1. After the PhD: Managing your talent Stephen Swailes University of Huddersfield PhD Conference, Hull, 10 th February 2011

2. Aim To help you think about… To help you think about… what top employers are looking forwhat top employers are looking for how you can respondhow you can respond

3. Why is talent on the agenda? Increasing trade and labour mobility raises competition for exceptional employees Increasing trade and labour mobility raises competition for exceptional employees Changing career expectations Changing career expectations Retention and turnover Retention and turnover People deliver differential performance (80/20?) People deliver differential performance (80/20?) TM is a key strategic issue for HRM TM is a key strategic issue for HRM

4. Modern history of talent 1950s – US research on promotabilty 1950s – US research on promotabilty 1970s – emergence of Strategic HRM 1970s – emergence of Strategic HRM 1980s/90s – interest in the high performance work place 1980s/90s – interest in the high performance work place

5. Modern history of talent… 1997 - War for talent captured practitioner imagination & created a new discourse 1997 - War for talent captured practitioner imagination & created a new discourse Resource-based view helped to explain how HR strategies linked to performance (VRIO) Resource-based view helped to explain how HR strategies linked to performance (VRIO)

6. But what is it? Talent – people perceived as delivering outstanding results in relation to what organizations want to achieve. Talent – people perceived as delivering outstanding results in relation to what organizations want to achieve. TM – attracting, developing and retaining high performers and high potentials TM – attracting, developing and retaining high performers and high potentials

7. Core assumptions of TM Some skills & attributes contribute more than others Some skills & attributes contribute more than others These skills can be assessed These skills can be assessed Some positions contribute more than others Some positions contribute more than others Talent in key positions is critical Talent in key positions is critical Talent is scarce Talent is scarce Failure to manage talent compromises organizational performance Failure to manage talent compromises organizational performance

8. TM can be seen as.... Systematically Systematically Creating a vision of being exceptionalCreating a vision of being exceptional Seeking, nurturing, developing, rewarding and retaining those who deliverSeeking, nurturing, developing, rewarding and retaining those who deliver Embedding that approach in organization cultureEmbedding that approach in organization culture

9. Example: What Cargill look for Learning capacity (learning more than is taught) Learning capacity (learning more than is taught) Executive capacity (relentless determination, sense of priorities, optimistic, compelling) Executive capacity (relentless determination, sense of priorities, optimistic, compelling) Knowledge of the business Knowledge of the business Behaviour (discuss, decide, champion) Behaviour (discuss, decide, champion)

10. Cargills strategy Bi-annual organizational talent review to find Bi-annual organizational talent review to find Next generation leadersNext generation leaders Emerging leadersEmerging leaders High impact performersHigh impact performers

11. RBS - core competences Leadership Leadership Engagement (improving the business) Engagement (improving the business) Customer focus Customer focus Managing people and change Managing people and change Efficiency & innovation Efficiency & innovation Performance management & development Performance management & development

12. PWC Technical skills taken for granted Technical skills taken for granted Measure against 7 behavioural competences Measure against 7 behavioural competences Move staff around the business Move staff around the business Provide mentoring support Provide mentoring support Intensive, long residentials for future leaders Intensive, long residentials for future leaders

13. Organizations often… 1. Identify key positions that impact on competitive advantage 2. Create a talent pool 3. Create differentiated HR architecture (Collings & Mellahi, 2009) (Collings & Mellahi, 2009)

14. The dark side: dysfunctional workplaces? Over-emphasising the individual? Over-emphasising the individual? Glorifying the talented? Glorifying the talented? TM is a self-fulfilling prophecy? TM is a self-fulfilling prophecy? Elitist cultures – untalented become cynical? Elitist cultures – untalented become cynical? (Pfeffer 2001) (Pfeffer 2001)

15. Summary Views of talent are shaped by top management Views of talent are shaped by top management P-O fit & Person-job fit are crucial. (Is the workplace drawing out your talents?) P-O fit & Person-job fit are crucial. (Is the workplace drawing out your talents?) Many biasing factors hinder talent spotting Many biasing factors hinder talent spotting

16. And finally… Everyone has talent at 25, the difficulty is to have it at 50 Edgar Degas, 1834-1917 Everyone has talent at 25, the difficulty is to have it at 50 Edgar Degas, 1834-1917