Talent Management Basics: How to Engage and Retain Your Team's Top Performers

If you're a hiring manager, a recruiter, or a member of your organization's HR team, you probably know all too well what it's like to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of your everyday tasks and responsibilities. Between hiring and firings, promotions and disciplinary actions, and all the other large and small details you have to attend to on a daily basis, it can be easy to lose sight of the strategic, big-picture elements of your job.

That's exactly why the principles of talent management can really come in handy. First developed in the 1990s, talent management is a framework that attempts to bridge the gap between the daily tasks of HR and personnel managers and the long-term goals of the organization as a whole. The tenets of talent management remind us that every HR and personnel decision impacts the organization as a whole, and as such, should be made with the company's values and best interests firmly in mind.

Recruitment and Retention with the Future in Mind

All too often, it seems like hiring processes are rooted in your facility's most pressing needs. Thinking about long-term strategies may seem like a luxury you can't afford.

But according to talent management expert Joseph Murphy, if you look at this situation from another point of view, the whole problem might have been avoided in the first place if your hiring practices incorporated the principles of talent management.

By implementing policies and procedures designed to identify, recruit, hire, and retain highly-qualified prospects whose career aims are a good fit with the organization's long-term objectives, you'll be able to avoid many of the last-minute crises and hassles that often seem to take up so much of your time and attention. Here are a few basic talent management principles that can significantly improve the effectiveness of your organization's hiring and retention practices.

Sure, technical skills and experience are important, but they're only one facet of the qualification process. Make sure that job descriptions and skills matrices for even entry-level positions embody the broader aims and objectives that your organization is trying to achieve. That way, you'll be more likely to attract applicants who will be a good long-term fit.

Your new employee orientation program should be about much more than just teaching rookie employees how to clock in and wash their hands: It's a one-time chance to explain and initiate your new hires into the organization's unique culture. Take this opportunity to highlight the values that set your company apart from competitors and to link everyday tasks and responsibilities to those larger principles.

Talent management experts encourage you to take a long-term view of your relationship to your employees. What can you do over the long haul to help them feel fulfilled and earn their loyalty? Identify each employee's interests, strengths, and competencies, and then help them capitalize on their talents with ongoing training and professional development opportunities.

A core principle of talent management is positioning yourself as an advocate for your employees' professional development. Make a habit of talking to even your entry-level workers about their long-term goals and ambitions, and then develop an action plan to help them make their dreams a reality.

All too often, exit interviews reveal that a major cause of employee attrition is the sense that workers are not being "heard" by their supervisors and managers. Talent management experts encourage a daily habit of feedback, constructive criticism, and respectful dialogue with your employees. By keeping your finger on the proverbial pulse of your workforce, you'll be in a great position to detect and respond to problems long before they erupt into crisis mode.

Incorporating talent management principles into your HR and personnel management practices can take some getting used to, but the rewards you'll be able to reap will be substantial.

Discuss This Article

Have something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article.

Find a Job

Choose your career:

MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 17,875 jobs with 2,484 hospitals and other direct employers.

We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now.