Key Learning Points:

  1. Employees, their knowledge, skills and abilities are crucial to organisational success;
  2. The pressure for organisational success is beginning to raise concerns with regards to talent management practices;
  3. Organisations need to build and enhance the art of development in order to foster talent within organisations.

 

Systems, processes and technologies are no longer the differentiators for organisations, but now employees encompass the main focus. Employees’, their knowledge, skills and behaviours, are becoming the attributes that are setting companies apart from one another. The development of employee’s capabilities is fast becoming the key to success and competitive advantage. Thus, employee development, in its own right, is a necessary organisational component used to improve quality, meet challenges, develop new products and services as well as capitalise on the strengths of a diverse workforce. In a general sense, employee development involves courses, seminars, workshops and assignments that influence the short-term personal and professional growth of individuals, however, more specifically, employee development is important for long-term personal effectiveness that ultimately contributes to an organisation’s ability to remain competitive2. Therefore, the development of employees should focus on the amplifying of individual talents in order to enhance and sustain organisational performance.

For decades, organisations have developed employee capabilities through traditional practices such as succession planning, mentoring, coaching and training. However, the pressure for improved organisational performance is beginning to raise concerns with regards to the talent management practices of the past. It has been suggested that with rapid changes in technology and job design, along with globalisation and the increased importance of learning and knowledge based organisations, companies are finding it more difficult to muster the talent they require in order to reach organisational goals.

With the issues such as an increase in competition, shifting markets and unforeseen events, it is no wonder that organisations are finding it more difficult to attract, develop and retain the skilled workers that they require. However, in the midst of such challenges, effective talent development becomes an even more important issue to consider for organisational success. Organisations need to build and enhance the art of development in order to foster talent within organisations. To ensure this, organisations should view employee development through the eyes of a talent manager and should become familiar with asking questions, such as: “Do we have the capability to do what is asked of us? What talents do we need to improve on or acquire?”; and “How will we further develop those talents?”

It is however important to identify the developmental needs vital to employees and organisations and how such development needs can be improved on and measured in order to enhance overall organisational performance. Through the use of psychometric assessments and other products, we have the ability to assist employees and organisations in identifying their development needs. Our personality and ability assessments not only enable individuals to find out more about their strengths and developmental areas, but organisations are provided with objective information on employees preferred talents and areas for improvement. We offer individual and group feedback, evaluation and developmental toolkits options to further assist in employee development.