Recent research revealed that organisations taking a segmented and personalised approach to managing their talent improve total shareholder return by up to two thirds.
But, despite the development of numerous models designed to help organisations define and nurture key employees, getting it right remains notoriously difficult.
To try and understand what ‘getting it right’ might mean in practical terms, talent management specialists Jackson Samuel decided to identify what high achievers really want from their employer and compare that with what organisations actually provide.
We spoke to everyone from university students and graduate trainees to middle managers and senior executives to find out about their needs and expectations, while also asking senior HR professionals from a cross-section of private and public sector organisations about what was on offer.
The research revealed that many employers have less clear idea about what motivates their talent than they think they do. This situation causes a significant disconnect between what employees desire in terms of development, progression, support, management, compensation, working environment and opportunities and what they get, which is often based on incorrect perceptions of what these needs are.
Personalised approach
As a result, the implication is that it may be more appropriate to take a personalised approach with those individuals that the organisation is keen to retain.
So how can HR directors get to know their talent better and create bespoke development plans to get the best out of them?
The simple answer is talent segmentation. This approach makes it easier to work out who the organisation should focus on (ie key value-generators) and really understand what they want to ensure that their individual requirements are catered to.
To help here, it appears that talent can be clustered into one of six distinct talent interest groups based on what they want from their employer – Brand Enthusiasts; Career Ladderists; Connectors; the Nurtured; Opportunity Seekers and Planners.
- Brand Enthusiasts (‘Impress me’) seek to work in a company that has a strong reputation or brand image. They look for opportunities to be personally stretched and challenged and believe that the most prestigious organisations will provide them with the necessary support to make this happen.
- Career Ladderists (‘Promote me’) want promotion and they want it fast. They are attracted to organisations with a more traditional corporate approach to upward progression and value opportunities to develop. They believe their status should increase in line with this development.
- Connectors (‘Support me’) appreciate a friendly working environment and enjoy the social aspect of work. Development to them is about being provided with a range of opportunities and experiences as well as having the right collaborative structures and support in place to make the most of them.
- The Nurtured (‘Guide me’) are keen for their employers to get to know them, respect them and play a large role in their development. They appreciate a tailored approach that meets their individual needs and are probably the least likely of all types to seek development opportunities themselves.
- Opportunity Seekers (‘Challenge me’) like Career Ladderists, also value upward progression. What makes them different is that they value opportunities to be stretched and challenged more than the status that comes with promotion.
- Planners (‘Understand me’) primarily see their career as a kind of anchor that gives them a sense of stability and a pathway through life. They desire a clear career plan, which does not necessarily mean upward progression or promotion. It is more about having a path that includes a sequence of development milestones over the long term.
The value of categorising workers in this way is that it provides HR directors with a concise way of getting to the root of what talent wants. Questionnaires and one-to-one interviews to glean the necessary information are helpful in this context.
This information will inform what approach should be taken in areas ranging from learning & development, benefits, compensation and work environment. It should also be used by line managers in the context of one-to-one career planning conversations.
The secret to success is not rocket science – it’s simply about understanding that each talented individual is different from the colleague sitting beside them and, as such, will appreciate a personalised approach to developing both themselves and their career.
Lesley Uren is co-founder and consulting director at talent management consultancy, Jackson Samuel.
