Why Improving Your Talent Development Processes Is A Must Have

Myth #1:

Talent is talent. If a job candidate floundered in their last position, they’ll probably struggle in your organization as well.

Truth:

While there is some validity to the argument that workers are either innately primed for success or... not...that ignores an entire group of people that may have great talent in one area yet find themselves repeatedly working in another industry or role altogether.

Imagine thinking you’re a circle and finding out you’re actually a square. All those years spent trying to shove yourself in a space that was never meant for you in the first place.

If you can train your HR department to recognize potential during the recruitment and interview process, you can follow up with a talent development plan that turns diamonds in the rough into, well, diamonds.

Myth #2:

Talent development is achieved through seminars, corporate retreats and formal reviews.

Truth:

All those methods can certainly help you nurture talent, but talent development doesn’t require long hours in a stuffy classroom or tons of personality tests and boring consultative analysis.

There are plenty of software-based solutions that help in-house and remote workers understand and build on their potential, and team-building courses that encourage employees and supervisors alike to think outside the box. These solutions can have very impressive results.

Sometimes the best way to shake up the status quo is to use an unexpected approach like KeepWOL.

Myth #3:

Engagement is everything.

Truth:

Not so much. Yes, engagement is important, but an engaged employee in the wrong job is still a missed opportunity (for you and for them).

Pay attention to engagement but also how engagement lines up with employee interests and abilities. Someone who is very interested inaccounting but who has no financial aptitude is not properly placed for personal or organizational success.

But you might be able to develop their talent in another department, perhaps teaching them to use their love of numerical patterns and spreadsheets into a thriving career in project management.

Myth #4:

Talent development is for new hires and the small number of existing workers who have management potential.

Truth:

ALL talent should be developed. One of the things that makes successful organizations so strong and agile is that they have developed talent in all departments and at every rung of their corporate ladder.

Obviously, recognizing talent while onboarding a new employee is a great way to maximize time and opportunity, but existing employeescan also benefit from skills training and advice from senior staff. Yes, talent development can help:

• Increase productivity and prevent interrupted workflow by cross-training employees to work in multiple departments or positions
• Give discontented workers a new reason to show up on time, tackle projects with gusto and be creative
• Prevent ambitious employees from looking for professional satisfaction elsewhere
• Help turn seemingly “stuck” or directionless employees into valuable members of the team by introducing them to a position that better speaks to their skills and interests

Myth #5:

Talent development is expensive.

Truth:

Remember that $65 billion in annual losses linked to employee disengagement?

It’s far more costly to ignore staffing issues and to try to swap out underperforming employees for new hires than it is to put together atalent development plan that addresses employees at every stage of their professional journey.

There are talent development strategies suitable for every budget.

Perhaps you start with monthly or quarterly skill-based seminars that teach various departments how to excel at whatever activities are most relevant to their core tasks, such as honing the sales team’s presentation skills or playing a KeepWOL game designed for connection building.

Myth #5:

Talent development is expensive.

Truth:

Remember that $65 billion in annual losses linked to employee disengagement?

It’s far more costly to ignore staffing issues and to try to swap out underperforming employees for new hires than it is to put together atalent development plan that addresses employees at every stage of their professional journey.

There are talent development strategies suitable for every budget.

Perhaps you start with monthly or quarterly skill-based seminars that teach various departments how to excel at whatever activities are most relevant to their core tasks, such as honing the sales team’s presentation skills or playing a KeepWOL game designed for connection building.