Do you have a talent strategy that generates meaningful results?
It’s in my nature to look ahead and dream about what’s next, and I bring value to my clients by helping them paint a picture and build a plan to see it come to life.
When working with leaders to create strategic plans for improving talent management, culture, and business operations, I have observed time and time again groups of well-intended, action-oriented, and very smart people go straight to and often stop with a list of ‘to do’ items. For them, this list becomes their strategic plan.
I get it, but it’s typically not a process that allows participants to fully embrace the bigger picture, align around a common vision, consider limited time and resources, or to carefully vet ideas to get the best outcomes. Overall, it’s just not going to yield stellar results. It’s a common mistake to go straight to solutions and call it a day.
In my experience, following a strategic talent management planning process that focuses on how to reach a shared vision of success is key. Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) are already setting the stage for this shift. According to Gartner, the top CHRO focus areas for 2025 are:
- Elevating HR’s impact on the organization’s growth strategy
- Building a deep bench of change leaders
- Creating a future-ready workforce
Gartner’s research also finds that 62% of CEOs are focused on growth as a top priority for 2025, which is up 25% since last year and is at its highest level since 2014. Your talent strategy must take this and many other business priorities into account.
While HR professionals cite competing business priorities as a common obstacle when creating a talent strategy, I’ve uncovered a proven approach that can take your plan to the next level. Compare your current talent strategy to my approach:
Start with the end in mind. Your plan needs to show how talent strategy helps deliver on the overall business mission and goals. If your talent strategy does not explain that it is built to close the gap between the current state and the ideal state and how the ideal state will help grow the business, it is still just a list, not a strategy.
Let data guide you. Identify the metrics and performance data that you want to see improved and design the strategy to connect with that data. Use historical data to guide and predict the future. Dare to connect your plan to metrics beyond the standard employee metrics like retention and engagement – choose to also show how talent strategy impacts metrics like customer satisfaction, sales, and profitability.
Build context. Be very clear by explaining the rationale, assumptions and reasoning for the elements in the final plan. Why is the focus more on retention this year than recruiting or why will leadership development take priority over a new employee incentive?
Align all HR department resources. Departments should work in concert for the same outcomes. Recruiting, training, benefits, and recognition programs should not fight it out for resources and funds. Silos and the resulting inconsistency within HR create confusion and uncertainty. Employees end up being unsure about what the organization really wants from them.
Commit to quality over quantity. The genius is in editing ideas and committing to actions that have the greatest potential for positive impact. All the bright ideas need to be vetted and then edited. Commitment to stick with the chosen few from your leadership team is also key.
Prioritize consistency and clarity. Success comes from setting priorities and declaring what will remain in play, what can go undone, and what needs to be stopped altogether. This is especially true for your leaders who will implement the final plan. Help your leaders stay focused and marshal their time and effort appropriately.
If my approach resonates with you, contact me today for a no-charge consultation to talk about your unique talent management needs. I’m ready to help you and your teams supercharge your talent strategy to drive real, relevant, and meaningful results in 2025.
