Why is talent important?

In a knowledge-based and service-oriented economy, competition actually takes place over one key issue: the talent of those involved in the business and engaged in the company’s success.

In the past, the competitive advantage of organizations focused in other factors: capital, financial assets, raw materials, specific technologies, patents or licenses. Nowadays, all the above are no longer barriers to competitiveness, but instead, most are widely accessible. In most businesses, the only driver for competitiveness is talent.

Moreover, talent, understood as the result of multiplying people competencies (what they know and, more importantly, what they can do or even what they can potentially be able to do if developed right) times their level of engagement, is a very rare asset.

Developed economies are experiencing a demographic crisis, in which there are less and less people and at the same time, the educational and professional level of those few is also lower.

For instance, in Spain, the number of young nationals is progressively decreasing from 30% of the overall population to the current 19% and moving towards 14% in the next few years.

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Original article published on www.ere.net

Upcoming events on Brett's 2011 Employer Brand Global Tour click here>http://www.brettminchington.com/events/events-list.html

This article provides insights from Brett's new book "Employer Brand Leadership - A Global Perspective?" For full details please visit the publisher's website click here>

The extended version of this article will be published in the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership in August

Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster –Professor Geert Hofstede, Dutch social psychologist

One of the greatest challenges facing global comanies right now is their ability to exploit synergies and efficiencies in their global talent acquisition and retention programs. When considered with the fact we are about to enter an era of unparalleled talent scarcity around the world, the role of the global employer brand manager is set to become one of the most critical roles inside global companies.

Global talent acquisition has become increasingly complex. The need for systems integration, understanding of culture diversity, social and technological changes, jobless, uneven economic recoveries in many countries, the threat of declining fertility rates, inequality in global education standards, and the impact of aging populations in many developed economies has created multiple challenges for global companies which show no signs of easing soon!

Leaders I speak with around the world are saying they are running hard to stand still and where previously they could take 1-2 years to research, develop, and implement talent acquisition and retention strategies, the competitiveness for talent is demanding leaders react quicker and more decisively to stay ahead of the competition.

Even top employer-branding companies like Google, Adidas, and Deloitte are constantly seeking innovative ways to source, develop, and retain talent. If that’s what is happening with the market leaders, consider the millions of other companies around the world who have similar challenges. At a global level the problem is magnified to unthinkable proportions and the solutions are going to need a mix of short- and long-term initiatives including collaboration between companies, industries, universities, and governments. There is no benefit to global corporations if leadership talent is in high supply in Scandinavia when manufacturing operations are in India and there is a dearth of leaders with the right skills.

The Reality of Globalization and its Impact on Employer Branding
The social and culture integration brought about through globalization can foster broader understanding and co-operation between employees around the world, and potentially economies of scale in the allocation of human resources, but is it really that simple?

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Original article posted at Hodes Voices

A news reporter was covering the Mercury space program in the early 60’s and was on a press tour of the Cape Canaveral complex. Looking for an angle not covered by the other media, he asked a lone man near the group who he was and what he did.

The man gave his name, said he was a janitor at the complex, and then added, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon.”

Many have heard this attributed to President John F. Kennedy, but there is no confirmation of that. The take-away, however, is that the janitor came to embody the ultimate engaged employee. Even though he never flipped a switch or wrote a line of code, he still saw his job as contributing to the overall mission and was determined to do the best he could to ensure the organization’s success.

In light of the launch of Atlantis on the final scheduled mission of a Space Shuttle, it is fitting to look back upon fifty years of human space travel and its legacy.  NASA and its astronauts gave us Tang, Velcro, Teflon, and memories many of us will carry forever. If you were above the age of reason when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon, you can remember that moment like it was yesterday.

Another bequest from our space program is the example of setting a visionary, inspiring goal and focusing your workforce on its accomplishment. A good example of this is the scene from “Apollo 13″ when NASA engineers must devise a solution for the faltering space capsule using only the parts and tools available on the spacecraft. Friends of mine who work at NASA say that the conference room table the engineers used to hold the parts (it was a true story) is venerated to this day and the story is legendary within the agency. Ask yourself: would those engineers have thrown themselves into that challenge as wholeheartedly if their mission was to “maximize shareholder value” or “develop the next generation of widgets”?

When articulating your organizational mission, look at it critically. Does it inspire people, like “putting a man on the Moon” did? Or is it an amalgam of business doublespeak that basically says, “we’re in it for the money”? If you want your people to give 110%, it helps if they aim high.

As they say at Star Fleet, ad astra per aspera. “To the stars through hardship.”

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Employer Brand International  (EBI) hosted Employer Branding Summit and Masterclass events in 6 cities beginning in Auckland on 10 May and then in Copenhagen, Belgium, Moscow, Madrid and Milan. These events were part of Brett Minchington's 2011 Employer Branding Global Tour.

It is through collaborations such as these events which will contribute to the ongoing development of the Employer Brand Concept in NZ, Europe and around the world.

To read tweets from the events please visit the twitter hastag #minchingtonEBtour or click here>

To view photos from the tour please click on the links below:

New Zealand - 2011 New Zealand Employer Branding and Engagement Summit

Denmark - 2011 Scandinavian Employer Branding and Engagement Summit

Belgium - Employer Brand Leadership International Masterclass

Russia - Employer Brand Leadership Trainings

Spain - Employer Brand Leadership International Masterclass

Italy - 2011 International Employer Branding and Engagement Summit

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