| Individual performance, along with the performance of | | | | processes that allowed the things to be integrated into |
| teams and an organisation's whole workforce; | | | | one, coherent process. As market analysts Gartner |
| identifying and analysing knowledge, skills and | | | | commented in 2009: 'One of the biggest challenges is |
| competencies; succession planning, and enterprise | | | | that HR has many functional silos. Managers want a |
| collaboration tools are all part of 'talent management' - | | | | seamless end-to-end process experience; process |
| and, for various reasons, talent management is playing | | | | thinking must become pervasive if HR is to be an |
| an increasingly important role in helping private sector | | | | effective partner with the business.' |
| organisations to remain competitive in the current | | | | A Business Intelligence UK report, also in 2009, stated: |
| economic climate and public sector organisations to | | | | 'Companies start from a point where most talent |
| provide value for money to all their stakeholders. | | | | processes are siloed... The importance of being able to |
| This is reflected in the findings of recent studies. Back | | | | track an individual through the employment life cycle is |
| in 2009, Bersin & Associates' Talent Management | | | | essential to managing talent effectively.' And, as long |
| Factbook stated that companies with mature, | | | | ago as 2007, a report by Bersin & Associates, said: |
| integrated talent management strategies have | | | | 'Only when the various talent management processes |
| significantly lower turnover; have experienced less | | | | and systems are integrated can an organisation be |
| downsizing through the economic recession, and their | | | | fully effective.' |
| revenue per employee is 26% higher than companies | | | | These days, technology allows any organisation to |
| without an integrated talent management strategy. The | | | | operate a coherent, co-ordinated and collaborative |
| Bersin study also suggested that, while only five per | | | | system covering everything from recruitment and |
| cent of companies were at an 'advanced' stage in the | | | | selection, through induction to on-going learning, |
| implementation of talent management technology, only | | | | knowledge, skills and competencies; skills gap analysis; |
| 15% of companies had not even begun to implement | | | | succession planning, and so on until individuals' |
| talent management strategies - and this compares | | | | retirement and exit interviews. |
| with 26% of companies in 2008. | | | | Those organisations which have adopted just such a |
| Maybe the tough economic times - with the | | | | 'serious', systematic strategy to monitor and measure |
| corresponding interest in cost cutting, maintaining high | | | | their talent resources claim to be experiencing tangible, |
| level performance and customer service, along with | | | | positive business benefits from coordinated talent |
| less focus on recruiting and more on measuring, | | | | management. Among other things, these organisations |
| developing, retaining existing talent - have helped to | | | | are finding that they can identify and address skills |
| promote the cause of talent management. | | | | gaps through blended learning; engage in and |
| Until relatively recently, the various elements that | | | | encourage informal learning via monitored social |
| comprise 'talent management' tended to be viewed in | | | | networking; identify and develop future leaders, and |
| isolation or, at best, in small topic groups. This was | | | | retain high performers via providing them with career |
| partly due to 'custom and practice' in thinking about | | | | development opportunities. |
| these issues but mainly due to the lack of automatic | | | | |