wherever there is scope for enhancing capabilities, which is beneficial for both the organization as well as the individual. 

Employee retention is also a vital focus for us over the next year. With capability development as the basis, we believe that (while employee engagement and other retention programs are required) both career development programs and a well-defined R&R framework are also crucial elements for employee retention. Also an increased focus in looking at real time data on talent will also take more impetus given the need to deliver better to the patient. With our implementation of HRMS on Cloud, it will mean more effective data being looked rather than just data.

Increasing the lifecycle of the employee to the maximum extent possible needs a clearly defined Career Path program which is to be implemented to 100 percent perfection. Over the next year, we are looking at ensuring that growth opportunities are visible and the right opportunities are available for all employees at all times. With hospitals across multiple locations, we are integrating our Career Growth model to take advantage of the opportunities available. This coupled with R&R programs that touch every good deed or action by an employee are planned and are being rolled out over the next year. 

To achieve this, internal development of HR talent is a must and hence we are also planning to initiate targeted HR competency development programs which would be the driver in designing and sustaining the implemented initiatives.