The August 2008 issue of Continental magazine featured an article called “Chutes and Ladders.” The author, Dayton Fandray, asserts that employees no longer only move up and down an organizational hierarchy. Rather, lateral moves, growth experiences, and other “non-traditional” career moves are becoming the norm.
Mr. Fandray’s assertions are right on the money. In today’s work environment, we have to recognize that not all employees are looking for that traditional climb up the corporate ladder. Sure, some people are, but that’s not everyone. To attract, retain, and motivate the talent necessary for success, we have to customize career opportunities to meet the needs of our organization and our employees. This means adopting a flexible total rewards mentality. Thinking differently about career moves will be beneficial for all parties involved. So if that means we’re playing Twister instead of Chutes and Ladders, all the better.
Showing posts with label Continental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Continental. Show all posts
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
What I'm Hearing...Succession Planning
The February 2008 issue of Continental magazine featured a story called "Who's Next?" in the Ideas@Work column. According to the story, "when it comes to developing talent, the future is now."
One cannot argue the importance of succession planning. With the changes in our economy, our nation's demographics, and a general shortage of talent, simply waiting for great employees, or even good ones, to arrive at our organization's doorstep is a naive thought. The article raised a few points worthy of discussion:
1. But given the extreme mobility and conflicted loyalties that characterize today's workforce, it is unrealistic to think you will be able to develop enough talent within your organization to meet all your future needs. True, we may not be able to grow all our necessary talent in house, especially at larger organizations. However, why can't we try? Do people necessarily move from job to job simply because that's the "right" thing to do? If we as an organization can meet or exceed someone's needs, won't employees stay with us? Why change if you're satisfied and developing?
2. You need to know who the stars are in your industry in order to effectively succession plan. We may know who the top talent is in our own organization, but when have we taken a look at the talent our competition has? Although this is a difficult task, for long-term success, it's a perspective organizations will have to take.
3. When courting talent from outside your organization, it is important to identify candidates who are likely to thrive in your culture. Amen. How many times have candidates interviewed at small companies, only to say that their dream job would be to work at a Fortune 100 firm? Make sure the culture fit is there to ensure the best hiring success.
One cannot argue the importance of succession planning. With the changes in our economy, our nation's demographics, and a general shortage of talent, simply waiting for great employees, or even good ones, to arrive at our organization's doorstep is a naive thought. The article raised a few points worthy of discussion:
1. But given the extreme mobility and conflicted loyalties that characterize today's workforce, it is unrealistic to think you will be able to develop enough talent within your organization to meet all your future needs. True, we may not be able to grow all our necessary talent in house, especially at larger organizations. However, why can't we try? Do people necessarily move from job to job simply because that's the "right" thing to do? If we as an organization can meet or exceed someone's needs, won't employees stay with us? Why change if you're satisfied and developing?
2. You need to know who the stars are in your industry in order to effectively succession plan. We may know who the top talent is in our own organization, but when have we taken a look at the talent our competition has? Although this is a difficult task, for long-term success, it's a perspective organizations will have to take.
3. When courting talent from outside your organization, it is important to identify candidates who are likely to thrive in your culture. Amen. How many times have candidates interviewed at small companies, only to say that their dream job would be to work at a Fortune 100 firm? Make sure the culture fit is there to ensure the best hiring success.
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