Human Resources and Talent Optimization
When we introduce Talent Optimization (TO) to a company or an organization, we often get asked, “Where does Human Resources fall in the world of Talent Optimization?” That’s a reasonable question to ask because “talent” is often associated with the function of HR. In order to better answer that question, let’s first revisit the definition of Talent Optimization.
Talent Optimization is defined as follows:
Aligning your talent strategy with your business strategy to get the results you need.
In other words, developing a talent strategy that is integral to the organization’s strategic initiatives and shaped to achieve the desired strategic outcomes. Easy, right? Actually, the TO framework is applicable to ALL organizations (as long as they have people in them) and can support any number of diagnostic tools. You all know that at Real Good Ventures, we use very specific tools with our clients: The Predictive Index, EQi2.0, Line-of-Sight, and The Fearless Organization Scan. All of these work together to help our clients gain a more clear understanding of their “talentverse” with objective data and analytics. To learn more about the aptitudes of Talent Optimization, click here for The Bosshole® Chronicles episode that specifically addresses it.
Talent Optimization is designed for the following impact:
Hiring people for exceedingly better job fit
Equipping managers with objective data to effectively coach and develop their direct reports
Designing teams for more specific and successful outcomes based on team objectives
Assessing organizational engagement and specifically diagnosing where managers can have the most favorable impact on the organization
So where does HR fall into this framework? We believe that HR plays a crucial role in supporting a broader Talent Optimization initiative within the organization. The disciplines of the Human Resources profession are instrumental when you think about talent acquisition, talent management, training and development, and career pathing. Too often though, HR is relegated to do this work in a vacuum and usually without a seat at the executive table. And because Talent Optimization exists within a business context, that’s the perspective HR needs to take.
This is why we recommend that the HR professionals within our client organizations become certified not only in Predictive Index (PI) but also as Talent Optimization Leaders. This certification can be done through www.LeadwithTO.com and is free of charge. This knowledge equips our HR colleagues to elevate the dialogue with executives and address the factors and metrics that are most important to them - performance, profitability, market share, etc. ALL of these (and many more) are subject to the Talent Optimization model because they are business results. And ALL of those are impacted by the humans we have in our organizations. When we approach it from that perspective, HR will move front and center as a proponent of Talent Optimization.
To learn more about incorporating Talent Optimization with your Human Resources team, contact the team at Real Good Ventures.