EFFECTIVE TALENT MANAGEMENTA N R S G W H I T E P A P E R • W W W . R S G - P L C . C O M

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSRSG would like to thank all Debate participants for their

valuable time and contributions. In particular, we would

like to thank David Mason, Global COO Resourcing at

RBS, for leading the Debate and Nicky Bizzell, Freelance

Resourcing Specialist, for reviewing this white paper.

Built on over 35 years of trading history, RSG has grown

organically, and through the acquisition of specialist

services, into an established selection, assessment and

solutions driven resource provider.

RSG’s focus is on strong partnerships; we have

developed solid relationships with our candidates and

clients since our inception in 1975 and this is reflected

in the repeat business and referrals that our specialist

companies receive.

Our family of companies gives us an understanding

across a variety of market sectors including: permanent

and contract recruitment through to executive search,

bespoke recruitment campaigns, advertising campaigns

and total recruitment outsourcing. This knowledge

empowers us to provide our clients with an independent,

innovative and proven response, every time.

ABOUT RSG

02

CONTENTS02 About RSG

03 Contents

05 Foreword from David Mason, Global COO Resourcing, RBS

07 An Introduction from Mike Beesley, CEO, RSG

08 Effective Talent Management

08 Introduction

09 Successful Talent Acquisition

14 Managing Global Talent

Increasing Global Mobility is Complex

18 Programmes to Accelerate Careers of High-Achievers

19 Women on the Board - Attracting and Managing Female Talent

What should businesses be doing to increase the number of women on the board?

22 Young People - the Untapped Talent Pool

Bristol Young Talent Case Study

What steps can businesses and the Government take to combat youth unemployment?

27 Conclusion

28 Guest Profiles

30 Contact RSG

03

One of the greatest challenges facing companies across the world is how to attract and develop a strong pipeline of talent throughout their business.

04

FOREWORDOne of the greatest challenges facing companies across

the world is how to attract and develop a strong pipeline

of talent throughout their business. The concept of talent

management is difficult for employers to tackle; defining

what ‘talent’ means to an individual business is often

the first hurdle which must be overcome. Once this has

been established, employers then have to decide upon a

strategy that will ensure the successful attraction of new

talent, alongside a process of managing, supporting

and developing the selected individuals in their role.

Throughout my career I’ve faced these challenges in

varying degrees and on vastly differing scales; from

developing a UK wide resourcing strategy in my role as

Head of Resourcing for AXA, to leading talent acquisition

in over 20 countries during my time at CH2M Hill as

International Talent Acquisition Director. Most recently

I find myself working for the Royal Bank of Scotland,

where I have seen our entire resourcing function forced

to adapt and transform in order to overcome the

damage we faced as a result of the near collapse and

government rescue of RBS.

Our brand image was dented and consequently our

customers lost faith in the services we could provide,

which meant we had to focus on channelling our efforts

into our Customer Services and inspire confidence and

loyalty back into our valued customers. Our resourcing

function had to re-organise to accommodate this new

culture - an example of the ever-changing nature of

talent management.

My experiences have given me a unique and truly global

insight into the issues concerning talent management,

which is why I’m delighted to have been invited to lead

the RSG Debate on this subject. I was particularly keen

to discuss the issue with other leading HR professionals

in order to gain an insight into their approach, the

difficulties they have encountered and whether there

is any common ground between our views on strategy

and solution. The outcome of our discussion lies in

this paper, alongside relevant research that has been

conducted into the area by RSG.

David MasonGlobal COO Resourcing, RBS

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Without doubt, strategies that are consistent, continuous and inclusive are likely to be far more successful in the long run.

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The other issue is consistency. Many talent strategies

are often demand led, reacting to business needs with

reference to the current week / month / year, yet, without

doubt, strategies that are consistent, continuous and

inclusive are likely to be far more successful in the long

run. The reality is that few organisations have the vision

or the energy to embrace this approach. Yet, what

might look like the equivalent of Mount Everest in terms

of effort is, in reality, rather easier.

It is against this backdrop that RSG decided to host a

debate over dinner with some of the UK’s leading HR

and Resourcing professionals at Bentley’s Oyster Bar

& Grill, in Mayfair, London. Our guests represented a

broad base of industries to discuss the many talent

challenges businesses face. This white paper brings

together their thoughts and personal experiences, in

addition to industry research and RSG’s own extensive

knowledge. The aim has been to uncover examples

of best practice and innovative approaches to talent

management.

Finally, and not wishing to draw too many conclusions

for you before reading this white paper, I can’t help but

feel that an enormous opportunity to gain significant

competitive advantage exists for those organisations

who are keen to invest in their people strategies.

After more than 35 years in the recruitment industry,

much of which has been spent working strategically

with organisations to solve major resourcing issues, I

am consistently surprised at how few organisations

have an integrated talent management strategy.

In my experience, I’ve found that the appetite to build

an effective talent strategy continues to prove to be a

top priority for most businesses. However, companies

often cite numerous reasons for allowing the focus on

talent management to fall by the wayside, from “our

organisation is going through a significant amount of

change and when we are finished...” and “we have a

new CEO and we are waiting to see what changes are

likely to take place”, through to “I just haven’t had time.”

Broadly speaking, if we assume that there are three strands to any talent management strategy - attraction, development and retention - most organisations get only one of these right.

Now, more than three decades into my career, I can

genuinely state with confidence that I can count on one

hand the number of organisations I have encountered

who have had a fully integrated and clearly planned

talent management strategy which has withstood the

test of time.

AN INTRODUCTION FROM MIKE BEESLEYCEO, RSG

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Talent management is a broad and complex area, which

is becoming a recurring topic on the board agenda

of many businesses. During the RSG Debate, the

participants shared their experiences and successes

within this arena with a view to uncover examples of

best practice and innovative approaches towards talent

management and the changing nature of the talent

acquisition process. It is based on these discussions

that this white paper further explores the nature of

some of the main challenges facing business as well

as the approaches that can lead to effective talent

management.

The term “talent management” has become increasingly

common in the HR world since McKinsey coined the

expression “the war for talent”. There is considerable

debate within businesses about what constitutes

“talent”, how it should be managed and the importance

of talent in driving organisational stability, development

and change. It was to discuss these issues that some of

the UK’s leading HR professionals joined RSG’s thought

leadership Debate at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill in

Mayfair, London. The group represented a variety of

industries, from financial services and technology to the

legal sector and NHS.

EFFECTIVE TALENT MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

There is considerable debate within businesses about what constitutes “talent”, how it should be managed and the importance of talent in driving organisational stability, development and change.

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RSG Debate participants emphasised the need for

organisations to hire talented people in order to achieve

their strategic goals. Consequently, effective sourcing

to secure the best talent is critical. Looking to gain

competitive advantage, businesses are re-evaluating

the way they source and engage with talent. Rather than

focusing on filling positions as quickly and cost-effectively

as possible, it is evident that they are looking for ways to

improve the quality of the talent they attract directly and

the subsequent experience of the candidates as they

move through the company’s processes. As such, over

50% of organisations are moving away from solely using

job boards1 as a talent attraction tool.

Many of the organisations which

took part in the RSG Debate

are undergoing a significant cultural

change. This is driven by the economic

climate, but also is due to clients’

changing demands, the changing nature of business and

the requirement to acquire different types of individuals

or skills. As stressed by Debate participants, developing

a successful talent attraction strategy is of fundamental

importance in driving through the organisational shift

that must follow. It is evident that talent acquisition has

changed significantly over the past decade, from being

a mere administrative function to developing into a

multi-channel sourcing strategy.

The creation of, and communication with talent pools

is an on-going activity, which, when managed well,

promotes employer branding and creates loyalty and

interest before a vacancy occurs. With this in mind,

organisations are likely to benefit from partnering with

an expert who understands their business objectives,

creating bespoke sourcing strategies to attract the

best active and passive talent, as well as promoting

outstanding candidate experience throughout the

process. It is critical to select appropriate marketing

channels and the tone of voice to

promote vacancies to the external

market to ensure a response from

your target audience.

Having analysed the pros and cons of

various sourcing channels such as social media, internet

advertising, print advertising and recruitment agencies,

we at RSG concluded that effective recruitment cannot

be “one-size-fits-all”. Unsurprisingly, recruitment

requirements vary from business to business as well as

department to department.

1. Aberdeen Group, 2012, “Strategic Talent Acquisition: Are you Prepared to Hire the Best?”

SUCCESSFUL TALENT ACQUISITION

“50% of organisations are movingaway from solely using job boards

as a talent attraction tool”.

Knowing what you will need to recruit and what “good” looks like. This should be done through

effective resource planning and job analysis, with an eye on what type of person your business needs

to succeed in the future.

Being honest about the level of talent you need. Not every role requires high talent.

Identifying critical roles within the organisation and focusing on filling these roles with valuable high

talent.

Understanding candidate behaviour - knowing where the best people look for jobs and how you can

reach the right audience; knowing the difference in behaviour between active and passive candidates.

Understanding which sourcing channels are available to you and choosing the right approach

depending on the type of person that you are looking to hire.

Developing a strong EVP (Employee Value Proposition) – the characteristics and appeal of working

for you. This should accurately communicate why your employees enjoy working for you and,

importantly, what makes you different as an employer. This should flow throughout your processes;

from the systems you use, the emails you send, the interviews with hiring managers, your feedback

and offer management.

Utilising social media to engage with candidates and build relationships with the talent pool.

Being aware that directly attracted candidates need more resource to manage them than agency

candidates. The impact of poor management on directly attracted candidates can be greater than on

agency candidates because they are likely to have made a greater connection with your EVP.

Creating an outstanding candidate experience through consistent communication of your EVP, an

efficient recruitment process and the enthusiasm and professionalism of everyone involved in the

recruitment process.

Despite the differences in roles and skills recruited and the approach to recruitment, RSG found that almost every recruitment challenge could be tackled by:

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(predominantly LinkedIn and Twitter and, increasingly,

Facebook for graduate and intern positions) to promote

their employer branding, engage with talent pools and

to source talent. Websites such as YouTube are used

to provide potential talent with an authentic insight into

the organisational culture and its people, as well as to

showcase any exciting initiatives and projects.

“It is often tricky to find talent for certain organisations with damaged EVP - as soon as you mention the name to potential candidates, they lose interest! We have worked with a number of our clients to help them develop and improve their employer branding and assist them with promoting their key benefits to potential talent pools”.Steve Phillips, Client Solutions Director, RSG

However, social media can also have a negative impact

on a company’s EVP. According to SHL research,

2010: “36% [2007 survey by Personnel Today said this

would be 55%] would tell their family and friends about

their negative experiences and 10% would use social

media to make their feelings known.” This means that

in some cases your EVP had been damaged before

your interviewer even got back to their desk following

an interview.

RSG Debate participants also felt that it is equally

important to ensure that your Employee Value Proposition

(EVP) is authentic and truly reflects your corporate

values. Organisations are in danger of losing valuable

talent if they discover a mismatch in expectations

after joining the organisation. The effectiveness and

alignment of your EVP and your corporate values can

be measured through the analysis of attrition levels at 6

and 12 months tenure.

The importance of EVP cannot be underestimated

in attracting and retaining global talent. According

to a Towers Watson study2, EVP can be an effective

tool in creating the right balance between employee

preferences and employer needs – leading to stronger

overall performance and improved financial outcomes.

Despite an existing perception in some organisations

that employer branding is owned by the Marketing

and Communications function, it should be a

collaborative effort involving key employees to act

as “brand ambassadors”, creating brand awareness

and communicating the main company messages to

potential talent pools.

Employer branding was considered to play an important

role in organisational talent attraction strategies during

the Debate. The impact of social media on recruitment

is huge with businesses using social media channels

If an organisation has damaged EVPcandidates can swiftly lose interest.

2. Towers Watson, 2012-2013 Global Talent Management and Rewards Study”

the talent acquisition team, the business and marketing

team is crucial. It also necessitates the need for the

talent acquisition team to ensure that their business is

fully engaged with multifaceted attraction strategies.

With so much buzz and interest in social media, it is

understandable that some companies feel that they

need to appear everywhere. However, just like with hard

copy advertising, companies should focus on the social

sites that their target audiences are using. This helps

to create a clear and focused EVP as well as reducing

unwanted traffic.

The Group taking part in the RSG Debate also

emphasised the importance of inspirational leadership,

especially at CEO level, in an organisation’s talent

attraction strategy. If you have strong, passionate

leaders, talent will follow and will want to work for

your organisation. There is a strong demand for new

leaders and attracting leadership talent is, therefore, an

essential part of the talent attraction strategy. More and

more organisations face a shortage of strong leaders

at both executive and general management levels,

suggesting they need to either intensify their search for

external talent, identify and develop their internal talent,

or combine the two.

Talent attraction is only the first step in an integrated

talent management process. Subsequently, talent

needs to be selected, retained and developed through

an integrated approach. According to Aberdeen Group4,

as leading organisations evaluate integrated talent

management, they find a natural synergy between talent

acquisition and succession planning. When aligned,

these processes can help organisations improve their

organisational growth and readiness through a unified

With so many technological developments since this

research was conducted, it can only be assumed that

these figures would now be significantly higher. How

would these figures translate in your business? This

was the question a leading international law firm asked

and used their analysis as the basis for their interviewing

training.

The growth in the use of social media in recruitment

is phenomenal; it is fast, efficient and cost-effective. It

can, however, be a problem as well as an asset. Do

employers utilise multiple social media channels fully

and are they reaping all of the benefits? According to

Aberdeen’s talent acquisition survey3, nearly half of the

participants are using social media to simply broadcast

jobs to candidates. This, therefore, creates the need for

employers to have a meaningful and results-orientated

social media attraction strategy, including research into

their targets’ behaviour patterns, so that they engage

with them through the right channels. It was stressed

during the Debate that to take full advantage of the

opportunities that social media presents, it is important

to ensure that an organisation’s social media strategy

is consistent and continuous, and not only used when

recruiting for a particular role.

However, does using social media in this way take away

from some of the benefits highlighted earlier? Engaging

with your candidates fully and meaningfully requires

resources that some companies do not have available

to them. In such circumstances, resource realignment

may be necessary. Another question is, who within your

organisation should be involved in the engagement and

how do you ensure consistent messages? Candidates

are keen to engage with the team and manager they

will be working with. This is where alignment between

3. Aberdeen Group, 2012, “Strategic Talent Acquisition: Are you Prepared to Hire the Best?”

4. Aberdeen Group, 2013, “A Unified Talent Pipeline: Integrating Succession Planning and Talent Acquisition”

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businesses in theory want to take a more strategic and

aligned approach to recruitment, in reality are they

willing to invest time, budget and resource to take this

approach? It could be a tricky balancing act when you

are under pressure to recruit.

RSG Debate participants stated that strategic talent

acquisition combined with a positive candidate

experience can significantly improve organisational

performance. Employers, therefore, must ensure that

their talent acquisition strategies are aligned to their

overall business goals. According to Aberdeen Group’s

research7, 45% of organisations have a reactionary

approach to talent acquisition while only 3% have a long–

term approach that aligns with business objectives. This

presents a real opportunity for businesses to differentiate

themselves and gain competitive advantage in the

acquisition of the best talent. However, as identified

above, with budget and resource pressures, this level of

forward planning may be hard for companies to grasp.

Boards, therefore, should consider investing in their

talent management and acquisition teams in order to

capitalise on future talent.

talent pipeline that meets both current and future talent

needs5. However, in many companies these processes

operate independently, where recruiters manage

talent acquisition, and HR generalists, Learning &

Development or Organisational Development functions

own succession.

The RSG Debate highlighted that often recruiters have

to fill vacancies without a clear understanding of the

internal talent available or the organisation’s future

requirements. Clearly, recruitment in isolation is not

effective. However, increasingly businesses expect

their recruitment partners to understand their business

needs, corporate culture and competitive pressures

in order to give strategic advice to hiring managers.

According to the research conducted by RSG in

partnership with APSCo6, a huge opportunity exists for

recruitment organisations and Heads of Resourcing to

set themselves apart if they can meet this challenge.

Do these two groups have the skills, behaviours and

business penetration to be able to meet this challenge,

or does the industry need to further develop in order to

give clients what they are looking for? In addition, while

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While businesses in theory want to take a more strategic and aligned approach to recruitment, in reality are they willing to invest time, budget and resource to take this approach?

5. Aberdeen Group, 2013, ibid.

6. RSG in partnership with APSCo, 2011, “Indepenent Analysis into Perceptions of the Recruitment Industry”

7. Aberdeen Group, 2012, ibid.

One of the questions at the heart of the RSG Debate

was: “How do you manage global talent?” The Debate

participants spent considerable time sharing their views

and experiences on this challenging topic. Evidently,

talent management becomes very complicated for

businesses operating in multiple markets, cultures,

labour laws and institutional environments. The

globalisation of talent management is a trend that we

expect to continue as companies expand internationally,

with different markets presenting attractive business

opportunities. What do international businesses need

to do to attract and develop the very best employees

on a global scale?

Clearly a one-size-fits-all model does not work

when there are so many complex issues to consider.

However, companies that are showing signs of success

are taking core principles, processes and policies and

adapting the detail to fit individual organisational needs.

UK principles tend to be the easiest to adapt when

companies are using UK law as the basis of their legal

system, e.g. in Anglophone environments.

Cultural alignment is one of the most challenging

areas to adapt, particularly in relation to gender, race

or religious inequality. Asking some countries to adopt

principles and policies that are not aligned to their culture

will alienate them from the central business. In these

situations patience and restraint are called for, as well

as a watered down version of policies and processes.

MANAGING GLOBAL TALENT

Asking some countries to adopt principles and policies that are not aligned to their culture will alienate them from the central business.

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environment - their role should be purely academic.

When combined with an aging work force, where older

employees retire taking with them crucial, difficult to find

skills, this represents a real resourcing challenge.

During the Debate, considerable time was dedicated

to discussing issues associated with international

assignees and sharing best practice. Evidently,

international businesses have to deal with a wide

range of considerations and complexities during the

selection and management process where international

roles are concerned. Potential obstacles that must be

considered include adaptability, cultural sensitivity and

family circumstances. Therefore, organisations need to

provide their international assignees with the necessary

support, such as cultural and language training, as

well as developing their transferrable skills for future

placements in order to ensure that they are successful

in their roles. They should also understand and consider

the challenges of balancing careers and family life.

RSG Debate participants confirmed that international

mobility is an increasingly common feature of today’s

working environment. It is evident that global competition

for talented people is tough worldwide with many

employers experiencing a talent shortage. There is also

an increasing mismatch between the skill sets employers

seek and the available talent. A leading international

employment agency estimates that 31% of employers

worldwide find it difficult to fill positions because of talent

shortages in their markets8. Furthermore, 65% of global

companies are having problems finding employees with

the skills they need9.

These challenges occur despite there being a record

number of college and university graduates and relatively

high levels of unemployment in some global markets.

This is possibly explained by the fact that the required

skill level is changing and the educational institutions

are failing to produce an adequate talent base to meet

the changing needs of the global employers. In fact,

some institutions go as far as saying that it is not the

place of universities to prepare students for the working

INCREASING GLOBAL MOBILITY IS COMPLEX

International mobility is an increasingly common feature of today’s working environment. It is evident that global competition for talented people is on the rise.

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8. Manpower, 2010, “Talent Shortage Survey”

9. Towers Watson, 2012-2013, Global Talent Management & Rewards study “The Next High-Stakes Quest. Balancing Employer and Employee Priorities”

Organisations need to provide their international assignees with the necessary support, such as cultural and language training, as well as developing their transferrable skills for future placements in order to ensure that they are successful in their roles.

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More than half of the survey12 respondents reported

difficulties retaining talent. The same study confirms that

when selecting candidates for international assignments,

business needs are consistently cited as the most

popular criteria. Global businesses may be overlooking

other equally important factors. For example, only 16% of

companies consider family circumstances when making

selections. And yet family and personal circumstances,

or a family’s inability to adapt to the host country’s

culture are often reported as the primary reasons for

failed international assignments13. Irrespective of these

difficulties, only 35% of organisations taking part in

the survey14 have developed special programmes to

promote international mobility.

In addition, employees often come back from their

international assignments feeling demotivated and

disillusioned by the organisation’s lack of interest in

the experience they have gained; in some cases they

return to find there is no job for them to go back to.

Ernst & Young indicate that most companies have failed

to address the long-term trend towards globalisation

in their talent management programmes15. Almost

two thirds of survey respondents (63%) say that their

organisations lack standard policies for managing the

careers of international assignees, or do not know if

their organisations have such policies. Nearly one-

third (32%) say their organisations have no consistent

talent management strategy for internationally mobile

employees, while almost half (47%) place little or no

importance on helping returning expatriates reintegrate

into the organisation.

In a report conducted by the Chartered Institute of

Personnel and Development (CIPD)10, it was found that

working on an international basis for a period of time

brings definite benefits to the career and development

of an individual. However, there is also a significant

amount of disruption for both the employee and their

family. If these disruptions are acknowledged and

carefully managed by the organisation, the benefits for

both the employer and the employees will be enhanced.

It is therefore essential that all the issues are carefully

addressed before an employee actually starts on an

international placement.

Typically, successful global brands find it much easier to

attract the required talent. The culture and values of the

organisation have to appeal to people and be something

they want to be part of. As indicated by the Debate

participants, increasingly global businesses focus on

selection based on cultural fit and mentality, as well

as traditional job-related skills and experience. Brands

such as Accenture, BP and IBM, used as examples

during the RSG Debate, have global mobility embedded

in their philosophy. By joining them, you are signing up

to an international career and should be prepared to

be deployed anywhere. Towers Watson in their Global

Talent & Rewards study found that companies which

have highly effective global EVPs (Employee Value

Proposition) have three times as many highly engaged

employees as those with low global EVP effectiveness

(58% versus 16%)11.

The subsequent challenge is to retain and develop this

talent, especially when their personal circumstances or

career developments necessitate a change.

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10. CIPD Factsheet, 2011, “International Mobility”

11. Towers Watson, ibid

12. Towers Watson, ibid

13. Towers Watson, ibid

14. Towers Watson, ibid

15. Ernst & Young, 2010, “Managing Today’s Global Workforce”

Talent management strategies should include advanced

development of “high fliers” whilst at the same time

managing the expectations of other staff. A number

of employers now have “top 250 global fast track” or

“top 100 fast track” talent programmes to accelerate

the careers of high-achievers. For example, PWC

have Emerging Leaders Programmes, both in the

UK and globally, which aim to create networks of

emerging leaders. As discussed during the Debate,

these programmes involve a tough selection process

whereby chosen candidates are being continuously

assessed, some of whom opt out at the outset as they

are unprepared to make certain career commitments.

The prevailing sentiment from the RSG Debate

participants was that it is essential not to marginalise the

employees that either opt out, or are unsuccessful in the

selection process. Companies must adopt an inclusive

approach to talent management that encompasses the

diversity of skills, experience and backgrounds found

within the workplace.

Employers face a real challenge in uncovering how

to keep this valuable talent energised and motivated.

The recent Towers Watson Talent Management Survey,

which included 1,605 employers globally, found that

companies not only have difficulty attracting talent

but also struggle to retain high-potential employees

critical to increasing their global competitiveness16. The

research also found that not all employers are taking

advantage of opportunities to attract and retain high-

value employees. They focus too much on financial

rewards and underestimate the importance of EVP that

is vital in a highly competitive global market as it helps

to attract and retain high-performers by achieving the

right balance between employees’ individual needs and

organisational requirements.

Furthermore, there are a number of sensitivities

associated with managing fast track talent programmes.

It can involve difficult conversations with employees who

do not meet the employer’s expectations and, therefore,

are not selected as “high potentials”. If this process is

not conducted by HR professionals, it is essential that

they prepare and train business managers to handle

such conversations.

It was stressed during the Debate that, in line with good

HR practice, there should be a role for people who are

not aspiring to the same level and they should still be

managed properly and feel valued. As such, the quest

for talent management should not detract from the need

to keep the entire workforce motivated, especially as

the way in which organisations manage staff who are

not considered “high-achievers” will have a bearing on

overall talent acquisition and retention. It should also be

remembered that some individuals may choose not to

join high performance programmes because of personal

circumstances, which may change in the future.

PROGRAMMES TO ACCELERATE CAREERS OF HIGH-ACHIEVERS

There are many sensitivities with fast track programmes.

16. Towers Watson, ibid.

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The Grant Thornton International Business Report17

for 2013 has shown that, while figures have increased

promisingly since 2010, just 24% of Senior Management

roles are currently filled by women. Similar results are

also registered by the Women on Boards Report18 which

illuminates that only 17.3% of FTSE 100 companies

have female Board Directors (as of March 2013). These

results are staggering considering that women comprise

more than 50% of the UK’s population and nearly half

of the working population. So why don’t we see more

women on the board?

The overarching feeling from RSG Debate participants

was that the societal ‘double burden’, which still

predominantly rests upon women, may lie at the

bottom of why many women feel they cannot aim for,

or accept high level roles. Typically such positions

require employees to display unfailing availability and

total geographical mobility – assets which the majority

of parents (women in particular) feel they are unable

to commit to. Support for this argument is evident in

The Women on Boards Report, which shows that while

male and female graduate entry into the workplace is

relatively equal, beyond junior management positions

there is a marked drop in the number of females who

are promoted to senior level.

The effect of a male-dominated environment on women’s

perceptions of their own capabilities should also be

considered. Research conducted by McKinsey &

Company19 found that 64% of women in the US

saw a lack of female role models as a barrier to their

development, as well as finding that the majority of

highly qualified women were less ambitious than their

male counterparts when aiming for top roles. Bearing

in mind the constraints associated with senior roles in

terms of both availability and flexibility, it is no surprise

that men are more often found reaching for high level

jobs given the current social environment, which

predominantly places the responsibility of childcare and

domestic duties upon women’s shoulders.

The one area of business which flips the status quo on

its head is that of Human Resources, which continues

to attract and retain a female majority. There are many

suggestions surrounding this area as to why more

women work in HR, including the ‘naturalistic’ view that

its perception as the ‘soft side’ of business appeals

more to women than men. However, the conclusions

drawn from the McKinsey research would argue that in

fact it is the significantly higher number of female role

models in the HR sector that perpetuates women’s

attraction to it. Interestingly, despite the fact that 72%

of HR roles are filled by women, just 40% of Directors

are female, which suggests that the effect of the ‘glass

ceiling’ remains as seniority increases. This may also

partially be due to women returning to the workplace

at a lower level following a career break, or simply not

returning at all.

WOMEN ON THE BOARD:ATTRACTING AND MANAGING FEMALE TALENT

17. Grant Thornton International Business Report, 2012

18. Women on Boards Report February, 2011 by Lord Davies

19. Mckinsey & Company “Women Matter”, 2007

The societal ‘double burden’, which still predominantly rests upon women, may lie at the bottom of why many women feel that they cannot aim for, or accept, high level roles.

20

Finally, companies should prioritise building the

confidence of their female employees by focusing on

providing quality mentoring and networking programmes.

As the McKinsey Report22 highlights, this would help

to increase women’s awareness of the limitations they

impose on themselves, thus enabling them to manage

their careers in a male-centric environment. Such

programmes would be particularly beneficial in areas

such as engineering, which don’t attract high numbers

of female employees, by helping to gender-neutralise

the perception of them. However, ultimately changes

need to be made in both business and wider society

in order for there to be a real impact on the work

environment for female employees. As McKinsey writes,

‘greater participation by women in corporate senior

management will require social environments that are

more supportive of working women’.

Quotas are an inappropriate method of ensuring women are on the board because any member of staff should obtain their position through skill and ability alone.

The concept of introducing quotas has raised much

debate. At the RSG Debate it was deemed that quotas

were an inappropriate method of ensuring more women

are on the board because any member of staff, whether

male or female, should obtain their position because

they hold the right skills and ability - not because of their

gender. In addition, quotas hold a sense of tokenism

by suggesting that women in top roles have only made

it there by fulfilling a Government target. Furthermore,

utilising quotas does nothing to alleviate the dehydrated

pipeline of talent that precedes board level. As Louisa

Peacock writes for the Telegraph20, there is no point

putting women at board level and fulfilling a Government

target, just to realise in a few years time that it has had

no effect on the other levels in the workplace.

It is important for businesses to consider increasing career

flexibility for both males and females. Fundamentally,

there is no reason why a woman’s career path should

be negatively impacted by the requirement for career

flexibility, which would in fact enable both genders to

manage the work-life balance more effectively. In order

to retain and develop the very best talent, companies

should be in a position to offer ‘personalised career

paths’21, which would prevent females from dropping

out of the talent pipeline and simultaneously encourage

them to progress up the career ladder.

WHAT SHOULD BUSINESSES BE DOING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN ON THE BOARD?

21

20. “Why we must never, ever introduce quotas for women on boards”, Telegraph Online, 10th April 2013

21. McKinsey & Company, ibid

22. McKinsey & Company, ibid

YOUNG PEOPLE - THE UNTAPPED TALENT POOLYoung people are widely considered an undervalued

market, yet many businesses don’t know how to

effectively tap into the undiscovered talent that dwells

in the school-leaver and graduate sectors. In some

ways there has been erosion over the last 20 years in

the youth development activities that companies used

to offer. Tighter margins and tougher targets mean that

managers want to use their often limited headcount

for experienced hires. They are deemed easier to hire

and need less support to be effective. However, as

mentioned earlier in the report, with an aging population

this is not something that is sustainable.

During the RSG Debate, it was suggested that another

problem facing both employers and young people is a

mismatch of expectations. Employers are expecting too

much from young employees in terms of their experience

and skills and young applicants between the ages of 16

– 24 are unaware of what is expected of them in the

recruitment process and working environment.

In a report conducted by the Chartered Institute of

Personnel and Development (CIPD)23, it was found that

for the majority of young people facing unemployment

(currently 1 in 5 in the UK), the recruitment process

is a daunting one. While there are numerous support

systems in place for students who wish to attend

university, across the board there is a staggering lack of

guidance given to those who take an alternative route.

Students who don’t go to university leave the education

system unprepared for the transition into the workplace

and are often ill-equipped with the skills employers

deem as ‘basic’, such as writing a tailored cover letter,

completing a CV or knowing what to wear and how to

behave at an interview. The process of applying for a job

can also be a demoralising experience, particularly due to

a lack of feedback offered from prospective employers.

A large majority of school-leavers are unaware of how

to structure a job search, often taking a one-size-fits-all

approach to their CV and sending the same application

for a number of different vacancies. This results in a

cycle where businesses receive an excessive number

of irrelevant CVs for which they simply cannot provide

individual feedback. The lack of feedback means that

young candidates do not learn how to improve their

application and so do not increase their chances of

success in the future.

During the RSG Debate, work experience was

considered one of the greatest hindrances employers

face when recruiting young people. Typically employers

want to take on young people who have a substantial

amount of hands-on work experience, yet in many of

the more competitive industries, obtaining a wealth

of experience before graduation is extremely difficult,

particularly if internships, apprenticeships, or work

placements are not offered as part of a student’s

studies. It is a bleak situation that many graduates find

themselves in: no job, no experience; no experience, no

job. While a lack of experience by no means equates

to an applicant being unable to fulfil a job role, many

recruiters fail to give young people the chance to prove

themselves, thereby missing out on an entire talent pool

of potential.

23. CIPD ‘Employers are from Mars, Young People are from Venus’ Report, Research Report April 2013

22

Martin Marafko, 17Winner of the Bristol Young Student of the Year Awards 2013

“My experience of career guidance at school was

very basic. I attended mock interviews, but still felt

very inexperienced and unprepared for attending real

interviews. When I first heard about the Bristol Young

Talent Awards, I jumped at the chance to enter, especially

when I saw that you could gain work experience with

companies such as RSG and Atkins.

The competition illuminated just how competitive the job

market really is. I was under the same misconception as

most young people are: good grades equates to a good

job. Now I know that work experience, confidence in

the workplace and knowing how to promote yourself

against your competitors are the most important skills

in getting ahead. You don’t get taught these skills in

school.

As a young person who has experienced school-

level career guidance and come out the other side of

the Young Talent Awards, I believe that schools in no

way prepare students for working life. Career paths,

particularly for the most competitive jobs, aren’t made

clear enough and therefore students have no idea what

steps they can take to achieve their goals. We leave

school physically and psychologically unprepared to

enter the work place. If I were Education Minister, I would

introduce regular work courses that allow students to

take up regular and varied work experience placements,

as well as teaching them how to prepare, dress and

present themselves at an interview.”

CASE STUDY:RSG BRISTOL YOUNG STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDSThe RSG Bristol Young Student of the Year awards is

a six-month competition for 16-19 year old students

aimed at developing employability skills in young

people. The competition is free to enter and is open to

all state schools, colleges and academies in the Bristol

region. It provides young people with tangible business

experience by getting them to work directly with local

companies. Throughout the competition students have

the opportunity to work in real life business situations

with the support of leading professional mentors.

In addition to the awards, students have the fantastic

opportunity to apply for a scholarship worth £15,000 at

BPP University College. Paid work experience as well

as cash prizes are also awarded to the winners to help

them along their career path.

23

Therefore, schools should liaise with local businesses to

ensure that focussed work experience placements are

created, which take students through the entire process

of applying for a job and entering the workplace.

Furthermore, it is essential that these placements

conclude with insightful feedback that the student can

then use to improve their future job applications.

Secondly, it was agreed that in the majority of instances,

the recruitment process can be tailored to suit younger

applicants. RSG has found a significant positive effect

in the attraction and recruitment of young people if the

employers involved in the recruitment process are of

a similar age. Put simply: young people recruit young

people. Furthermore, standard competency based

interviews are unhelpful as young people cannot draw

on past experiences, meaning employers don’t get a

true reflection of the potential they have to offer.

The education system needs to address the current level of career guidance offered to students.

Firstly, the education system needs to address the

current level of career guidance offered to students.

Many educational institutes state that they offer career

guidance programmes, but their quality and value to

students is questionable. The lack of effective career

advice in schools is seen as a contributing factor to

those who are unaware of what employers expect from

them or what opportunities are available. Naturally,

career advisors cannot be experts in all fields; however

RSG Debate members involved with youth development

programmes cite examples of extremely misleading

advice given, particularly regarding the legal industry.

With the development of the government and industry

led initiative Plotr (the one-stop shop for career

inspiration and preparation), it is hoped that there will

be improvements in this area. As part of the National

Curriculum, schools should be continually assessed

on the career guidance they offer in order to motivate

them to improve their services. The basics of job

application should be instilled in students before they

leave the classroom to help alleviate the stress of job

hunting, which will simultaneously improve the quality

and relevance of job applications.

RSG Debate participants were also unanimous in the

belief that work experience should once again become

an essential part of the curriculum. Utilised in conjunction

with solid career guidance, work experience placements

would offer a practical outlet for students to apply the

skills learnt within the classroom.

WHAT STEPS CAN BUSINESSES AND THE GOVERNMENT TAKE TO COMBAT YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT?

24

On the other hand, strength-based interviews, where

candidates suggest how they would work in different

situations, allow employers to gain an understanding

of how the applicant can be trained and developed.

Companies should also review their talent attraction

strategy to ensure they utilise the many tools social

media has to offer. In addition to being highly cost

effective, social media allows businesses to attract

a wide network of talent as well as enabling them to

specifically target the people they need.

With regards to feedback, it remains unrealistic to

expect that individualised comments can be provided

to all applicants. However, as suggested by CIPD24,

automated emails should be utilised to acknowledge

the receipt of an application. Similarly, unsuccessful

applicants could receive an email listing the most

‘common’ reasons for not obtaining an interview as well

as advice on how they can improve. For those applicants

who make it through to the interview/assessment

phase, constructive feedback should be given to help

young people improve their skills and encourage them

to try again.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, more graduate

schemes, apprenticeships and work experience

placements should be created by businesses to allow

young people to gain truly valuable, hands on experience

within the workplace. Such programmes will allow

students to become familiar with the work environment,

gain experience of the job application procedure and

help them to build connections with employers. In

addition, they will illuminate more possibilities and

career options to those students who do not wish to

attend university.

However, some of the organisations represented in the

RSG Debate, do offer work experience and feedback

programmes and have found it difficult to engage with

schools and colleges regarding work experience. They

found a surprising lack of interest from schools and

colleges, particularly outside of London. Considering

the resource, investment and commitment needed

to run work experience programmes, this feedback

is disappointing. As mentioned previously, some

institutions have said that they do not feel that workability

skill development is the responsibility of educational

establishments. In order to gain maximum advantage

for young people, a greater balance of responsibility

between employers and educational institutions needs

to take place, with both sides improving their support

and commitment in order to develop future talent.

25

24. CIPD, ibid

There is still considerable opportunity for most businesses to create a cohesive, intergrated talent management strategy aligned with their business objectives to enable them to reap the benefit from their investment.

26

The RSG Debate provoked much opinion and raised

a number of critical issues in the area of talent

management. As it drew to a close it was apparent that,

despite the diverse range of organisations participating

in the Debate and their unique circumstances, most

businesses face similar talent management challenges

to which there are no easy answers or quick fixes.

It is evident that although businesses have made

significant progress in raising the awareness of talent

management and have taken steps towards its

successful implementation, a lot of organisations are still

not fully embracing the talent management challenges.

There is, therefore, still considerable opportunity for

most businesses to re-evaluate and create a cohesive,

integrated talent management strategy aligned with

their business objectives to enable them to reap the

benefits from their investment.

CONCLUSION

As Ernst & Young state25: “In today’s global market,

people success consists of aligning your company’s

vision, values and strategy with its management of

people and integrating the key components of your

talent management programmes so they form a

coherent whole”.

If you would like to find out more about the services

RSG provides, please contact Mike Beesley, CEO, RSG

at mike.beesley@rsg-plc.com

If you are interested in taking part in future RSG round

table debates, either as a lead speaker or a participant,

please email liz.gibbs@rsg-plc.com

If you would like to comment on this white paper please

use the Twitter tag #RSGdebate.

27

25. Ernst & Young, ibid

GUEST PROFILES

David Mason, Global COO Resourcing, RBS

Listed as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Resourcing

Leaders by Resourcing Magazine, David has gained a

wealth of experience in various roles as Director and

Head of Resourcing at reputable companies including

AXA, CH2M Hill and Royal Bank of Scotland. In his current

role at RBS, David’s responsibilities include delivering

large volume recruitment, senior executive recruitment

across multiple countries, talent management and

workforce planning. David has achieved particular

success in developing strategic approaches, leading

resourcing teams and implementing change focused on

commercial objectives.

Jayne Mee, Director of People and Organisation Development at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Jayne’s expertise as a commercial HR Director has

enabled her to deliver her experience to a variety of

companies including Whitbread, Royal Mail and Barratt

Developments. From early April 2013, Jayne took

on the role of Director of People and Organisation

Development at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS

Trust. Between Barratt and her current role, Jayne

enjoyed a short career break, which enabled her to

mentor for the Prince’s Trust and the RSG Bristol Young

Student of the Year, as well as volunteering for Hearing

Dogs for Deaf People where she has worked for the

CEO and Senior Team.

Nicky Bizzell, Freelance Resourcing Specialist

Nicky is a global resourcing specialist with extensive

experience in aligning resourcing strategy to business

drivers and ensuring that HR functions become the

catalyst to business success. Prior to her role at

Eversheds as Head of Resourcing, Nicky worked

as Global Head of Resourcing and Talent at ESAB

and Strategic Resourcing Account Manager at AXA

where she played an integral part in the development

of resourcing activities and branding, which led to

exceptional cost decreases for recruitment, time to hire

and quality of hire.

Steve Pratt, Interim Executive Human Resources

Following graduation with a degree in Business Studies,

Steve spent the first few years of his career in HR with

Nestle and Ross Foods before moving into Electronics,

initially with Plessey. He joined THORN EMI in 1990,

and held 3 HR Directors roles in different Divisions

of THORN over the next few years, finally becoming

Managing Director of Thorn Business Communications.

In 1999 he chose to become an Interim Manager, and

has held a number of Interim HR Director roles over the

last few years, latterly in Financial Services, including

Direct Line, Swiftcover.com and Novia Financial plc.

28

Ross Crook, EMEA, Head of Resourcing at Ace Group

Since April 2012, Ross has been responsible for all

Resourcing and internal mobility across Ace European

Group in EMEA and providing management and

consultancy services in all aspects of Resourcing to the

business. Ross’s background includes 4 years as Head

of Executive Resourcing at Barclays Bank, as well as 3

years as Executive Resourcing and Talent Manager for

Prudential.

Matt Collington, Interim HRD at Avis Budget Group

Since graduating from the University of Lancaster, Matt

has developed an impressive record of generalist and

specialist positions in HR in a variety of companies

including Mitel, GE and Airbus. With experience in

managing both UK and transnational teams, Matt now

works for Avis Budget Group as the UK HR Director

where he specialises in International Business Partnering

to CEO level, Tactical and Strategic Recruitment and

Organisation Development.

Charlotte Sword, Head of HR Ops at Wates Group Ltd

As a commercial HR Director, Charlotte has extensive

cross sector experience in areas such as Telecoms, IT

and Financial Services. Over the past 20 years, she has

achieved a demonstrable record in building and leading

commercially focused HR teams and now specialises in

Talent Management and Change Programmes. Previous

to working at Wates Group, Charlotte held the position

of Group Head of HR at Royal London and has also held

HR Management roles at Rothschild and Caminus.

Mark Boorman, HR Director at IPL

Mark is a senior HR professional with extensive

experience gained from working with leading

organisations such as Vodafone, Northern Rock plc and

AXA UK across the financial sector, media/publishing

and HR outsourcing. In his career to date, Mark has

demonstrated his ability to perform as a permanent

member of commercial leadership teams and as a

senior interim professional. He is passionate about

the diagnosis, design and implementation of the best,

value-add HR solutions and holds particular success in

establishing start-up HR teams, change management

and organisational development.

Helen Norris, Head of Business Partners at Nationwide Building Society

Helen moved to Nationwide in 2012 from her position as

a Global Head of HR at HSBC. Her dedication to driving

major change programmes for business transformation

has allowed Helen to develop a reputation for

delivering results in growth, turnaround & constrained

environments within the international blue-chip financial

services and telecommunications sectors. Throughout

her career, she has managed direct and virtual teams

within Europe, Asia, Middle East, North America and

Latin America.

29

CONTACT RSG

E info@rsg-plc.com

W www.rsg-plc.com

Bristol T 0117 907 7571

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54a Whiteladies Road

Clifton, Bristol

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93-95 Hanover Street

Edinburgh

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30

LondonT 0207 469 0970

37 Lombard Street

Plough Court

London

EC3V 9BQ

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Pall Mall Court

61-67 King Street

Manchester

M2 4PD

Resource Solutions Group Plc is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 01617971,

VAT registration number 357912724 and registered office at First Floor, Clifton Down House, 54a Whiteladies Road,

Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2NH.

31

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