Dr Shirley Zinn | Non-Executive Director | Shareholder | Tuesday Consulting | mail me |
It’s fair to say that in human resources (HR) circles there is something of a panic around talent. Between “quiet quitting”, the great resignation, and the general disruption to the workplace caused by COVID-19, HR practitioners find themselves grappling with how to attract, develop and retain talent, and there is much handwringing about the so-called talent shortage.
I say “so-called” because we need to be careful about how we use those words and interrogate whether they really describe the challenge we are facing. My view is that we need to stop this narrative – because we don’t have a talent shortage. Rather, we have talent in abundance.
What we need, instead, is to rethink how we unlock the potential of that talent – how we upskill and reskill people both within and outside of our organisations.
A sense of urgency is required
We all need to begin by acknowledging that building a deep, wide, inclusive and diverse talent pool is not going to happen of its own accord, or overnight. Instead, it will require a deliberate effort from multiple stakeholders, and a sense of urgency to ensure those efforts do not go to waste. So, what does this look like?
First, it means creating partnerships with educational institutions to enable us to address demand and supply in areas where we are experiencing skills shortages. This is not about painting classrooms or building libraries in formerly disadvantaged schools – as worthy as those projects might be. Instead, it means fostering relationships with tertiary institutions of all kinds to ensure not only that their curricula are current, but that they are producing people who have the skills required to thrive in the new world of work.
In order to start building a pipeline of people with these skills, businesses could also make a concerted effort to train members of their larger communities in future-fit skills.
Large organisations could even look at running programmes to improve digital literacy among scholars in local schools, given that many of our children have little to no access to digital tools.
Addressing the matter of unemployed graduates
We can also help to address the matter of unemployed graduates through upskilling and building entrepreneurial capacity. How? By sourcing smaller suppliers that we can support with enterprise development programmes, for instance, or providing funding to SMEs and start-ups.
Internally, we also need to have a radical rethink of our policies, systems and practices. We are now waist-deep in the new world of work, but many of the legacy policies, systems and practices we’ve relied on in the past have not kept pace with the rate at which the world has changed. This will mean setting aside our own outdated views of how the workplace should function, and being open to new ideas, as well as being aware of any unconscious biases we may be harbouring.
Benefits and company culture are another area where we can make changes that will retain and attract talent. But these need to provide organisations with a competitive advantage – which means we can no longer afford to simply churn out more of the same, stock-standard, often out-dated offerings.
Now that the worst of the pandemic is over, people are looking for happier, more fulfilling experiences that integrate with their professional and personal lives. In addition, the Peter principle (whereby competent individuals are promoted based on their success in a previous role, rather than by their potential suitability for their new role) has long been a troublesome problem for HR.
Unlocking talent and potential
We need now, to switch to promoting based on performance and potential. That means looking at our people with fresh eyes, taking stock of the talent that is already under our noses, and nurturing those people until we unlock that talent and potential.
I have some suggestions on how we can do this:
- Through leadership putting people and their wellbeing first;
- By truly valuing people’s contributions and building appreciation into our cultures;
- By motivating through connecting with people;
- Through collaboration that fosters affirming everyone in inclusive ways, so that people feel that they belong;
- Through promoting values like respect, dignity and humanness;
- By working to ensure our business is a true force for good in the larger community;
- By supplying coaching and mentorship so that those identified for promotion can learn and make progress;
- By offering support that harnesses performance, productivity, passion and commitment;
- By engaging people through trusting relationships; and, most importantly
- By creating a space where people can have some fun at work!
In conclusion
For years now, companies have paid lip service to the idea that their people are their most important resource.
People are, in fact, the business. If we start to live this now – to truly walk the talk – we will not only develop the talent we currently have, but ensure we have a solid, diverse, skilled pipeline of talented people in the years to come.