Being a great employer

As one explores the terrain of talent management it is obvious that people management is a major influencing factor and in most cases is firmly in your control. Whatever the economic situation or business climate, efforts should be taken to keep a close eye on how people are feeling and performing. People need to know that they are empowered with the authority to do their job, while also recognizing that what they are doing is adding something of value to society rather than just creating wealth or saving costs.

Better employers also take an active role in career planning. This often means jointly discussing what success means. Does someone really want promotion, or is he or she interested in other options like, job stimulation, greater balance or different levels of responsibility? Helping someone to discover new career options can often open up whole new avenues for adding value and learning more.

Let us say a person wants to be a journalist and their current job does not call on that skill. However, with a little creativity and task swapping this person could soon be performing more writing in the job, which could make a world of difference to his or her motivation and contribution to the business. In addition, using the same example, taking the writing responsibilities away from someone else often may free them up to do something which they would prefer to be doing. In most cases people love you for being a little more receptive and flexible in how jobs and work are organized.

Good employers also see diversity as a plus. They engage talent by mixing and blending people from different backgrounds, whether of different ages, expertise or cultures. This provides the creative tension they need to win the knowledge game. For example, a young workforce may benefit from having older workers in the team, particularly if the benefit of having a greater pool of expertise is understood .

Finally, you may find it useful to do some reading on the specific needs of different age groups, that is, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. People born in the 1960s to the mid-1970s (that is, Generation X) are perceived to have quite different work expectations to Baby Boomers. However, we need to be careful in making massive generalizations . Although the reading could lead to a host of new ideas, be prepared to sit down and discuss unique needs face to face with the person concerned . So, do not run off and buy a box of baseball caps, order pizza or let people bring their pet to work if he or she thinks the idea is silly or just window dressing.

Again, business cannot guess and make assumptions about people s needs. Listen to them and, if appropriate, conduct an independent survey to get a more accurate view of the talent picture and story.