Talent Management

Talent acquisition, transformation and retention: Some thoughts I have as in the task force that I participated in some time ago...

Acquisition: the selection processes - we need to conduct a 'hand in glove' test - it should involve a rigorous technical and behavioral skills test - it should test programming, aptitude, attitude, including willingness to learn, and the person's cultural fit. when it comes to laterals, the technical test might not be essential, but the behavioral and cultural fit test is essential. in the absence of some of these requirements, the candidate should at least have willingness to learn!

Transformation: mentoring - this would make a world of difference. a set of mentors pool should be identified and available in the organization @ any given point in time. every person who enters the organization should be associated with a mentor who is not the person's immediate supervisor. the criteria could be the connectivity b/w the mentor and the candidate, the similarity in environment and work. mentors who do an excellent job should be recognized, and rewarded. mentoring performance should also be tracked in appraisals and contribute to pay hike/band movement/promotion and the like. aspiring mentors should clear a test that assesses their people skills and knowledge of the organization. they should also be trained by super-mentors.

Retention: career growth planning should be paid utmost attention and mapped to the individual's needs & organizational needs; regular anonymous surveys should be conducted and exhaustively analyzed to find out traces of the emerging problems; these should be addressed immediately. exit interview analysis should also be used to address existing/potential problems; the 'wiproite saver' - this could be a communication line that promises secrecy, confidentiality and anonymity (where applicable) - it could be used by people who are contemplating quitting the organization but are willing to give it a second thought if provided with support and solutions. this could comprise senior officials who'd be able to solve the problem of the wiproite and prevent him/her from quitting.