Webinar Recap: How to Build a Sustainable Talent Strategy
Get insights from experts in recruiting and in career development and transitions.
min
The webinar features a discussion on sustainable talent strategies with two experts: Adam Alexander, Career Mobility Solutions Partner at LHH, and Jonathan Kone, SVP of Recruitment Solutions at LHH. The conversation was moderated by Rob Stevenson, host of popular podcast Talk Talent to Me. The panellists shared insights into the core pillars of sustainable talent strategies, which include recruitment, talent development, employee mobility, and nurturing candidates and employees.
Meet the Experts on the Panel
Adam Alexander, Career Mobility Solutions Partner, LHH
“I started off long, long ago as a recruiter. As I helped make candidates better fits for available roles, I became more of a career coach.
I moved into an organisation where we provided career transition services. From there, I found a real affinity in using my expertise to help organisations support and retain employees through career development.
So, I’ve been in career development for the last 17 years overall, helping organisations support the career development of their individual contributors and leadership development for their managers.
More recently I’ve adopted a more broad-based career mobility function where I’m helping with career development, redeployment, and career readiness within organisations.”
Jonathan Kone, SVP Recruitment Solutions US, LHH
“I lead the southern half of the United States for LHH Recruitment Solutions. Like most folks in recruiting, I got into this business as a referral from a friend. Then I fell in love with the opportunity to partner with clients and solve their complex challenges and problems.
I also fell in love with the idea of the impact from a candidate’s perspective - the ability to essentially change someone’s life or provide them with the next opportunity is rewarding. I can’t believe I've been here almost 15 years. The time has flown by.”
Ice breaker – “What's your favourite interview question to ask candidates?”
Jonathan Kone: “I like to understand somebody’s motivation – what motivates them daily. It usually triggers follow up questions and I feel like I get a feel for what drives them and where they might have the greatest potential.
Adam Alexander: “Similarly, I like to ask about a person’s interests. In careers we focus on skills a lot, which is important, of course, to have the skills to do the job. But I want to understand a person’s passion for their work.
I don’t expect people to be passionate about the tasks, but what is it about the role or impact that inspires them? If they have that, it leads to more productivity and success, so I like to know, what are they passionate about, what drives them?”
Summary of the Sustainable Talent Strategy Webinar
What is a sustainable talent strategy?
It’s one that integrates four pillars:
- Recruitment
- Talent development
- Employee mobility
- Candidate and employee nurturing
Jonathan Kone: “In its simplest form, it’s a strategy encompassing all facets of the candidate and employee journey, aligned with the organisations’ goals and objectives. It's mindful of the full talent lifecycle – attract, recruit, retain, and develop.”
What a sustainable talent strategy is not
Jonathan Kone: “A common refrain we hear is ‘We want to hire the best and we’re willing to pay for it.’ It sounds excellent. But without any development or growth plan for these individuals, retention always suffers.”
Adam Alexander: “I think another way to talk about unsustainable talent strategies is when they’re segmented. It should be more of a continuum, not recruitment over here and development over there.
According to McKinsey, 87% of organisations expect skills gaps in the coming years and 43% say they already have them. So, an unsustainable strategy would include choosing to reduce the workforce without a) developing or reskilling them for your emerging needs or b) investigating opportunities to redeploy them in other areas.”
Key Takeaways
1. Align talent strategy with business goals
Key Takeaway: A sustainable talent strategy begins with alignment between your organisation’s overall business goals and its talent needs.
Jonathan suggested restructuring efforts should focus more on aligning talent with future business needs through development, redeployment, and external recruiting, rather than just cutting costs.
Actionable Insights:
- Understand business priorities: Collaborate with key stakeholders to identify the core business goals that your talent strategy should support.
- Define key roles: Identify the critical roles essential to achieving your business goals and focus on building strong pipelines for these positions.
- Flexibility and adaptability: Ensure your talent strategy can evolve as business needs change, allowing your organisation to remain agile.
2. Build a strong employer brand
Key Takeaway: A compelling employer brand attracts top talent and helps retain current employees by making your organisation a desirable place to work.
Actionable Insights:
- Promote your culture: Highlight what makes your company unique, from your mission and values to your workplace culture.
- Leverage employee advocacy: Encourage employees to share positive news and experiences on social media and professional networks, acting as ambassadors for your brand.
- Consistency across channels: Consistently communicate your employer brand across all channels, from job postings to social media profiles.
3. Invest in employee development
Key Takeaway: Long-term success relies on continuously developing your workforce. By investing in your employees’ growth, you enhance their skills and increase their value to your organisation. This investment also strengthens employee engagement and retention.
Adam mentioned the democratisation of career development in organisations serves as a practical example of retention through empowering employees to take charge of their growth.
Actionable Insights:
- Create clear career paths: Provide employees with a roadmap for advancement, offering clarity on how they can progress within the organisation. Consider non-linear paths, as a means of developing more cross-functional collaboration and employees’ knowledge and insights.
- Offer continuous learning opportunities: Invest in training programmes, workshops, and mentoring to help employees develop new skills and stay current with industry trends.
- Encourage self-directed learning: Provide resources and support for employees to pursue their own development goals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
4. Implement data-driven decision making
Key Takeaway: Data-driven decision-making is essential for developing and refining a sustainable talent strategy. Good data makes it easier to make more informed decisions about hiring, development, retention, and redeployment.
Actionable Insights:
- Track key metrics: Regularly monitor metrics such as employee turnover, engagement levels, and recruitment success to assess the effectiveness of your talent strategy.
- Use predictive analytics: Employ predictive analytics to forecast talent needs and identify potential risks, enabling proactive management of your workforce.
- Benchmark against industry standards: Compare your talent metrics with industry benchmarks to identify areas for improvement and stay competitive.
Conclusion
Building a sustainable talent strategy is not just about hiring the right people. It’s about creating a comprehensive approach aligned with your business goals, promoting continuous development, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.