If you’re a hiring manager, a recruiter, or a member of your
organization’s HR team, you probably know all too well what it’s like to get
wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of your everyday tasks and
responsibilities. Between hiring and firings, promotions and disciplinary actions,
and all the other large and small details you have to attend to on a daily
basis, it can be easy to lose sight of the strategic, big-picture elements of
your job.
That’s exactly why the principles of talent management can
really come in handy. First developed in the 1990s, talent management is a
framework that attempts to bridge the gap between the daily tasks of HR and
personnel managers and the long-term goals of the organization as a whole. The
tenets of talent management remind us that every HR and personnel decision
impacts the organization as a whole, and as such, should be made with the
company’s values and best interests firmly in mind.
Recruitment and Retention with the Future in Mind
All too often, it seems like hospitality industry hiring processes
are rooted in your company’s most pressing needs. When three of your best line
cooks have walked off the job and you’re madly working the phones trying to
find qualified replacements before the restaurant opens for dinner service,
thinking about long-term strategies may seem like a luxury you can’t afford.
But according to talent management expert Joseph Murphy, if
you look at this situation from another point of view, the whole problem might
have been avoided in the first place if your hiring practices incorporated the
principles of talent management.
By implementing policies and procedures designed to
identify, recruit, hire, and retain highly-qualified prospects whose career
aims are a good fit with the organization’s long-term objectives, you’ll be
able to avoid many of the last-minute crises and hassles that often seem to take
up so much of your time and attention. Here are a few basic talent management
principles that can significantly improve the effectiveness of your
organization’s hiring and retention practices.
Sync job descriptions
to the company’s vision and mission statements.
Sure, technical skills and
experience are important, but they’re only one facet of the qualification
process. Make sure that job descriptions and skills matrices for even
entry-level positions embody the broader aims and objectives that your
organization is trying to achieve. That way, you’ll be more likely to attract
applicants who will be a good long-term fit.
Develop a
comprehensive on-boarding program for new hires.
Your new employee
orientation program should be about much more than just teaching rookie
employees how to clock in and wash their hands: it’s a one-time chance to
explain and initiate your new hires into the organization’s unique culture.
Take this opportunity to highlight the values that set your company apart from
competitors and to link everyday tasks and responsibilities to those larger
principles.
Make a serious commitment
to staff training and development.
Talent management experts encourage you
to take a long-term view of your relationship to your employees. What can you
do over the long haul to help them feel fulfilled and earn their loyalty?
Identify each employee’s interests, strengths, and competencies, and then help
them capitalize on their talents with ongoing training and professional
development opportunities.
Help your employees
chart their career path.
A core principle of talent management is
positioning yourself as an advocate for your employees’ professional
development. Make a habit of talking to even your entry-level workers about
their long-term goals and ambitions, and then develop an action plan to help
them make their dreams a reality.
Cultivate a practice
of ongoing feedback and communication.
All too often, exit interviews
reveal that a major cause of employee attrition is the sense that workers are
not being “heard” by their supervisors and managers. Talent management experts
encourage a daily habit of feedback, constructive criticism, and respectful
dialogue with your employees. By keeping your finger on the proverbial pulse of
your workforce, you’ll be in a great position to detect and respond to problems
long before they erupt into crisis mode.
Incorporating talent management principles into your HR and
personnel management practices can take some getting used to, but the rewards
you’ll be able to reap will be substantial.