The question of how to identify talent in a company animates all human resources departments in all companies.
In a context of profound change in the world of work, it is clear that the subject of talent identification still seems to generate as many questions as ever.
And for 15 years these questions have been asked to me in a relatively similar form, from companies of different sizes, maturity levels and sectors.
First of all, why is this subject critical and what are its challenges?
And above all why is it difficult to talk about it clearly?
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Human capital is the first lever for the development of a company.
Identifying within your company which talents to retain, and outside your company what talents you need to capture, is therefore crucial.
However, today in most companies, the subject is difficult to discuss because it is difficult to define.
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To know how to identify talent in a company, you must already identify the existing obstacles.
The real problem is that no one seems to agree on the definition of talent.
Or rather, several definitions are emerging, and political correctness can affect the ability to talk about them freely. In some structures it is even impossible to pronounce the word talent, and to assume that we are trying to identify them.
For some, all members of the company are talents, for others, everyone has distinct talents... but some tend to surpass the others.
Finally, a majority of organizations actually focus — speaking of talent identification — on the leadership potential of individuals. Who are the people we can imagine succeeding the company's leaders. And here, the objective is of course to identify and prepare these individuals.
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The challenges of identifying talent are therefore both multiple and strategic.
Agreeing within an organization on the definition of talent will provide the necessary clarity at all levels (management, HR, managers) to be able to identify them.
With this clarity, it will be possible within the workforce to have a clear, objective and shared vision of talent.
And thanks to this clarity, it will also be possible to assess the same elements in candidates and therefore provide consistency in the way in which talents already present in the organization and those ready to join it are evaluated.
This diagnosis will make it possible to set up a targeted retention strategy, but also a development path designed to prepare these talents to evolve within the organization.
In this way, we will reduce the recurring problems of “holes in the racket” in succession plans, too often leading to the promotion of individuals who are not yet ready at the risk of putting them in conditions of failure, or of systematically having to recruit externally for management functions (and here all the statistics tell us that it is often much riskier).
So in summary, it's important to know how to identify talent in a company!
But how do you define and identify them objectively?
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That is the whole question.
Today managers are at the heart of talent identification. During the “People Reviews”, they share their identification within their teams with the HR teams.
However, often not having a common and concrete definition, not being trained in evaluation or equipped... they often feel poorly equipped to carry out this exercise and their evaluation is therefore naturally based on a large number of biases.
What we see in the end is that people identified as talents are more often the “favorites” of their managers, charismatic people, good at talking about their achievements and successes and making themselves known... and companies therefore mostly miss out on people who are sometimes more discreet but have a greater potential to lead teams to success.
So how do you overcome this problem?
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To detect talent objectively, the first step, which is essential and non-negotiable, is therefore to formalize a definition, a frame of reference with clear dimensions that are known to all in order to objectify the identification exercise.
Ideally, this definition is not just about posting, it should not change with each change of direction, as this greatly weakens this long-term process.
The 2nd step is to support HR and managers in adopting this framework, and to train them in the ability to evaluate teams as objectively as possible.
In practice, here is a methodology in several steps to establish a shared and sustainable framework.
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Before formalizing a definition of talent, it is essential to get the commitment of the management team. Organize a strategy meeting to discuss the importance of a clear definition of talent in the context of your organizational goals. Define together the fundamental criteria that reflect management's vision of the key competencies and abilities required for business success.
Invite stakeholders, including human resources actors, first-level managers, and employees, to contribute to the definition of talent. Organize collaborative workshops to gather different perspectives and ensure an inclusive approach. This will promote acceptance and general adherence to the established definition.
Identify the specific skills that contribute the most to the success of your business. Analyze key positions and identify the unique and transversal skills needed. This will make it possible to define tangible criteria and guide the assessment of talent in a coherent manner.
Based on the results of the previous steps, write a clear and concise definition of talent. Make sure it's accessible at all levels of the organization. Avoid overly technical terms and use wording that can be understood by all employees.
Integrate the new definition of talent into existing HR processes such as recruitment, performance assessment, and professional development. Ensure that all stakeholders understand how to use this definition in their daily activities.
Organize detailed training sessions for human resources managers and managers. Provide them with practical tools to assess talent objectively, with an emphasis on understanding defined criteria.
Communicate transparently about the new definition of talent. Encourage continuous feedback and be ready to adjust the definition as the business evolves. This open communication will strengthen the commitment and trust of employees in the process.
By following these steps, you will lay the foundations for a common definition of talent, promoting objective identification and targeted skills development within your organization.
Once this definition has been created and used, there is only one step left to ensure the most complete identification of talent within your company: complete your internal approach with an assessment center.
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Even with the help of your objective and well-defined talent definition, the evaluation and identification of talent by internal managers will be partly incomplete and biased.
It is not their fault, but the subject of identification is vast and requires finesse and objectivity to build a sustainable and effective talent strategy. The culture of assessment is not yet extremely widespread, but it is the central point of solid identification.
And in some global organizations, it's hard to know and identify talent or to share consistent data.
That's why it's essential to have multiple filters in your talent identification strategy to make sure you're not making the wrong choice.
For this, assessment centers remain one of the most tried and tested methods for refining and objectifying this first assessment.
Especially since identification is only the starting point, which must at all costs be followed by appropriate (and ideally individualized) support.
An assessment center will provide the necessary expertise to support you on the subject and avoid spending more time classifying individuals into matrices rather than developing them.
In conclusion, you now have all the cards in hand to know how to identify talent in your company and make this identification more objective.
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