Close partnership with Talent Acquisition and Human Resources partners has been key to much of my success as a leader in my career, especially with respect to talent management, which is not simply “HR’s job.” Talent Management involves the full circle of the employee experience – including attracting the best talent, providing an effective on-boarding framework, developing and refining compensation and retention strategies, learning and development programs, and performance management.
We have recently done away with ranked performance ratings at my current employer, and I believe this is a good thing. It is enforcing a culture of regularly providing consistent and constructive feedback and coaching for all employees, while also making it clearer that performance management is the job of every member of the team. This can result in higher engagement levels and improved business results. As a leader, I know that developing high performing and engaged teams requires the use of effective talent management practices including having regular 1:1 meetings with my direct reports, defining clear business and individual development goals, and having an established process and regular cadence of providing constructive feedback and support to address identified skill or opportunity gaps.
As an individual contributor, it is my responsibility to define my own relevant professional development plan, with the support of my manager and leaders. This can be done using feedback regularly received from peers, partners and managers, allowing for the current situation or ‘state’ to be described. A goal state, or desired situation is then described along with possible actions and resources available to close any gaps. Relevant milestones are set up to measure progress and track results, while continuing to secure ongoing leadership support and continuous 360 feedback.
With everyone taking clear responsibility for their own role in the Talent Management circle, we can ensure a meaningful and engaging employment experience and outstanding business results.