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talent management knowledge
Remaining employees are then expected to to feed back to each other or, is missing, as there will be
do more with less budget,” she says. “Team better still, take advantage of your another person who can step
away days and incentives often won’t company’s small size and open
continue; talent management then becomes culture by approaching them at
“S
taf
f are
into the role.
even more important because you don’t their desk to ask for their input.
our k
ey
Methods: The company culture
want your good people to leave when the
situation improves because they weren’t
asset
s and
must encourage this form of
learning, but staff at Ameri-
looked after through the troubles.”
BRAINSTORMING.
therefore
can Express advocate “lunch
Recognising the difficult economic climate, Encouraging employers to use this
and company concerns about funding time to be creative and think outside
need to be
and learn” initiatives which
work well within their
suggested initiatives, the group was keen the box to come up with new ideas
nurtured”
business. Whether you are
to highlight ideas that wouldn’t affect the to top the competition, was another presenting one-to-one or
bottom line. cost-effective initiative suggested. one-to-many, the concept
Fortunately, people’s aspirations these remains the same: use your
days are different and are not always Aims: This motivates staff to take own- lunch break to talk through a particular
incentivised by financial rewards, points out ership of revenue-generating activity and skill, rather than spend a lot of money on
Alonso. Instead, she says, they are becoming revenue-saving behaviour. Brainstorming hiring an external body to do the same.
increasingly experience-orientated. As a increases awareness of related issues and all
result, the concept of talent management the possible solutions. Often, frontline staff
is having to evolve, as the four initiatives who are doing the job on a daily basis are
MENTORING.
below demonstrate. better-placed than management to put This is a more structured form of feedback
forward ideas. and communication between two parties.
Methods: Mind-mapping is a popular form It can be undertaken within companies,
COMMUNICATION.
of brainstorming. With the main issue or across companies and sectors.
A top priority, the group agreed, was setting written in the middle of a large piece of
aside more management time to communi- paper, the aim is to fill the surrounding Aims: Whether mentoring is undertaken
cate with employees at a “deeper and more space with associated ideas and themes. over the short or long term, it provides a
personal level”, by being more transparent platform for personal development and
about company figures and how the the learning of new skills, whether they are
economic condition is affecting trading.
SKILLS TRANSFER.
technical or simply improve your confidence.
The idea here, says Alonso, is “looking Ultimately, it empowers at all levels with
Aims: This allows employees to appreciate within your company and making the most long-lasting results.
the conditions in which they’re operating of what you’ve got”. If someone has a skill Mentoring doesn’t just have to focus on
so they can feel involved in any necessary that others would benefit from learning, what you need to know for the job you’re in
changes and understand how they can then it’s more cost-effective if they can – you could learn something different.
make a difference. “The more aware staff allocate some time to teach others.
are, the more they can contribute. They can Methods: Pair a member of staff with
step up to the challenge by being empowered,” Aims: The cost-saving for this type of training someone more senior and set aside
explains Alonso. is particularly good for small companies. regular times to meet up, when both feed
Methods: Organise more one-to-one weekly By sharing skills, it means that there is less back to the other on relevant issues and
or monthly meetings to enable both parties reason to panic if someone in a department discuss progressive steps to move forward.
Left: Sundeep Kaur, American Express operations director. Right: Sharon Glancy, business solutions director at People 1st
12.12.2008 31
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