CRITICAL PATH II – Developing and Retaining Talent: Power Idea by Jerry Houston

Over the past three months, we brought an idea to our readers that there is a Critical Path in Talent Management. It begins with hiring the right person for the right position, onboarding them correctly, paying them fairly, managing in an inclusive way, letting them know they are valued, and keeping them engaged and excited about their role in the organization.

We decided to continue this idea in the current quarter and have created a new theme,

“CRITICAL PATH II – Developing and Retaining Talent” 

Let’s face it, things are going pretty well among our client organizations. Everything is on the GROW! Organizations are expanding rapidly, the search for additional talent seems to be unquenchable, and our clients are finding this time to be exciting, but also not without its challenges! So now we have grown our teams, we are hiring the best and brightest folks in the market, and yet, statistically more than 50% of employees are becoming disengaged in their workplaces…WHY IS THIS?

Let’s think about what happens in the real world. You work very hard at your recruiting efforts, you have worked hard to get your new people into the mainstream of your organizational culture, you have trained them for the work you need them to do, and then, you turn them loose! This is the Critical Juncture in the Path, where you need to determine how you keep them fully engaged and excited about their roles in the organization. It is so critical to be sure that you help your people “see” their future, to have continuous self-developed goals to accomplish, to have a sense of how valuable their contributions are to the success of the organization, and to feel appreciated. You demonstrate this by continually investing in their individual and team development, and understanding how they can move forward in their careers with your organization. When someone is truly engaged, they love coming to work, are much less likely to leave, and want to contribute to the ongoing success of the organization.

Over the next three months, we are going to focus on continuous developmental improvement and strategies for retaining your best and brightest for the long haul. Only in this way can your organization be a sustainable entity in a very competitive world.