In a prior CWS 3.0 article, “Total talent management: Some talk, little advancement,” I pointed to organizational structure and siloes as critical barriers to adoption of total talent management, and recent research from Staffing Industry Analysts validates that hypothesis. In its recent report, “Toward a Total Talent Future,” commissioned by Alexander Mann Solutions, SIA examines a number of factors impeding total talent acquisition and management, as organizations begin to take their first tentative steps on the journey.
On a much more encouraging note though, the research also indicates those that proactively practice total talent are reaping the rewards; for example, these organizations are much more likely than those not adopting total talent to believe that they have the talent they need to achieve their business objectives. Moreover, they are significantly more likely to see their nonemployed workforce as a source of competitive advantage.
We call this group the “Total Talent Trendsetters,” and companies that are thinking of formally adopting a more holistic total-workforce approach to talent acquisition and management would be well-advised to view this group’s characteristics as a blueprint for success.
Total Talent Trendsetters are, according to their survey responses, more likely than other groups to:
- Report on the effectiveness of talent acquisition strategies/programs in a meaningful way.
- Have optimized their talent mix to produce maximum output at minimum cost.
- Have reliable data to measure talent mix for the entire organization.
- Use an integrated technology solution to source employed/non-employed workers.
- Source workers under a unified management group/program.
- Have senior executive support for the use of employed and non-employed workers.
- Maximize their company brand to source employed and non-employed workers.
- Educate managers on the full range, value and use of available talent options.
- Implement tools to help managers make optimal resourcing decisions.
- Be part of an organization where HR and procurement work together efficiently to source all categories of talent across the whole organization.
In a world where competition for talent is as fierce as ever, workforce mix is ever-changing and candidates expect greater flexibility in both location and mode of work. Total talent, despite its proliferation as a term, should not be dismissed as a mere buzzword. Instead it should be considered as a viable strategy for designing a fit-for-the-future workforce.
CWS Council members who want a detailed examination of the strategies being deployed by more advanced practitioners of total talent, as well as further insight on the critical barriers to success, click here.
Non-CWS Council members, visit our website to register to download the report Toward a Total Talent Future.
For more information on how to be council member, click here
