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Talent Management - Taking care of key persons

 

Psycon arranged a Talent Management event on 10 May 2011. The venue was packed. Managing director Tapani Haavisto introduced the audience to the topic.

Lauri Ratia, an experienced board professional, gave tips on how to make sure that the company has capable management. The Board must also be interested in the company’s talent management process. After all, it is for the Board to make sure that the company has access to capable executives and other key persons in the future, too. A good question is, among other things, whether there is a person in the organization who can take on the managing director's duties, if necessary.

 

  

What is Talent Management?

Deputy managing director Arja Läärä hosted a discussion panel with Anneli Karhula, Senior Vice President for Human Resources (Metsäliitto); Kirsi Mettälä, Senior Vice President for Human Resources (Skanska); Johanna Aholainen, Human Resources Manager (Helsingin Energia); and Managing Director Jorma Hanski (Berggren).

The panel began with defining what talent management means. Although organizations use different processes, a common denominator between them is the need to secure the availability of key persons in the future. Competence can be found within the organization or obtained from partners or other external parties. The important issue of paying attention to key persons was also brought to the fore. Having talent does not need to show but it must feel. A person with talent must feel that he/she is being taking care of and paid attention to in view of developing competence. However, one must be careful when paying special attention – the panelists agreeing that coddling will take away employees’ motivation to develop their skills.  

What features will be emphasized in the future?

The panelists together considered the issue of future challenges. The ability to learn new things is becoming increasingly important. Tasks are changing all the time, so the ability to learn things fast is gaining in importance. Other key issues in a changing working environment are the ability to cooperate and maintain an open attitude.

On a journey to success

The panelists took up examples of the implementation of talent management processes. The audience was also interested in hearing about the pitfalls that one may encounter during the process.

The role of corporate image will become more important when competing for talent. Talent seeks employment in companies with a good brand. It is therefore worth investing in the personnel’s well-being and building a good corporate image.

The ”good persons” determined as key persons are often productive. As a result, all development projects are easily assigned to them. However, this will easily make them exhausted or even lead to their resigning from the company.

It requires major investments from the company to develop its key persons. If a talent leaves, his/her competence will no longer be available to the company. A change in attitude is needed in this respect. Nowadays, it is quite normal that people change from one job to another. When a talent leaves the company, we should wish him/her luck and mention that he/she is always welcome back. When interesting positions become available in the organization, the person may well be willing to come back.

Talents must be identified

Identifying talents features plays a key role in view of the success of the talent management process. People are motivated by different things, and they also differ in terms of what makes them stay in a given workplace. When key persons are identified, they can be developed and supported through the right means.