Implementing a talent management system

13 Dec 2011
Posted by Elizaveta Trushkina

A company can be viewed as a living organism that functions effectively through the people working in it, creating relationships that can even be called "friendship". A talent management solution can strengthen this “friendship” by serving the interests of both parties. The company gets transparency of its employees’ capabilities and competencies, at the same time focusing on the development/growth strategy. The employees get an unbiased assessment and proper recognition for their delivery, as well as clear development opportunities.

Talent management systems are currently critical for success, as companies wrestle with lower returns and a greater need to make the best use of their most valuable asset – their people. A talent management solution can bridge the gap between simply administering employees and building strong "bench strength". In some countries, such as the US, large companies are formally recommended to show that personnel are competent, qualified and capable to safely perform their assigned tasks and to ensure that  compensation is in part linked to meeting safety performance indicators. So a talent management solution becomes a really useful tool that can be used to store and classify all the competencies in one place; ensure employees sign up to the company's values and behaviours prior to creating their development plans in the system; ensure they are rewarded on a performance vs. goal basis.

Selecting the best fit talent management solution needs care and diligence. It’s crucial that the company is clear about what it really needs, what use it’s going to make of the system and its outputs, how it’s going to fit with its culture and ways of working, how much customisation will be needed, and what support will be available, before and after launch, and so on. An organisation must be ready and willing to embrace the changes that will ensue.

There are numerous talent management solution developers, but fewer companies who are independent and able to “squeeze” the utmost from the developer’s system, providing a tailored solution rather than simply opting for a well-marketed but potentially unsuitable hybrid!

An experienced and committed delivery partner will carefully capture the requirements, aligning them across the organisation, converting them into functional specifications, and rigorously manage selection and delivery against these. Then, in deploying the solution, the partner will take the burden of this highly sensitive task off the client’s shoulders, delivering essential functionality within budget and timelines whilst assuring its delivery.

Only then can the company start to truly enjoy the fruits of a really good talent management solution.