Developing Talent – What is it ??

By Jack Markiewicz, Talent Lead, PPMA

We hear a lot about talent management but what is it??

The CIPD has developed a definition but say that Organisations find greater value in formulating their own meaning of what talent is than accepting universal or prescribed definitions. There are considerable differences in how talent is defined across different industries and sectors. However, it is helpful to start with a broad definition.

From the research CIPD have developed, a working definition for both ‘talent’ and ‘talent management’:

• Talent consists of those individuals who can make a difference to organisational performance, either through their immediate contribution or in the longer-term by demonstrating the highest levels of potential.

• Talent management is the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement/ retention and deployment of those individuals with high potential who are of particular value to an organisation.

This definition underlines the importance of recognising that it is not enough to just attract individuals with high potential. Developing, managing and retaining those individuals as part of a planned strategy for talent is equally important, as is adopting systems to measure the return on this investment.

Therefore, there is a need for oragnisations to put in place ways in which talented employees can be retained and encouraged otherwise they will leave to weave their magic somewhere else.

In my experience, there is a place in organisations for management develoment programmes which are almost the bread and butter of talent development, but will not, in the long term keep people motivated and in your organisation. What’s needed is a culture of development and talent spotting which is’nt necessarily about develpoment programmes. The leader needs to grow a culture within their organisation that rewards talent and talent spotting and those that display these characteristics

Your leaders need to spot talent through working closely with their colleagues, giving challenging tasks to those that seem to have an ability to get things done well and to watch and ‘stretch’ these people. If leadership is’nt this, what is it??

I also have a concern with some organsiations being reoccupied by an obsessional belief that everyone must be given the same experiences. The reality is that not everyone has the same level of talent and different people need different experiences. However, everyone has a talent for something but it may not necessarily be relevant for the organisation or what’s needed at that time. It is the role of leaders to spot the talent and to make the conditions right for the talent to grow. ( encouragement, reward, opportunities to make mistakes and to learn from these etc )

What can stifle the ability to do this, is the lack of time or operational pressures. I am guilty as anyone of thinking that when my diary is full and when I am rushing from meeting to meeting that I am really adding value to my business, but when I have really examined the value this adds, I have found that I have not had time to devote to spotting and developing the next generation of talent.

I have now devoted time in my diary to spend time with the ‘stars’, in the organisation, to learn from them and to support their development too. Try it, it may work for you too !!

Jack Markiewicz

 Director of HR and Change at Swindon Council and Talent Lead for the PPMA