When an organization flattens its organizational structure in an effort to increase its agility, one
negative side effect reduces the depth of the talent bench. This lack of depth tasks leadership and management skills as it thins performance and strategic goals.
The flattening of structure increases responsiveness, but it dampens hands-on frequent performance assessment, deep talent assessment, and strategic training and development. The very agility desired speeds organizational behavior at the risk of thoughtful study and talent placement. Human Resources needs new responses to new talent management needs.
Even the smallest businesses think big. In doing so, they extrapolate their goals and dreams to a new paradigm. As Human Resources has re-invented itself, it became a form beyond the ambition of small business. That is, a small business owner likely perceives Human Resources as a legacy model despite
the fact that HR has changed fundamentally in the face of growth needs.
In an article on HR predictions, Josh Bersin wrote in Forbes, “We predict a new model of HR will
emerge, one which focuses on global delivery of core services, talent services, as well as what we
call ‘strategic enablement’ services. And, technology will play a much larger role.”
It is now clear that talent development refers to sourcing, hiring, compensation, evaluation, and retention. Traditional HR practices in these areas do not meet the new challenges. Small business owners will discover all things global are local first and all things local have global application. This will end learning-on-the-job in favor of continuous, life-long, multi-platform learning.
People must work smarter, and that creates need for on-demand blended learning well removed from the classroom chalk and talk models. It demands a new curriculum that exploits technology platforms and incorporates gamification architecture. With employees reluctant to design their own studies and careers, HR must engage workers with creative and rewarding work to reduce turnover. Without a strategy for talent mobility, high-potential performers see no place to go.
Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) and Human Resource Management systems (HRMS) are dated if they do not include talent mobility threads to track applicants, manage performance, suggest succession, align learning, and assess compensation. Systems in place for five years or more may lack this important integration.
The good news is that innovation is showing up in new or modified products that pull together social media applicant sourcing, employee performance assessment, training tracking, curriculum architecture, and more. Such software will integrate enough data to feed new predictive analytics, identify high-potential employees, and structure their role and succession.
Talent grows a business. In the past, global goals were set and the structure had to catch up with them. Today, for globalization to succeed, organizations must become employee-centric. It must present a talent facilitation system that engages workers to participate and buy-in. To the extent they attract employee involvement with gamification, they also increase employee accountability for their own futures.
When small business growth approaches the size where it makes sense to shop for human resources information systems, the owner should look for a system with the tools to secure, develop, and retain employees. They should look for the tools that will serve them now and into the future, not just in terms of body count but also in terms of talent recognition, assessment, development, and succession planning. Instead of multiplying software applications and vendors, they should option the vendor who is best prepared to integrate their present and future needs.
This article was originally published on compareHRIS.com Blog under the title, Talent Management Requires a Talent Management System.