Attracting internal talent

Why do we feel making the most of internal talent is so important and how can you use conversations and technology to identify talent and improve succession planning.

Example of Edcast Spark - a learning experience platform to help employees upskill and reskill

About the author

Jenny Cornforth

Jenny is the Head of Transformation Experience for Vitro. She is also an implementation consultant in her own right, which often focuses on solutions. She is there to support clients in solving problems such as process or functionality issues.

Jenny is also a Project Manager. This dual approach to her role allows her to remain agile and goals-focused.

By Jenny Cornforth

Managing internal talent

It can be challenging for larger companies to know how their employees genuinely feel. Are they happy in their current roles, do they feel valued and are they keen to progress and seek out new development opportunities? Business leaders need ongoing processes and to invest time engaging with their staff to avoid losing their best stars.

Ask for frequent feedback

One way to ensure these questions are being asked is during an appraisal. But often, for many businesses, appraisals only happen once a year. “Are you happy?” “Do you want to progress?” “Where do you see yourself in two years?” are all questions that employers should be asking more frequently. As well as building on working relationships with colleagues it will also offer valuable feedback and a real insight into employee engagement.

It's ok for your employees to stay put

There’s a common misconception that all employees should have the desire to progress in their role. However, it’s important to recognise that this is not the case for everybody. If an employee tells you they are happy in their current role and have no desire to develop at this particular time it’s important to respect that individual’s boundaries. and to ensure that these employees continue to feel valued and engaged.

How do you keep your employees engaged when the opportunities to develop are few?

Consider other ways that make your employees shine. For example, could you offer them shadowing or secondment opportunities in other departments/areas to help them grow and broaden their horizons. Recognising excellent work with a simple thank you is an easy, but very effective way to show appreciation and keep staff motivated.

How can technology help?

Technology can help you to identify internal talent. It allows you to frequently canvas your team to determine who is keen and ready to move. .

Technology can offer a great way to illustrate your employees’ career paths by identifying the skills needed and indicating who in your business possesses these skills. It will then plot the steps you need to take to fill a skills gap or grow your capabilities. From an employee perspective, the technology can suggest measures to bolster their skill set and guide them on learning opportunities to help them gain the said skill.

We can help you work through this process and assess where you might benefit from making changes or introducing new concepts.

For example, have you run a skills assessment and if you have when was the last time you conducted a review?

A complete skills assessment of your business, will help you understand the current talent within your company and the skills you need. By creating a framework for development which also includes coaching, mentoring and shadowing, you will better understand your employees and improve succession planning.

Do you need to consider technology to support you?

Vitro are here as your partner to transform your business into a place where your employees are not only keen to work, but are also proud to work. Please contact Vitro for further information.

How Vitro can help

But don't just rely on technology

While technology can help you manage your skill set and develop your people, don’t rely on it solely. It’s essential to have the culture within your business that ensures managers take an active role in monitoring the development of their teams. And of course it’s also important for individuals to take the lead in their own development with the support from their line-manager. Technology cannot offer you coaching, mentoring, or shadowing or a simple ‘thank you’ - the human touch makes the real difference.

Similarly, we would encourage you to check in with your people regularly. If you leave conversations around professional development to annual appraisals, the outcome can often be forgotten as pressures from business-as-usual take over.

Keeping the topic of attracting internal talent at the forefront of your day-to-day business also allows you to understand better your employees' needs. Your people will feel valued and be more engaged as they see you prioritise and support personal development.