Insights into human capital - The talent builders
Kim Billeter
May 1, 2008
In today's global economy, the case for talent management has never been more compelling. While
transactional work, such as fulfillment, accounting, help desks, etc., can be outsourced or
minimized, more strategic product development, people management, complex sales activities and
corporate planning require different types of employees. These employees already are at a premium
in many industries and geographies.
That's why leading companies are making talent management – attraction, engagement and
retention activities/programs – a strategic priority of HR service delivery. In fact, HR technology
spending is rising, according to Towers Perrin's 2007 HR Service Delivery Survey. The findings,
which explore the trends, prevalence and future plans surrounding organizations' approaches to HR
service delivery, suggest an ongoing commitment to delivering talent management applications:
Nearly a third (30 percent) of respondents rate talent and performance management as key
areas, up from 14 percent in 2006.
Across both PeopleSoft and SAP product lines, there is continued interest in applications
that help organizations attract, retain and engage workers, from recruiting and onboarding to
performance management.
More than 80 percent want to implement core HR manager self-service transactions to help
managers initiate job requisitions, post jobs, view resumes and track applicant status by the end
of 2008.
93 percent will offer employees a host of new employee self-service processes, such as the
ability to view job postings online, and nearly that many will offer the opportunity to apply for
those jobs, by the end of 2008.
Almost 20 percent will e-enable employees to review their training history and apply for
training courses in 2008.
As companies recognize the importance of talent management, these findings suggest a
heightened focus on HR systems to support this critical initiative. Organizations looking to
implement talent management technology solutions must think broadly and understand all the key
players, including applicants, employees, managers, internal HR and external providers (job board
vendors, external training sources).
Employers also must consider:
Is the workforce highly mobile? What medium will best resonate?
Do employees have Internet/intranet access?
Is there a need for multi-lingual delivery?
Therefore, a complete technology solution must support recruiting, onboarding, performance
management, succession planning and learning and development, for all positions. Successful
end-user experiences will depend on your company's ability to integrate these technology solutions
or implement an integrated talent management suite.
Before selecting technology, organizations must:
Begin with an integrated strategy or approach to talent management. A fragmented plan will
dilute the impact and value.
Identify state pain points to help prioritize future needs, such as people, process,
technology and business strategy alignment.
Understand the impact of self-service for process redesign (i.e., is this a new role for the
employee?)
Define the talent management program, along with the organization's unique needs, history and
culture.
Establish process measures.
Consider and proactively plan for the organizational impact and tolerance for change.
Rather than waiting to take action, forward-thinking companies are moving their talent
management systems and processes online. Instead of wondering whether to invest, they're asking how
much and how quickly.
Kim Billeter is a principal, personalized technology solutions, for Towers Perrin