Employees are the key asset of each company. People create values for the company, interact with the customers, business partners, communities, and stakeholders. A successful company needs leaders that can create an environment where people can thrive, develop and grow. Leaders that mastered how to motivate, develop and retain their people.
Our talent management survey in the #CEE region says that #CEOs see opportunities in #developing talents, #engaging, and #retaining them. The talent management process should be the primary domain for each leader and manager across the organization. HR should partner with all management levels and offer tools, best practices, and support on this matter.
Talent management is a complex process that starts by #attracting and #hiring the right people for the right job at the right time. In-dept talent #assessment, usually during the hiring process, can help better understand the talent #strengths and #gaps that need to be closed—followed by an Individual development program linked to #career #development and potential for #succession planning. Proper integration – onboarding of new talent is a vital part of the talent journey.
Managing talent is an ongoing and neverending process.
The leader's daily talent management job also includes driving talent #performance, #engagement, understanding talent motivators, and drivers. Leaders should ensure open communication, provide constructive feedback, #empower, and ensure talent #retention. The leader must provide opportunities for development and growth.
It is not possible to develop and retain top talents without creating growth opportunities.
Following our research, the most frequent tools to manage talent effectively in all stages of the talent lifecycle are a tailored combination of on-the-job training (more than 70%), coaching, mentoring, and some (10%) traditional education and programs. Our clients shared the most frequent development activities with a significant impact on employee career development. Those are on-the-job training and participation in projects and programs locally and internationally, global and regional initiatives participation, job rotations locally and globally, working in cross-functional and multicultural teams. Our clients described these activities as absolutely vital for the talents to learn and demonstrate new skills and capabilities in real life.
Organizations reported that they promoted sharing and transferring knowledge between generations, which significantly help #accelerate the learning curve of the talents and creates better - diverse culture.
#Mentoring is a widespread tool for career development. It allows experienced leaders to share knowledge and experience and to provide valuable advice to young talents – #mentees.
Undoubtedly, mastering new #knowledge and skills is critical for talents. #Curiosity is essential as well. Knowledge and curiosity are connected.
Curiosity is fueling innovation and new ideas.
Career development is an ongoing process. Many organizations evaluate career development, usually once or twice a year. However, more and more organizations work with talents on a more frequent basis. Following our survey results, the career development evaluation also includes employee performance evaluation, i.e., evaluating whether the employee has met the set qualitative and quantitative objectives.
It is essential to measure Talent and Performance.
Leaders should calibrate the talent and performance of the employee. A tool such as the #9box #matrix can visualize the correlation between talent and performance. Employee development and performance evaluation usually affect employees' performance pay, salary increase, succession planning, job promotion, and location to critical projects and programs.
How can a candidate or an employee elevate their career?
Whether you are in the career transition or considering the next career move within your company, some best practices may help you better navigate to your goal.
Write your self-assessment.
You will need concentration and enough time. Find an optimal place where you feel good, and you are not disturbed. Take your time. It's about your career, after all. Be honest with yourself, #evaluate your #strengths, and highlight the #gaps you would like to improve. Consider what feedback your colleagues, superiors, subordinates, external partners gave you and your work results. Also, consider situations where you felt you could have done more or better than you did.
Do you have an idea of what you want to achieve in your career in the medium or long term?
Do you want to become an expert in a specific area, or do you want to manage people? What should be your next job? Define your #ambitions and #goals. It isn't easy to achieve anything without having a goal. Be specific. Set goals over time. Year, half a year, quarter, month.
Do you know what you want to do in your career in 5 years?
You need to know what #experience, #knowledge, and #skills you currently have and what you will need to succeed in your future position. Analyze the differences. If you lack knowledge or skills, is it possible to acquire them? Prepare a list with concrete steps to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, or experience. Create a personal career development plan.
If you are facing your job evaluation, share your self-evaluation with your supervisor. Communicate #clearly in which area your supervisor can support you to make progress in your career. Whether you want to get involved in projects or to get more accountability, ask for it.
Participate in projects and activities where you can learn new knowledge, skills and gain experience.
Some companies use various tools such as 360-degree feedback, Development Centers, Career Coaching, Mentoring, Job rotations, On-the-job training, and others. Don't resist mentoring. Learning from the senior leaders and experts will help you on your career journey. Your colleagues will help you with opportunities, support you in your #career #development. Don't be afraid to ask.
Build your reputation.
Create your own "Personal Brand." Learn how to market yourself. #Social #networks such as Linkedin, Xing, and others connect millions of professionals worldwide and are constantly growing. Most organizations use social networks to reach potential employees. Among other things, you can be visible to staffing agencies and executive search consultants. Why not use social networks to become more attractive to your potential employers? Don't forget it is vital to guard your "#digital" footprint. What information can your potential employer find on the internet about you?
Be a strong networker.
Expand your #network. Whether you are part of "alumni" from previous jobs, professional associations in your expertise area, or you are a member of a specific group on a social network, or a small informal network, "networking" is a #powerful and vital tool for #building a #career. Organizations hire some jobs through references, networks, and executive search consultants.
Be known on the market for your expertise and attitude. The more people in your target industry know about you, the better your chances of new career opportunities.
Trust yourself! Healthy self-confidence is a critical factor for success.
Once you find a new job a get a promotion, don't forget that self-education is a never-ending process.