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Talent Optimization that Works

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Upshot:

  • Talent Optimization is the hot new buzzword in HR. It is often code for utilizing quantitative data and analytics to squeeze more blood out of the talent turnip.
  • Talent Optimization without the transformation of the Talent Environment is impossible.
  • Unless your organization’s Talent Environment is itself transformed – from the inside out – top-down, bottom-up, and across –  talent optimization will remain forever out of reach.
  • A Supersymmetric Approach to Talent  (transforming talent and talent environment together) will not only succeed but superperform in the Digital-Knowledge Age.

 

In recent years, many organizations have activated and expanded Talent Management Programs. These programs are staffed by highly developed, committed professionals in the fields of Human Resources, Organization Development; Recruitment and Retention, Management Development, and Leadership Development. They bring systems and processes to organizations to help them to make better talent decisions in today’s ever-intensifying “war for talent.” In short, they supply the skills to help organizations create and deploy their Talent Strategies.

Today “Talent Optimization” is the new buzzword in HR. Talent optimization is an approach that details what’s required for aligning your business strategy and your talent strategy so you can achieve your desired business results. At the core is the collection, analysis, and application of people data. Thanks to the Great Resignation companies are suggesting Talent Optimization will make their employees happier and more engaged, which will lead to better performance and higher retention rates. But does it really play out like that? Or is Talent Optimization just another artifact of the lopsided and outdated Talent “Management” paradigm? Is it just another way to squeeze more blood out of the talent turnip?

What exactly does Talent Optimization mean? And how can companies implement it successfully?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but there is one elemental revelation about Talent Optimization that every CEO should be thinking about when they consider how they want to work with their employees in the Digital-Knowledge Age:

“True Talent Optimization isn’t just about the talent you bring to your company, it’s equally about the company you bring to your Talent.”

Talent Optimization without the transformation of the “talent environment” aka corporate culture, is wrong thinking and wasteful. A supersymmetric approach is much simpler and smarter- this means thinking of both talent and talent environment as equivalent transformation targets. The employer must transform the employee’s environment while the employee transforms himself or herself. Otherwise, employers shouldn’t bother. They would just be throwing their money away and for many, resignations would only continue to surge.

Employee (ie. talent) disengagement is a widespread issue that causes organizations to lose billions of dollars due to poor productivity, absenteeism, safety issues, poor customer service, and toxic or at a minimum, unhealthy workplace cultures.  Gallup has historically reported over 70 percent of U.S. employees are disengaged.

 

WHY PEOPLE LEAVE (Source: Jobcase )

Top Reasons for talent disengagement:

  1. WRONG BOSS: The relationship between employees and their managers is the most critical contributor to engagement, yet many managers are poorly equipped or not trained to effectively understand their employees’ individual needs. They struggle to communicate with and motivate their employees.
  2. WRONG WORK: Poorly defined positions, sloppy hiring processes, or evolving business needs create a mismatch between employees and their roles. Lack of job fit directly impacts motivation and productivity.
  3. WRONG TEAM: Team-based work is more critical than ever, yet poor communication, insufficient collaboration, and inability to manage the tensions inherent to teamwork continue to extract a massive tax on productivity and innovation.
  4. WRONG CAREER: People want to make a difference. Limited opportunities to use their skills or develop new ones will undermine engagement and productivity.
  5. WRONG CULTURE: To be productive and engaged, employees need to feel they belong and that the company cares more about their well-being, not just their productivity. When they feel out of tune with their organization’s values, or when they lose trust in their leadership, their own performance suffers, and they can create a toxic work environment.

 

Arguably, all of these factors are products of the prevailing talent enviornment. The talent environment is what the employer brings to the party. It’s the actual experience the employee walks into and out of every day. As an Employer, it is up to you to transform the talent environment from the inside out – only management can decide to change the system – from the system level of enterprise down to the personal, individual level – it’s the same transformation decision. When employers and employees decide to transform both themselves and the talent environment, performance will soar.

Superperforming companies like David Weekly homes, Wegman’s Supermarkets, Salesforce.com, and American Express, have mastered both categories. Besides being highly desireably Best Places to Work, they very intentionally focus on both talent environment (corporate culture) and talent (people) development. They attract talent like a powerful magnet and have clear and frequent processes in place for recognizing the achievements of their employees on a regular basis. They know a great company culture makes recognizing performance a priority and announce to everyone the value its employees bring.

Disengagement causes employees to withhold “discretionary effort” and to deliver the minimum amount of work to stay employed. There’s an ocean of differences between “have to” and “want to” cultures.  Inevitably, when employees don’t give it their all, business results suffer. Unless your organization’s Talent Environment is itself transformed – from the inside out – top-down, bottom-up, and across – then talent optimization will remain forever out of reach.

Transforming Employer-Employee Well Being Together will unleash the supersymmetry of Talent Optimization, affecting not only short but long-term benefits in every direction – driving unprecedented and critical new levels of not only wellbeing, but creativity, productivity, profits, and performance.

Summary

Unless your organization’s Talent Environment is itself transformed – from the inside out – top-down, bottom-up, and across –  talent optimization will remain forever out of reach. A Supersymmetric Approach to Talent that also transforms the corporate culture will not only succeed but superperform in the Digital-Knowledge Age.

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Corpus Optima uses Organism Thinking, Servant Leadership, Super Change, and Agility to transform enterprises, teams, and lives. Corpus Optima focuses uniquely on the simultaneous transformation of physiological and psychological performance.

Take the first step.  Explore how Corpus Optima revolutionizes performance using a simpler approach and new profound knowledge for optimization.

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Get in touch

872 Arch Ave.
Chaska, Palo Alto, CA 55318
hello@example.com
ph: +1.123.434.965

Work inquiries

jobs@example.com
ph: +1.321.989.645

Get in touch

872 Arch Ave.
Chaska, Palo Alto, CA 55318
hello@example.com
ph: +1.123.434.965

Work inquiries

jobs@example.com
ph: +1.321.989.645