The Strategies For Effective Management
Talent management strategies are ‘not etched in stone’ and vary with every company and role. The organization and its HR function must mould their modus operandi according to both, also exploring new ways and shedding archaic “we have always done it this way” processes.- BY ZARIN BATHENA
With a lot of terms turning up the heat these days, the atmosphere for HR has become hot. Exclusive domains like succession planning, leadership requirements, HRIS analysis, employee assistance planning etc. are gaining prominence in the light of the employer-employee relationship dynamics. The employees on their part, are more demanding, and, want to comprehend as to what their employer can do for them, their career progression, and, the roadmap ahead, to them as well as their company.
Clarity on the road map
Therefore, it is important for the organization, and HR- the face of the company for the employees, to be prepared with clear strategies for the employees as well, and, not merely for the top leadership. When a newcomer joins the company, the induction process apart from working as a prelude to his future work path, should provide clarity on the structure, and, the anticipated future growth. Companies and employees both invest time, effort and capital into developing talent and loyalty, and, this should be further augmented through a process of continuous learning. This is indeed crucial, and, if an employee exits the company after acquiring these skills, he functions as the brand ambassador for the organization, and, enhances the soft image in the minds of future recruits.
Some of the talent management practices revealed in the APQC’s studies in 2013 are a fair barometer to go by. HR practitioners must define the required talent management for the company in broad terms, so that it covers the prominent and the non- prominent aspects, and, functions as guidelines for the development of a strategy. Further, the competency model should be documented to aid performance management, succession planning and career development. The competency model will help connect the otherwise disparate processes of HRM. Processes will then fall in place and function smoothly, but effectiveness can be in place if it is subject to incessant monitoring. The above process can be successful only if the leadership and the HR team resources are committed to the very objective of talent.
While devising the talent management strategy for the organization, some key aspects to be kept in mind to ensure that the talent best suited to the company is hired are-
- Short term and long term strategy must be in line with the company's overall business goals
- Development of the talent pool must commence with recruiting and should be a robust process. It is only then that one can focus on programmes to enhance technical skill sets, knowledge, domain expertise and the soft skills of employees.
In line with the proverb by Publilius Syrus, 'a rolling stone gathers no moss', a company must ensure sufficient investment in training programmes and continuous improvement for different levels and departments, in order to retain and empower its workforce. Training should not lay emphasis on technical skills, but on focused soft skill improvement like data privacy, team management, office/communication etiquette etc.
Employees should be encouraged to see the long-term value in these trainings and gain knowledge. And, the onus does not lie with HR alone; it also lies with the department heads to ensure that their subordinates and team members attend such training programmes and learn from them. On several occasions, companies experience last minute dropouts from training sessions for trivial reasons like, “I have more important work to do”, “I don’t need this”, “my boss thinks it’s a waste of time” and “there is no use for this in my day to day work” — this is quite a deterrent to the overall skill enhancement of an organization.
Cross-functional training and job rotation
Companies are beginning to believe in cross-functional training and job rotation, notwithstanding the several advantages that individuals as well as the company can derive-
1. More than a bird eye’s view — Cross- functional training gives more than a bird’s eye view of other functions and helps employees understand the capabilities and limitations of other departments.
2. Future prospects — It prepares them for future prospects, where they are required to, or, can willingly change roles or add more to their responsibilities. This also provides the employee a break from the monotony that creeps over time with one’s own work.
3. Interact and learn — With job rotation, people stop working in silos. They interact with and learn from other colleagues, teams and functions that are directly or indirectly associated with their field of work, or, of functions that go beyond their sphere as well.
4. Enhanced job satisfaction — It greatly enhances the job satisfaction quotient, reducing the chances of attrition.
5. Improves morale - From a wider perspective, cross-training helps improve morale, reduce turnover and costs and improve productivity.
Once the employees are provided with the impetus to learn and grow with the organization, it acts as an effective way to retain talent. When an employee sees that there is a lot of progress in his skillsets, apart from productive work and professional growth, the decision to move to other organizations becomes tougher. His goals will shift focus to rising up in the company and proving himself time and again, carving the path for more senior positions and responsibility. When it comes to positions at the higher levels of a company, it calls for a more focused approach to talent planning. So what does it take to build and retain a skilled and effective management team to lead the company?
Aspects that lie before leadership planning
Leadership planning is a complex domain that requires in-depth knowledge of not merely the roles that need planning, but also the people accounted for to the job. One may see that two employees have the exact same skillsets, experience and capability, but it may well be the attitude towards fellow team members that tips the scales.
In order to develop leaders, one needs to develop a leadership mindset. One should understand the job well and at the same time, know how to portray oneself as a leader. Next, employee expectations should be realistic when it comes to leadership positions. For instance, an employee should not consider a ‘leadership position’ for granted just because he has ‘been around’ in the company for a long period of time.
The message from the top must be clear that leadership is always a combination of merit and experience, resulting in healthier competition and a go-getter attitude among contenders. This experience can come from outside the organization too. There is a growing trend in India where startups and ecommerce players are approaching outside talent for senior positions. They are turning to Indians who have headed multinational companies based out of different regions or countries, offering them to return to India and take up a leadership position in a new company.
Talent management strategies are ‘not etched in stone’, and vary as per the company and the role. The organization and its HR function must mould their modus operandi according to both, also exploring new ways and shedding archaic “we have always done it this way” processes. It is also important to have a finger on the pulse of the industry to keep abreast of the latest developments and organizational best practices, learning from those who are better at talent management. Today, every function and its activities undergo continuous learning and improve their existing processes. It is only then that the individual, teams and the organization can set foot on a high growth path.
When an employee sees that there is a lot of development in his skill sets, apart from productive work and professional growth, the decision to move to other organizations becomes tougher. His goals will shift focus to rising up in the company and proving himself time and again, carving the path for more senior positions and responsibility.
Zarin Bhathena is the Sr. Vice President and Head HR — Worldline South Asia and Middle East. She has an experience over 26 years in the Information Technology industry. Zarin has done her Executive MBA in Human Resource Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur.
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