Talent intelligence refers to the overall talent management process and the degree to which every ... [+]
There is no question that COVID changed everything in the relationship between employers and employees. Even applicants are becoming more vocal in articulating their expectations and walking away when the company can’t or won’t deliver. For companies struggling with hiring and retaining employees, three considerations could make all the difference: reputation, responsiveness and representation.
These three critical factors of a talent-intelligent people strategy can make a difference.
Talent intelligence refers to the overall talent management process and the degree to which every level of the organization understands its elements and supports its mission to attract, develop and retain the best talent.
Reputation
Company reputation doesn’t only refer to the external perspective but also the internal one. The argument is that the latter is even more important since happy employees are more likely to recommend their company as a great workplace. Harvard Business Review writes that employees with higher workplace belonging also showed a 167% increase in their willingness to recommend their company to others. By contrast, disgruntled employees post negative reviews on job boards and dissuade interest in the company by drawing back the curtain on bad management and poor working conditions.
Talent intelligence requires employers to ask what employees think about the company and their working environments. It means identifying challenges and swiftly addressing them. Talent intelligence understands that the wants and needs of prospective talent require prioritization. HR Grapevine reports that one in three offers is rejected. For companies experiencing high rejection rates, you need to meet the candidate's expectations.
Transparency is also vital to reputation. One way employers are hurting their reputation is by posting jobs as remote and then admitting in an interview that it's hybrid. That bait-and-switch trick is even worse if the candidate is required to relocate.
The best companies are transparent. If a job is remote, the location is moot. If a job is hybrid, a job posting should include the minimum number of days expected in the office. And in all cases, the prospective employee should be empowered to decide whether to relocate or commute by train, plane or automobile. As an added benefit, employers may choose to reimburse all or a portion of any commuter fees when an employee's mode of transportation reduces environmental impact.
Responsiveness
Employees saw how quickly leaders scrambled to respond to COVID mandates. For those jobs that could be remote, provisions were quickly provided and work resumed. Leaders must walk the talk to earn and retain trust.
When management promises employees change, they must deliver–whether updating technology to simplify processes or providing ongoing development and training to keep employee skills razor-sharp. They must show employees (and prospective employees) that they are as responsive to internal needs as they are to external ones.
An audit of benefits and policies is a good example. For example, family leave is typically offered to employees for the childbirth, and sometimes adoption, or for personal health needs. But what about employees who care for other immediate family members? The NIH reports that the national caregiving crisis in the U.S. alone represents an estimated 53 M Americans providing uncompensated care to their loved ones who are sick or have special needs.
This particularly applies to older employees who often help care for their grandchildren, spouse or parents. If a company promises equitable policies, don't delay equity with talk of legal reviews, external benchmarking and third-party consultants. If you provide paid leave for the care of a child, provide it for the care of a grandchild, spouse or parent. Responsible employers give employees what they need to feel secure.
Representation
Employees desire a sense of organizational belonging–no one wants to be an outsider. At all levels of the organization, employees want to see a future version of themselves. That's why employers must get representation right.
Gartner reports that seven out of 10 employees say their organization fails to inform them of opportunities to promote inclusion in their day-to-day work. Additionally, Gartner emphasizes that success can only be achieved with better communications, genuine support for DEI and by making everyone responsible for achieving DEI goals.
Demographics play a crucial role in setting representational goals. However, employers benchmarking goals against demographics often neglect age. Recruiting and retaining all-aged talent is not just the right thing to do; it also improves access to talent, retention, productivity and, ultimately, the bottom line.
Understanding demographic trends like this, combined with authentic actions company leaders take to put employees first, will help circumvent the challenges presented by the four forces of specialization, scarcity, rivalry and humanity. More importantly, doing so will position a company for a future-ready workforce.
Still trying to figure out where you stand?
Analyze your workforce data by dissecting across all dimensions of diversity. Small businesses should compare to local and state demographics. Larger companies–especially if global–should consider country and even global demographics before setting representational goals.
Never Going Back
Leaders expect employees to pivot on a dime but are reluctant to make lasting changes. Nowhere is this clearer than the demand for people to return to the office. Here's the reality: work will never be what it once was. Until leaders empower employees to determine how they work best and support the new ways of working, they demonstrate an aversion to change.
Talent intelligence means continually evaluating and responding to feedback from employees and candidates. It means being transparent about the talent management process and finding authentic ways to improve the overall quality of the employer experience (think three- to four-month interview process.)
Companies have no choice but to pivot and operate with talent intelligence. Leaders need to understand how dynamics have changed and accept that there is no going back. Otherwise, talent will go where their wants and needs are being heard and met–to companies that are flexible enough to adapt to the workplace of the future.
