Key Learning Points:
1. Employees, their knowledge, skills and abilities are crucial to organizational success;
2. The pressure for organizational success is beginning to raise concerns with regards to talent management practices;
3. Organizations need to build and enhance the art of development in order to foster talent within organizations.
Systems, processes and technologies are no longer the differentiators for organizations, but now employees encompass the main focus. Employees’, their knowledge, skills and behaviors, are becoming the attributes that are setting companies apart from one another. The development of employees’ capabilities is fast becoming the key to success and competitive advantage. Thus, employee development, in its own right, is a necessary organizational component used to improve quality, meet challenges, develop new products and services as well as capitalize 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 organization’s ability to remain competitive2. Therefore, the development of employees should focus on the amplifying of individual talents in order to enhance and sustain organizational performance.
For decades, organizations have developed employee capabilities through traditional practices such as succession planning, mentoring, coaching and training. However, the pressure for improved organizational 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 globalization and the increased importance of learning and knowledge based organizations, companies are finding it more difficult to muster the talent they require in order to reach organizational goals.
With the issues such as an increase in competition, shifting markets and unforeseen events, it is no wonder that organizations 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 organizational success. Organizations need to build and enhance the art of development in order to foster talent within organizations. To ensure this, organizations 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 organizations and how such development needs can be improved on and measured in order to enhance overall organizational performance. Through the use of psychometric assessments and other products, we have the ability to assist employees and organizations 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 organizations 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.