Talent Management: Having the Right People to Implement Your Strategy
HR professionals are more keenly aware than ever of their important role stewarding the organization’s key asset: its talent. The war for talent has become an inescapable reality. There simply is not enough of the right kind of talent to go around and companies have to compete in order to get and keep the people best suited to implement their strategy.
The business case for ‘being an attractive place to work’ has never been stronger. Companies fight globally to attract the best and grow from within, paradoxically even as they cut the size of their workforces. Global presence and recruiting from outside traditional markets means workforces become ever more diverse and geographically dispersed. Developing a competitive, flexible talent management process today is more important than ever for companies operating in their competitive environment.
As HR becomes more important to the company, it also becomes more complex. Back in 1994, HR thought leader Dave Ulrich identified four roles for HR. They are still relevant
today:
1. Strategic partner
Participate in the formulation of corporate and divisional strategy, especially with respect to the implications of strategic decisions on the culture and talent of the company.
2. Functional expert
Put in place the right HR processes and policies to make strategy implementation happen. You can only do this with an adequate understanding of the roles and responsibilities
required by each function.
3. Human capital developer
Identify and develop the skills and talent required by the company’s particular strategy to enable excellent strategy implementation.
4. Employee advocate
Ensure that people’s needs are met to create a win-win situation for both the employer and the employee.
