The Talent Management Experience Series - CEdMA Europe articles/Brandon Hall/New Roles a… · The...

© BERSIN & ASSOCIATES RESEARCH REPORT | v.1.0

Leighanne Levensaler

Director of Talent Management Research

May 2009

The Talent Management Experience Series

New Roles and Expectations for Systems

Bersin & Associates © May 2009 • Not for Distribution • Licensed Material

The Talent Management Experience Series

The Bersin & Associates Membership ProgramThis document is part of the Bersin & Associates Research Library. Our research is provided exclusively to organizational members of the Bersin & Associates Research Program. Member organizations have access to the largest library of learning and talent management related research available. In addition, members also receive a variety of products and services to enable talent-related transformation within their organizations, including:

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The Talent Management Experience Series �

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3

In This Report 5

The Manager Experience 6The Role of the Manager in Talent Management 6

Support for Managers 7

Bottom Line 8

Business Leader Experience 9The Role of the Business Leader in Talent Management 9

Case in Point – The Business Impact of Talent Management 9

Support for Business Leaders 13

Bottom Line 14

The Employee Experience 15The Role of the Employee in Talent Management 15

Support for Employees 16

Bottom Line 18

The Role of Technology in Talent Management 19How the Talent Management Suite Can Provide Value 20

For Managers 20

For Business Leaders 22

For Employees 25

Ensuring a Positive User Experience 28

Conclusion 30

Appendix I: Table of Figures 31

About Us 3�

About This Research 3�


The Talent Management Experience Series 3

IntroductionMost organizations know that talent management can be a valuable strategy in maximizing business performance and ensuring business continuity. This concept of managing talent, however, is not new. But the views as to who is responsible for managing talent and how it is getting accomplished are evolving.

In the past, initiatives and programs related to talent were viewed as the primary responsibility of the HR department. In today’s increasingly competitive and complex economy, organizations cannot take access to talent for granted. Forces (such as globalization and demographic shifts) have caused many organizations to become talent constrained due to shortages of headcount, managerial skills and critical technical skills. Such forces threaten an organization’s ability to grow and achieve its business targets.1

Now more than ever, organizations must integrate talent issues into the strategic business planning process. With a clear understanding of the needs of the company, business leaders can use the principles of talent management to address capability gaps as part of their overall management processes. This new focus on “The Business of Talent®” demands that managers and executives take an active role in critical talent initiatives, such as attracting, managing, developing, engaging and, ultimately, retaining people.

To support such business-driven talent management, the HR organization is starting to build integrated systems and data. When processes (such as recruiting, performance management, learning and development, and compensation) are viewed as a whole, business managers can more easily spot gaps and make decisions that drive rapid response to talent shortages. For example, when an engineering manager forecasts a gap in critical technical skills to make next year’s product plan, he / she can look at sourcing, compensation and internal development as integrated tools to build the capacity needed.

In addition, integrated processes enable new high-impact practices not previously possible such as:

1 For more information, High-Impact Talent Management: Trends, Best Practices and

Industry Solutions, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin, May 2007. Available to research

members at www.bersin.com/library or for purchase at www.bersin.com/hitm.

http://www.bersin.com/library

http://www.bersin.com/hitm



• Talent Pool and Succession Management – Grouping critical skilled workers together (e.g., nurses, technical experts, trained support personnel) to build integrated succession plans;

• Integrated Development Planning – Creating career plans and internal development programs that help move people into areas with the most critical need, instead of letting people “manage their own careers”;

• Career Management – Giving individuals multiyear career roadmaps to improve retention and employee engagement; and,

• Pay for Performance – Providing incentive pay for certain positions based on short- or long-term business goals.

Technology also plays an essential role in such a high-impact talent management strategy. Organizations cannot realize the benefits of integration if they have disconnected platforms and islands of people data. Today, many new integrated talent management systems (we call them “talent management suites”�) are coming to market. While many HR departments are buying them to replace legacy systems, we believe the biggest long-term benefit of such systems is the ability to give users the information to make better short- and longer-term talent decisions.

2 For more information, Talent Management Suites: Market Realities, Implementation Experiences and Vendor Profiles, Bersin & Associates / Leighanne Levensaler, January 2008. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for purchase at www.bersin.com/tmsuites.



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In This Report3

Rather than addressing talent management from the HR practitioner’s point of view, this report will address the talent management experience from three key perspectives – that of managers, business leaders and employees. HR practitioners will not only benefit by gaining insights to the needs, expectations and interests of all stakeholders, but they will also benefit from learning about the best practices for gaining support and buy-in from each audience. These insights can be used to shape talent management strategies and to design engaging user experiences that will support decision-making and talent planning.

“The Manager Experience” will address the role of the manager – and what talent management processes and systems he / she needs to impact critical talent initiatives (such as employee engagement and retention, performance and development planning, and talent pool management).

In the section on “Business Leader Experience,” we will focus on the role of the business leader – and what support he / she needs to impact critical talent initiatives.

The final section, “The Employee Experience,” will discuss the role of the employee – and what support he / she needs to be aligned and engaged with the organization.

3 Originally, this report was published as three separate research bulletins from March

through September of 2008.



The Manager Experience

The Role of the Manager in Talent Management

While managers play a valuable role in the business planning process and talent management strategy development, their most important role in talent management is the day-to-day “managing” and career development of the employees they supervise. Managers are on the frontlines of managing employee performance, development and potential. In addition to ensuring goal alignment and attainment, managers directly influence and impact employee engagement and retention.

Figure 1 identifies the key talent process areas and the role of the manager in supporting the related talent practices.

Source: Bersin & Associates, 2008.

Figure 1: The Manager’s Role in Supporting Talent-Related Practices

Talent Process Area Key Role in Talent Practices

Workforce / Talent Planning

• Defines critical roles and competencies needed to meet business objectives.• Identifies talent gaps in current team.• Identifies future gaps based on planning process.

Sourcing and Recruiting

• Identifies attributes of high performers to develop job profiles and support sourcing efforts.• Interviews and evaluates candidates.• Compares internal candidates to external candidates.

Performance Management

• Sets standards and goals for employees.• Aligns employee goals and objectives to business goals.• Monitors and assesses performance.• Identifies and mitigates performance gaps.• Calibrates performance with other peer managers.• Coaches employees.• Evaluates employees for promotion.• Evaluates employees for discharge.

“Matching individual

capabilities with

organizational needs” is

often cited as one of the

most fundamental goals

of talent management –

and the manager is the

critical link between

employees and the

organization’s needs.

K E Y P O I N T



Support for Managers

Gone are the days when managers spent the majority of their time supervising people. Today, most managers are directly accountable for performance results on a number of organizational objectives. In addition to being responsible for managing a group of employees, managers must also play the role of subject matter expert (SME) or have a direct client-facing role. Now that talent management has become a hot-button issue for many executives, managers are being asked to do more and know more about the capabilities, potential and career goals of the people they manage.

Beyond coaching and performance support, there are many very practical things HR practitioners can do to support managers in their talent management activities. The following list represents some best-practice strategies for creating an optimal organizational context for managers to support talent management.


Figure 1: The Manager’s Role in Supporting Talent-Related Practices (cont’d)


Career and Succession Management

• Identifies his / her own successor.• Assesses potential of employees.• Conducts and participates in talent review sessions.• Identifies and supports employees in the identification of career paths.• Talks with employees about career aspirations and goals.• Develops employees for their next roles.• Shares talent.

Leadership Development

• Helps define leadership competencies.• Provides coaching.• Provides opportunities for development.• Removes barriers for development.• Helps promote employees to other leaders (i.e., promotions, job rotations, talent migration).

Learning and Development

• Participates in new employee / team member onboarding programs.• Identifies development opportunities for employees.• Participates in employee development opportunities.• Assesses competence in knowledge or skills areas.

Compensation and Rewards

• Recognizes and rewards employees.• Links bonus or merit pay to performance.• Allocates rewards to top performers.



• Clearly define the role and competencies of what it means to be a manager of people.

• Provide adequate time for talent-related practices in the job / role description for managers.

• Engage managers in the design of talent management practices and processes.

• Support manager programs to develop leadership capabilities (including the skills and confidence to coach employees).

• Hold managers accountable with performance goals for talent-related practices.

• Gather feedback from managers on talent management initiatives, processes and systems.

• Reward managers individually for developing, promoting and retaining talent.

• Design and deploy “simple” processes and technology.

• Provide rich information experiences through intuitive interfaces with robust decision-support tools for managers.

Bottom Line

Managers are being asked to focus more on managing talent with less time and resources than ever. For managers to be effective in this role, they must have organizational support. HR practitioners can provide this support by arming them with best-practice advice, providing them with the tools of the trade, and including more strategic talent management-focused activities in managers’ job descriptions. In addition, HR practitioners can engage managers in the design of talent management processes. Involving managers in the design phase is a key factor in driving the adoption of talent management practices and creating a culture of talent for your organization.

Most managers are

directly accountable for

performance results on a

number of organizational

objectives – and are being

asked to do more and

know more about the

capabilities, potential and

career goals of the people

they manage.

K E Y P O I N T



Business Leader Experience

The Role of the Business Leader in Talent Management

In almost every recent research study available on the state of business (including our High-Impact Talent Management® industry study�), talent management ranks among the highest priorities for business leaders. Yet, on average, less than 20 percent of a business leader’s time is spent on talent initiatives. The disconnect (between what is said to be important, and how business leaders allocate their time and the organization’s resources) has serious implications on the managers’ and HR practitioners’ abilities to find, align, engage and retain talent. With an estimated 70 percent of the U.S. economy based on intangible assets, talent has truly become a company’s most competitive advantage. It is no longer just a feel-good statement along the lines of “employer of choice.” Given its importance to the organization’s health and growth strategies, talent management must be owned and driven by business leaders. Talent challenges and opportunities should be addressed and analyzed as any other business issue. Business leaders must approach talent management with the same rigor and dedication as the strategic business planning process. Moreover, talent planning should be explicitly aligned to the strategic business planning process.

Case in Point – The Business Impact of Talent Management

Amidst criticism of how he handled issues related to the current mortgage crisis, Merrill Lynch’s CEO resigned in November 2007. After almost a month of speculation as to who would be named the successor, Merrill’s board did not consider any internal candidates as “ready successors” and named an outside candidate

4 For more information, High-Impact Talent Management: Trends, Best Practices and Industry Solutions, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin, May 2007.

Many organizations link

talent planning to their

annual and quarterly

business planning

processes in order to

identify talent needs and

prioritize execution plans.

K E Y P O I N T



as the new CEO. This is the first time the company has had to reach outside of its own management ranks in its 97-year history.

By contrast, when Deutsch Post’s CEO resigned in February 2008, its board named an internal successor (from a pool of potential “ready” successors) within a few days. At the same time, the board members extended the current CFO’s contract by two years with the goal of ensuring continuity in the top leadership ranks and restoring consumer confidence. After the announcements, Deutsch Post’s stock rose and many analysts praised the organization’s ability to fill a power vacuum in short order. e

Fortunately, we are starting to see increased business leader involvement in talent management strategies. Chief executive officers from well-respected organizations (such as Hewlett-Packard, Allstate, Sara Lee and Sumitomo SMA) have stated publicly that they spend a significant portion of their time on talent management initiatives. These leaders believe it is their responsibility and the responsibility of all their senior leaders to lead the development of a talent strategy – and champion and participate in talent management initiatives.

“Until the organization has the right talent in place, the task of growing the business is impossible. Talent is

absolutely critical to driving the business strategy.”

Chief Executive Officer,Sumitomo SMA

As the CEO’s role in talent management increases, so, too, will the role of the business unit, geography and line-of-business leaders. Like all employees, they take their cue from the top. Figure 2 illustrates the impact of the CEO involvement in talent management.

Case in Point – The Business Impact of Talent Management (cont’d)



Figure 2: The Role of the CEO in Talent Management

With the support from the top, business leaders play a critical role in talent practices. In our High-Impact Talent Management industry study5, we describe sophisticated talent practices as holistic in nature – meaning they cross multiple HR processes. Figure 3 identifies the role of the business leader by talent process area, but it is evident that these responsibilities cannot be addressed in isolation.



CEO

Invo

lvemen

t

Business Impact

Holds Senior LeadersAccountable for Talent Initiatives

States the Importance ofTalent Management

Reports to Board on theState of Talent

Funds Talent Management Initiatives

Models Behaviors

Participates in TalentManagement Initiatives

Links Talent Planning to StrategicBusiness Planning

Funds Talent Management Initiatives – Even in Slow to No – Growth Periods

Owns Talent Management Strategy




The Talent Management Experience Series 1�

Figure 3: The Role of the Business Leader in Talent Management

Business Leader


Workforce / Talent Planning

• Develops business strategies with a clear picture of organizational competencies and talent gaps.• Defines critical roles and competencies critical to business success.• Identifies future gaps based on planning process.• Supports other leaders to prioritize talent initiatives and investments against the business priorities.• Manages business risks associated with talent.


• Identifies attributes of high performers to develop job profiles for senior-level positions.• Determines most appropriate sourcing efforts (internal or external) for senior-level positions.• Interviews and evaluates senior-level candidates.


• Establishes principles and core values.• Reinforces behaviors aligned to principles and core values.• Sets goals and related objectives for the organization.• Ensures alignment with the business strategy. • Models best practices and company values.• Monitors progress and completion of goals.• Mitigates barriers to achieving goals. • Holds managers and other leaders accountable for talent practices.• Rewards managers and other leaders for focusing on talent practices.• Seeks feedback on his / her own performance.


• Identifies and develops successors.• Conducts and participates in talent review sessions.• Shares talent and supports other leaders to share talent across the organization.• Monitors succession plans to ensure that they are future-facing.• Monitors leadership pipeline.• Monitors the health of talent pools for critical jobs / roles / skills.• Supports rotational assignments. • Supports stretch assignments.

Leadership Development

• Explicitly promotes and participates in the leadership development program.• Helps define leadership competencies.• Ensures that the right leadership team is in place to meet the strategic objectives.• Serves as a mentor or coach for other leaders.• Helps promote his / her employees to other leaders (i.e., promotions, job rotations, talent migration).• Spends extra time working with top talent across all director levels and above within the organization.


• Funds learning and development programs and the required infrastructure to support the function.• Supports a culture of continuous learning in which risks can be taken and failures are accepted.• Communicates the importance of learning and development’s role in the business strategy.• Participates in learning and development programs.• Monitors investment in learning and development to ensure alignment to business priorities,

company values and compliance activities.




Figure 4: Four-Step Trusted Advisor Maturity Model®

Support for Business Leaders

Supporting talent management initiatives requires HR practitioners to wear many hats, including acting in the role of analyst, process designer and execution support. However, the most important “hat” is the role of trusted advisor to the business leader. Stepping into this role does not come easily, though. If HR practitioners want to become trusted advisors, they must be able to earn the trust, consistently give sound advice and build the relationship over time. Only then will business leaders reach for your advice, be inclined to accept and act on your recommendations, and bring you in on more advanced complex, strategic issues. Figure 4 presents a Four-Step Maturity Model (based on the popular business text, The Trusted Advisor6) to outline the progression of the relationship between the business leader and the HR practitioner.

6 Source: The Trusted Advisor, David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, Robert M. Galford / Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Consultant on Strategic IssuesPuts things in perspective or context

Problem Solver on Issues with More BreadthBrought in earlier on in the process

HR Subject Matter Expert or Process ExpertPerforming a service

PartnerCalled with urgency to support acrisis, change, success or opportunity

Figure 4: Four-Step Trusted Advisor Maturity Model®




HR practitioners must execute flawlessly at each stage in their quest to become a trusted advisor or “have a seat the table.”

Bottom Line

Business leaders all have extreme demands on their time. The HR practitioner will need to start slowly and use the business leaders’ time wisely as the HR practitioner advocates for more time and attention to talent management initiatives.

Figure 5: The Four Stages of Developing into a Trusted Advisor: Responsibilities

Subject Matter Expert / Service Provider

• Provides timely, accurate, and consistent internal and external data on talent, the workforce at large and external trends.

• Designs simple and intuitive processes. • Defines standards to ensure consistency in talent practices across the organization.• Supports the execution of talent initiatives.• Communicates legal and cultural implications of talent practices.• Benchmarks competitors and best-practice organizations.• Monitors compliance of activities.

Problem- Solver

• Connects talent data and practices to business goals, challenges and opportunities.• Explains long-term impact (including risks) of talent-related decisions and workforce practices.• Listens to get to know the business leader’s real problems.• Asks what the business leader needs from him / her – does not force things. • Is consistent and dependable.

Strategic Consultant

• Recommends strategies in the context of unique business situations, “not just HR best practices.”• Puts talent issues into perspective.• Looks at issues from a fresh perspective.

Partner• Serves as an executive coach on talent-related issues and executive development.• Collaboratively identifies the talent management goals for the organization. • Helps to think through issues.




Figure 6: The Role of the Employee in Talent Management

The Employee Experience

The Role of the Employee in Talent Management

As we have stated in this report, one of the primary goals of talent management is to match individual capabilities with the needs of the organization. With this goal in mind, employees play a critical role in talent management. They must actively promote their “individual capabilities” – and manage their performance and career development in line with business strategy.

Figure 7 identifies the employee’s role in building alignment and staying engaged. (This information is organized by talent process area to benefit the HR practitioner.) Employees do not typically distinguish between areas of talent processes. From an employee’s perspective, all of these practices are considered part of his / her “career management.”

IndividualCapabilities

Needsof the

Organization

TalentManagement

Experience

Career Goals

Competencies

Skills

Experience

Competencies

Workforce Plans

Skills

Figure 6: The Role of the Employee in Talent Management




Support for Employees

In order for employees to take an active role in talent management, the organization must value a culture of high performance, openness, development and loyalty. Additionally, formal (yet flexible) management processes and practices must be designed and supported to help employees connect with the organization. The talent management practices in which employees have an active role include:

Figure 7: The Role of the Employee (by talent management process area)

Talent Process Area Key Role


• Identifying and applying for internal job opportunities


• Developing a clear understanding of the business strategy and his / her role in helping achieve the business goals

• Collaborating with his / her manager to create performance goals and objectives• Proactively identifying support and development needs• Managing performance and communicating progress• Informing his / her manager of any obstacles to meeting objectives• Identifying solutions to meet objectives if there are any obstacles • Completing assessments of his / her own performance and competencies• Providing upward feedback to his / her manager and business leaders • Participating in multirater assessments for colleagues


• Identifying personal and career goals by completing strengths assessments, and using career exploration tools

• Communicating career interests and goals• Identifying development needs• Managing career development• Contributing to his / her talent profile (including past work experiences, mobility, special skills,

certifications, interests, et al)• Developing career through special assignments, coaching programs, and training and

development programs


• Creating an individual development plan to close gaps• Closing performance and competency gaps through training and development programs• Serving as a coach or mentor to others in the company where appropriate • Developing and interacting with an internal network of peers, experts and mentors

Compensation and Rewards

• Communicating how they are motivated and the incentives that are important




• Goal-setting;

• Performance planning;

• Development planning;

• Coaching;

• Competency assessment;

• Performance evaluation;

• Learning and development;

• Career management;

• Talent profile management;

• Internal employee finder and job postings;

• Feedback – multirater, upward and engagement surveys; and,

• Collaboration – manager, mentors, experts and peers.

To be as effective as possible, these practices should be designed with the recognition that one size does not fit all. Certain practices and policies may need to be tailored to specific workforce segments. HR practitioners should consider the following best practices (see Figure 8) when designing processes and practices involving the employee.

Figure 8: Employee-Centric Process Design

Best Practices of High-Performing Organizations

Ensure that programs take into account the unique business context and business problems

Solicit employee feedback more than once a year

Include employees in program and policy designEnsure that managers are equipped to support and coach employees

Design flexible programs and policiesIncorporate performance support into the design of processes and practices

Customize certain practices for workforce segmentsSpend time getting to know what truly motivates employees

Provide structure and direction, but enable employees to be self-sufficient in managing their performance and careers

Keep it simple




Today, most organizations support comprehensive performance management practices but very few have structured programs in place to support employee-driven career management. Our High-Impact Talent Management research� found that a comprehensive and well-aligned approach to career management dramatically:

• Improves an organization’s ability to keep top talent satisfied and engaged;

• Provides opportunities for development to close critical skills gaps; and,

• Helps to ensure business continuity.

HR organizations should consider the opportunities employees have today to identify career goals and interests, seek out internal opportunities, create career development plans, and take action to develop themselves.

Bottom Line

Employees should not be considered passive observers in an organization’s talent management strategy. Rather, they should be regarded and supported as active participants. To be effective in their roles, employees must have the opportunity to contribute, the necessary information and tools to communicate, and the support of the managers and business leaders.




The Role of Technology in Talent ManagementMost organizations have implemented multiple web-based applications to help HR practitioners realize significant efficiency gains and compliance improvements through automation and self-service in one process area. Over time, however, HR has implemented a tapestry of useful but “unintegrated” applications – each of which has different data models and different user interfaces for its audiences. This disconnected environment severely hampers cross-process communications and the ability for the organization to support integrated talent management initiatives. Moreover, these disparate applications were largely built on the forms automation paradigm and are only used by managers for infrequent HR compliance-related events (e.g., job requisitions, performance appraisals, training requirements, et al).

Fortunately, over the last 18 to 24 months, vendors from the niche HR applications market have expanded their core solutions (through either acquisition or internal development efforts) to offer an integrated “suite” of applications designed to support all of the critical roles required for effective talent management. This new breed of software is called the “talent management suite.”

The suite supports multiple applications on one integrated platform to help organizations attract, deploy, develop, motivate and manage talent more effectively. In addition to supporting the HR processes most organizations have in place today, the suite enables new high-impact talent management processes (such as strategic workforce planning, career management, succession planning and total rewards management).

Figure 9 provides a conceptual model of the talent management suite architecture. This model illustrates six important attributes of a truly integrated suite, including:

• A common data model and data management;

• Shared process and workflow management;

• Shared competency and profile management;

• A common security model;


The Talent Management Experience Series �0

Figure 9: Bersin & Associates Talent Management Suite Architecture

• Shared reporting and analytics tools; and,

• Customized user portals.

How the Talent Management Suite Can Provide Value

For Managers

What managers really need is a technology solution to help them make their jobs easier. In addition to offering better service delivery through automation, process integration and a common data platform, a solution must empower managers with vital talent information in one place – and in real-time – to make objective and accurate talent decisions such as the following.

PerformanceManagement

LearningManagement

Sourcing and Recruitment

WorkforcePlanning

Comp andRewards

Management

CareerManagement

Competency Management Organization Management

Process and Workflow Management

Profile Management

Reporting and Analytics Security

Employee Manager HR SpecialistRecruiterExecutive

User Portals and Dashboard

SuccessionManagement

Administrator

ApplicationLayer

PresentationLayer

DataLayer

Integration Services

Consolidated Internal Database External Data Sources

Figure 9: Bersin & Associates Talent Management Suite Architecture




• Can anyone assume this leadership role or fill this open position?

• Who is ready for promotion?

• Is this high performer underpaid?

• How should I allocate the bonus pool?

• What skills and competency gaps will I have in my team over the next several months?

The talent management suite has the potential to aggregate and synthesize talent information experiences for managers. The following list is just a few ways in which the suite offers intelligent and high-value support, by:

• Identifying the profile of ideal candidates for open positions based on the profile of top performers;

• Monitoring individual and team performance progress / results against the business plan through dashboards, alerts and other reports;

• Mitigating risk by identifying and recommending strategies to close performance gaps;

• Supporting more objective (and effective) merit-based pay allocation by providing guidance derived from attributes (such as performance results, succession plans, flight risk, and attainment of new skills and competencies);

• Allocating more time for coaching employees by reducing manual processes and data gathering; and,

• Enabling more objective and specific conversations.

The manager’s user portal or “user experience” provides a unified view and access point to talent-related information and action items for the employees he / she supervises. The goal of the personalized user portal is to improve the alignment of talent processes and organizational goals. The user portal also enables more effective talent planning and decision-making through improved service delivery and access to consolidated talent information. Sophisticated talent management suites enable managers to interact with their teams through some type of high-level visual summary orientation. Figure 10 is an example of a business-card orientation, through which a manager can select one of

The talent management

suite has the potential to

aggregate and synthesize

talent information

experiences for managers.

K E Y P O I N T

The goal of the

personalized user portal is

to improve the alignment

of talent processes and

organizational goals –

while also enabling more

effective talent planning

and decision-making

through improved service

delivery and access to

consolidated talent

information.

K E Y P O I N T


The Talent Management Experience Series ��

Figure 10: Talent Profile (highlighting a scanned résumé)

his / her employees to access more detailed information in any talent area and to initiate talent processes. In addition to the business card, other metaphors used to create an intuitive visual orientation include the organization chart or the baseball card.

For Business Leaders

Business leaders can benefit from a single technology solution that offers real-time visibility into critical talent measures and leadership pipeline information. This information must include quality and consistent data to make objective and accurate talent decisions, such as the following.


Source: Cornerstone OnDemand, 2008.



• How can we ensure that we will have the right talent to deliver on the business plan?

• How can we develop managers and leaders to reinforce our culture, instill values and create a sustainable leadership pipeline?

• How do we identify high performers and successors for key positions?

By deploying a talent management suite, HR practitioners can now offer a self-service option for business leaders to access talent information. A sophisticated suite, populated with quality data, enables business leaders to:

• Monitor organizational performance progress / results against the business plan through dashboards, alerts and other reports;

• Identify “high-potential�” employees based on attributes, such as performance results, past experience, and skills and competencies;

• Identify successors for critical positions based on attributes, such as performance results, past experience, career interests / path, location preferences, and skills and competencies;

• Discover “hidden gems” by uncovering strong performers with high potential;

• To see who is actively managing his / her career progress;

• Increase organizational readiness and reduce risk;

• Have more time for strategic planning through integrated processes and technology; and,

• Provide one-view reports to bring to talent readiness review meetings.

For example: the business leader’s user portal or “user experience” provides a unified view and access point to talent-related information for the organization and his / her direct reports. The goal of the personalized user portal is to improve the alignment of talent processes and organizational goals. Sophisticated talent management suites provide

8 A “high-potential employee” is an employee who has been identified as having the potential, ability and aspiration for successive leadership positions within the company. Often, these employees are provided with focused development as part of a succession plan and are referred to as “HiPos.”




business leaders with a customized high-level visual summary orientation of pertinent talent measures and indices. Figure 11 is one example of a business leader dashboard that aggregates employee performance goal progress against three of the Balance Scorecard dimensions9.

9 The “Balanced Scorecard” is a strategic planning and management system that is used extensively in business and industry, government, and nonprofit organizations worldwide to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals. It was originated by Drs. Robert Kaplan (Harvard Business School) and David Norton as a performance measurement framework that added strategic nonfinancial performance measures to traditional financial metrics to give managers and executives a more ‘balanced’ view of organizational performance.





For Employees

What employees want and need from technology is a self-service approach to:

• Align their actions with the business;

• Communicate their career interests and work preferences; and,

• Build community.

They also want technology to provide rich information experiences to help answer important questions such as the following.

• What do I have to do to receive merit increases?

• Where do I stand?

• How can I advance my career here?

• Who has had a job similar to the one I want or have? How can I connect with that person?

• What development opportunities are available to close my performance or competency gaps?

A talent management suite provides direct value to employees. The most basic benefits include providing employees with self-sufficiency orientation to HR processes and one point of access for all of their “career management” needs. The higher-value benefits support employees in aligning with the business, communicating career interests and connecting with colleagues. In a next-generation talent management suite, employees can do the following.

• Align with the Business by:

o Viewing the goals of the organization;

o Understanding the performance expectations to receive merit increases;

o Monitoring their individual and organizational performance results;

o Understanding what competencies and skills are expected to enable advancement; and,



o Accessing and completing learning experiences to close identified performance and competency gaps.

• Manage Their Careers by:

o Developing their potential through access to career paths, open positions and learning experiences;

o Identifying career interests and location preferences;

o Receiving guidance in the identification of job and career path “fit” through skills and competency comparisons and analyses;

o Identifying and posting for internal opportunities for advancement or career changes;

o Enabling employees to search for jobs and career paths based on their talent profiles;

o Receiving recommendations on development actions and opportunities to enhance their skills through training, education and certification;

o Receiving communications on open positions in the organization for which their qualifications are a match; and,

o Promoting their contributions to the organization.

(Figure 12 provides an example of a next-generation talent management suite’s “career center.” The career center offers employees a central workspace through which to manage their internal résumés, career preferences and career paths.)



Figure 12: Example of a “Career Center” from a Talent Management Suite

• Connect with a Network to:

o Build professional contacts;

o Find and connect with “employees like me”;

o Identify internal knowledge communities or experts;.

o Participate in communities of practice; and,

o Enable knowledge-sharing.

(Figure 13 provides an example of the use of social-networking features in a next-generation talent management suite to facilitate and encourage collaboration across the workforce.)

Figure 12: Example of a “Career Center” from a Talent Management Suite




Figure 13: Example of Social-Networking Features from a Next-Generation Talent Management Suite

Ensuring a Positive User Experience

The depth and breadth of the information and features in a talent management suite can overwhelm users if the experience is not well-designed. Easy-to-learn, intuitive and efficient applications are much more satisfying than traditional forms-based transactional systems. Users are more willing to use the applications to participate in talent management when they believe that they are getting something out of the system and the experience was not cumbersome. In our research on

Figure 13: Example of Social-Networking Features from a Next-Generation Talent Management Suite




Inform

• Contextual content• Snapshot view• Embedded analytics• Side by side

comparisons• Drill down

Guide

• Visual workflow• Wizards• Performance support• Recommend / starter

content• Rollovers• Instructional text• Context Sensitive help

Simplify

• Quick links• Pre-populate / push

content• Visual Indicators• Alerts• Integration with natural

workspace• Drag and drop

configurability• Personalization

Talent Management Suites10, we identified several features that inform, guide and simplify the user experience (see Figure 14).

Organizations evaluating talent management applications should develop detailed use-case scenarios focused on addressing the role of the manager, employee, and business leader . The use cases must define what the applications should be doing, as well as how it supports the end-user.

10 For more information, Talent Management Suites: Market Realities, Implementation

Experiences and Vendor Profiles, Bersin & Associates / Leighanne Levensaler, January 2008.

Figure 14: Features That Enhance the User Experience




ConclusionIn today’s competitive landscape, effective talent management has become mission-critical to business success. A high-impact talent management strategy is driven by business needs, designed by HR practitioners, led by the CEO and senior business leaders, executed by line managers, and should engage employees.

To ensure adoption and business results, HR practitioners must understand the needs of all of the participants in talent management to design appropriate processes and technology solutions.



Appendix I: Table of Figures

Figure 1: The Manager’s Role in Supporting Talent-Related Practices 6, 7

Figure 2: The Role of the CEO in Talent Management 11

Figure 3: The Role of the Business Leader in Talent Management 12

Figure 4: Four-Step Trusted Advisor Maturity Model® 13

Figure 5: The Four Stages of Developing into a Trusted Advisor: Responsibilities 14

Figure 6: The Role of the Employee in Talent Management 15

Figure 7: The Role of the Employee (by talent management process area) 16

Figure 8: Employee-Centric Process Design 17

Figure 9: Bersin & Associates Talent Management Suite Architecture 20

Figure 10: Talent Profile (highlighting a scanned résumé) 22

Figure 11: Talent Profile (highlighting a scanned résumé) 24

Figure 12: Example of a “Career Center” from a Talent Management Suite 27

Figure 13: Example of Social-Networking Features from a Next-Generation Talent Management Suite 28

Figure 14: Features That Enhance the User Experience 29



About UsBersin & Associates is the only research and advisory consulting firm focused solely on WhatWorks® research in enterprise learning and talent management. With more than 25 years of experience in enterprise learning, technology and HR business processes, Bersin & Associates provides actionable, research-based services to help learning and HR managers and executives improve operational effectiveness and business impact.

Bersin & Associates research members gain access to a comprehensive library of best practices, case studies, benchmarks and in-depth market analyses designed to help executives and practitioners make fast, effective decisions. Member benefits include in-depth advisory services, access to proprietary webcasts and industry user groups, strategic workshops, and strategic consulting to improve operational effectiveness and business alignment. More than 3,500 organizations in a wide range of industries benefit from Bersin & Associates research and services. Bersin & Associates can be reached at http://www.bersin.com or at (510) 654-8500.

About This ResearchCopyright © 2009 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. WhatWorks® and related names such as Rapid e-Learning: WhatWorks® and The High-Impact Learning Organization® are registered trademarks of Bersin & Associates. No materials from this study can be duplicated, copied, republished, or re-used without written permission from Bersin & Associates. The information and forecasts contained in this report reflect the research and studied opinions of Bersin & Associates analysts.

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