In other blogs we've looked at the rise of Talent Consumerisation. But what does this mean for some of the most important talent management activities and processes?
In this first blog of a series, we look at the impact on Performance Management - and the shift to more continuous performance management.
We believe that the Consumerisation of Talent brings the quality of the manager much more to the forefront.
| Talent Consumerisation indicates… | This means for HR… |
| A much greater focus on individual 'wants' and 'needs' versus being treated like everyone else | Managers must gather information and data that relates much more to the specific and personal context of the individual, as opposed to more generic mass-market data |
| A far greater emphasis on career discussion as part of a continuous performance management dialogue and talent processes | We have to encourage and support managers to handle these more qualitative discussions, perhaps taking advantage of the mid-year opportunity, and have talent processes which put more weight on data relating to aspiration and mobility |
| There is a need to approach the management of individuals in a much more mutual and partnership-oriented manner | The manager needs to be continually looking to balance individual and corporate ambitions, and consider at each step what the employee gets from the deal as well as the business |
| There is a requirement to better understand what motivates and demotivates the individual | We often lack the mechanism and skills to do this. Again this means equipping managers with skills to have more qualitative discussions as well as supporting data generation through system and preference assessments |
| We need to measure the quality of performance dialogues, not just whether or not they happen | This is generally not measured. Most performance management metrics measure process compliance not outputs. Use of ‘audits’ to assess what is covered and how well it is covered should be considered. Using system capability to capture qualitative information |
| We need to build and focus much more on overall line management capability and data insights | Managers often do not feel confident having career discussions for fear of creating expectations. This is a huge up skilling opportunity |
| Talent consumerisation means linking performance management to more things, not just pay/progression | In the consumer world, managers become brokers between what the individual wants and what the organisation can cost-effectively offer |
As Talent acts more and more like a typical consumer in the retail world, they develop some of the same basic needs. One such need is the desire for there to be a much greater focus on their individual wants and needs, as opposed to a more generic, mass market approach.
In reacting to this, we have to move away from process and ratings being the dominant axis, and have these more in a supporting role behind a different kind of performance dialogue where the discussion of career aspirations, motivators and de-motivators is given much greater emphasis. We also see the shift away from the annual, or six-monthly performance review, to more continuous performance management. This changes the role of the manager from ‘Communicator of Rating’ to ‘Partner in Development’ and requires them to move into uncharted and off-piste areas where there is a general lack of capability and confidence.
What to do
To address this, we need to shift our focus and measurement approaches from training managers in the performance management process and its compliance, to equipping them with skills to more confidently move beyond the shackles of process-executor into the more valuable space of contextual discussions relating to the balancing of individual and corporate needs.
You can read the full article in which we explore the impact of Talent Consumerisation on Employee Engagement and Succession Planning by clicking below.
If you are ready to upskill your managers to support your talent management processes, do take a look at our course specifically designed for line managers.
Read more about how to transition to Continuous Performance Management and request our eBook - Continuous Performance Management - and how to get started