In a business landscape that changes at an ever-accelerating pace the role of the talent management specialist is more important than ever before. But with this added value and credibility come new challenges and responsibilities.
So what are the three key skills the new generation of talent management specialists needs?
1) Learn to talk the language of business
TM professionals are facing an increasing demand to communicate with senior business leaders in a way which the latter can really relate to. This ranges from demonstrating bottom line impact to quantifying the potential risk of inefficient people strategies. And while this has perhaps been difficult in the past, the sheer quantity of data now available is making it possible for talent management specialists to use figures to clearly demonstrate the financial value of any talent strategy. Using numbers to prove return on investment is consequently no longer optional, but an essential part of the job. The day of financial analysis under the HR umbrella has well and truly arrived.
2) Learn the skills of marketing and PR
Another key requirement for the modern day talent management professional is the ability to engage with their own employees, not just on a face-to-face level, but across multiple platforms. Now that the number of job opportunities is on the rise, businesses are recognising the value of building their own internal brand. This means they must market themselves as an employer of choice to their own top talent as well as candidates they wish to attract. This has further evolved the role of those in talent management. The most effective professionals in the discipline will therefore be the ones who can absorb skills from marketing and PR resources, both internal and external, and use them to engage with their own workforce. This includes the ability to recognise which platforms and channels are most relevant and collaborate with marketing teams to establish the most effective and compelling brand strategy.
3) Learn from everybody
Perhaps, the most important requirement of the modern day talent management specialist is the most difficult to achieve – the ability to be genuinely open minded and absorb skills from all and any areas of the business world. As the role becomes ever more diverse, it will require well rounded individuals who can liaise with and learn from colleagues from a very wide spectrum of disciplines in order to develop the best talent strategy.
Talent management is more complex, yet more important than it has ever been, and the evolution of the profession is increasingly resulting in individuals gaining their rightful recognition as the vital business consultants they are. Those that develop most effectively by absorbing skills from other business areas will find their voices heard and listened to where they truly belong – in the boardroom and around the partnership table.
Perhaps, the key requirement of the modern day talent management specialist is the ability to be open minded and absorb skills from different areas of the business. As the role has become more diverse, it now requires well rounded individuals who can liaise with and learn from colleagues from other areas of the organisation in order to develop the best talent strategy.
So what new skills do talent management professionals need to acquire?
