Archive for Talent Management
Knowledge Transfer Meets Vulcan Mind Meld
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Knowledge Transfer
One of my favorite scenes in Star Trek was when Spock would place his fingers on someone’s face and chant: “My mind to your mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts.” This inevitably resulted in an exchange of critical information that saved the Enterprise and her crew. While in contemporary times we may lack the telepathic powers of 23rd Century Vulcans, we can do a lot to protect our businesses from brain drain and the loss of human capital with knowledge transfer tools and techniques.
Knowledge transfer is an urgent issue and organizations and their HR teams can’t wait for the recession to end before they begin to move forward on this critical initiative.
Here’s how:
- Lay the foundation - Perform an analysis of critical skills and key knowledge areas that your business will require for business success over the next two to five years. Next, analyze your current workforce and perform a gap analysis, considering normal turnover including potential retirement of traditional and boomer generation employees. Finally, examine the existing social networks both formal and informal that already exist.
- Get executive support - Identify executive-level champions and share your findings from the analysis with them. Knowledge transfer can’t be seen soley as an HR program if it is to gain acceptance as a strategic initiative and capture resources necessary for its success. Strong advocacy from the top is essential and will serve to stimulate the interest and participation of other valuable stakeholders.
- Roll out a program and communicate, communicate, communicate! - Using information you’ve gathered through your analysis and leveraging your support base, design a program to show the benefits of knowledge management. One option that has worked in many organizations is mentorship. Here matures and boomers are engaged to transmit deep knowledge gained over years of work and share it Gen X and Y colleagues. Along with the program, prepare to communicate with stakeholders early and often using a variety of media. This is a critical engagement factor that will pay real dividends.
- Build in the use of social networking tools to facilitate knowledge transfer - Internal social networks can bridge generational divides. Stereotypes to the contrary, boomers are embracing social networking and becoming as comfortable in using social media as their Gen X and Gen Y colleagues. Build on this shared affordance.
Knowledge transfer is a high leverage point that can give your enterprise an unbeatable competitive edge. Spock would approve!
The Crucible and Talent Management
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The current recession is a crucible for employers and their employees. Businesses hurt by the initial downturn and attendant layoffs, continue to face uncertainty of demand for their goods and services combined with the certainty of higher taxes and greater regulation. It shouldn’t be surprising that in this environment of insecurity and constraints, short-term survival has trumped long-term talent management. Yet talent is destiny and it won’t be denied.
Throughout the recession, top performing businesses have continued to focus on talent management. They recognize that by keeping this focus, they will increase their prospects for weathering the current storm and be better positioned to gain competitive advantage in the coming turnaround.
That’s wise because research indicates that active talent management leads to improved company performance including:
- Increased cash flow
- Improved employee productivity
- Increased market value
CH2M HILL, the global engineering, consulting, construction and operations leader provides an excellent example of talent management best practices that yield positive performance. Their web-based, Alumni Connect, enables them to engage former employees and retirees. The strength of engagement is so strong that employees “boomerang” back thus helping CH2M HILL build the value of its human capital asset. The company makes a compelling case with its message:
If you have found that life is not exactly what you thought it would be somewhere else, you may want to give CH2M HILL another look. As a CH2M HILL alumnus, you are a trusted professional who knows our business and our culture. You will have the inside scoop about what it is like to work here and contribute to solving some of the world’s toughest problems.
When you apply for a position, be sure to let us know that you are a former CH2M HILL employee. If you are re-hired your prior longevity may be credited towards your paid-time-off accrual rate, which can be a great benefit.
Obviously, this is a company that understands that even in tough times, talent is destiny and must be actively managed.
Note: This post also appears as Talent Is Destiny in The Periscope Blog.
