Every week, I’ll be reviewing blogs that cover talent development to find you the pick of the lot for the week. In this post, you’ll find pointers to pieces about hoarding talent, pay-for-performance and ratingless performance systems, talent development coming out of the recession, ways to waste money on people practices, and how top companies manage talent development.
From Fistful of Talent: Is Someone In Your Organization Hoarding Top Talent?
“Here’s why saying your leaders are hoarding talent is a lie – because it’s not their job to workforce plan for the organization – it’s yours! I’ve met some great leaders, who were great at one of two things, either: 1. selecting great talent or 2. developing great talent. I’ve never met a great leader who was good at giving up great talent. I’ve also never sat in front of a leader in any of the companies I’ve worked for and had a leader look me in the eye and say, “No, you can’t have that person.” Wait! I take that back – I have had that happen – once.”
Wally’s Comment: Tim Sackett’s provocative post suggests that if there’s talent hoarding going on in your company, the best place to look for the culprit is in the mirror.
From Compensation Force: Reconciling Pay for Performance & Ratingless Performance Systems
“If my experience is any indication, ratingless performance systems are enjoying a lot of popularity. It isn’t difficult to understand or appreciate the reasons why. Focusing on development, coaching and maximizing strengths – without the difficult (and, let’s face it, potentially demoralizing) “grading” conversation – is undeniably attractive. Even to compensation professionals. The problem comes (not the only problem, but one I want to talk about today) when the organization wants to take its enlightened performance process and connect it to pay and other consequences.”
Wally’s Comment: From the 1960s into the 1990s, UC Santa Cruz did not use letter grades. Instead there was a pass/no pass “grade” and a written evaluation for each class. Now the university is back to the good old A – F system. One reason for the change is that graduate schools across this great land based their admissions practice, in part, on grade point average. Could it be that the more-popular-than-ever “ratingless” evaluation systems will meet the same fate?
From Generations X, Y, and Z: Talent troubles back-burnered in recession are heating up
“Does your company have the right talent? The blunt answer is — not likely.”
Wally’s Comment: Sarah Sladek offers you several reasons why she thinks you probably don’t have the right talent. Along the way she suggests things you can do better.
From Winning Workplaces: 12 Ways Entrepreneurs Are Wasting Money on Their People Practices
“I thought it would be stimulating to put together a list of 12 people practices – or more accurately, the absence of which – that leave entrepreneurs ultimately at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, and leveraging them to deliver continually better results for customers and the business.”
Wally’s Comment: This post is a great alternative to the one just above if you’re a smaller business. This one’s more “hands-on” but that’s the way lots of things are in smaller companies.
From International HR Forum: How Top Companies Manage Talent Development
“Globalization, demographic developments, the credit crisis and global warming have all created the need for a shift in strategic management. Organizations are now faced with the need for continuous adaptation to changes in the markets and the world in general. Leadership is the most important condition for success in organizations. Organizations which treat development of executives and managers as an integrated part of company strategy have a distinct advantage over those that do not manage leadership development actively.”
Wally’s Comment: Want to take a closer look at the Hewitt research published last November? Then this post is for you. It digs beneath the surface of the story you may have read in Fortune.
