Specialists in Talent Management

Are you looking at the future of your business? Why not read our article on Succession Planning, published in December issue of Executive Grapevine.

Please click here to view – Succession Planning article in December edition of Executive Grapevine

With numerous high profile insolvencies having been filed over the last couple of months, now is perhaps a good time to take a look at how your organisation can potentially cut people costs whilst maintaining, or even enhancing, business performance.

To view this white paper, please click here

At a time of unprecedented economic pressure you may feel that investing money in talent management programmes is too much of a luxury. Well, there is strong evidence to suggest that companies who invest are better placed to succeed, when recovery gathers pace. In this paper, we look at some false assumptions people have when considering their talent management strategy.

Cllick here to view our white paper.

High performing and effective management teams resolve complex cross-functional issues that are critical to the organisation’s success. By working as a team, and in its collective leadership of the organisation, it needs to enact behaviours that define the performance culture it has agreed to create.

This new paper from Ramsey Hall looks at how businesses can develop and sustain a postive culture within the organisation. Please click here to view.

A great deal has been written about the need for organisations to nurture their talent and keep their people motivated and utilised to their full potential. This paper looks at how more and more organisations are generating competitive advantage through sucession planning.

Please click here to view.

We always welcome comments on our reports, please feel free to email dryder@ramseyhall.com if you wish to discuss these issues with one of our team of consultants.

Inside this issue:

• Ramsey Hall in partnership with BAE/Xchanging.
• Looking to achieve significant cost savings over the next few months?
• Is health & safety a compliance issue or a cultural imperative?
• Identifying & realising leadership potential.
• How to communicate difficult news.

Click here to download a copy of the Spring 2011 Approaches Newsletter

Only a few days into 2011 and we are witnessing a sea change in thinking from clients who have realised that the best way to make efficiency improvements is to maximise the performance of their people. Rather than simply look for cuts in HR, marketing or operational expenditure as a way of improving ‘bottom line’ performance, talent management is taking off.

Historically, difficult times means retrench and cease ‘non essential spending’.  The sea change we are seeing is that many organisations are looking at how they can support their teams to exceed customer expectations. The net effect is that the client retains its customers, whilst also developing the capability and performance of their teams and the business as a whole. It’s a ‘win win’ situation where business performance is placed high on the corporate agenda and the development of people offers career opportunities for employees.

60% of senior hires are externally sourced

Research shows that for senior hires a typical firm will recruit 40% from within and 60% externally.  Our research shows that when benchmarking internal applicants against a wider external pool, a large percentage of the 40% are less equipped that their external counterparts in areas such as leadership and management competencies. Rather they rely on ‘craft skills’ which have made them valuable to the organisation to date. Promote this 40% into roles that they are ill equipped for and the result; poor job performance, low morale and possible damage to business performance and growth.

Typically it costs £15,000 + for a senior hire. It’s expensive, time consuming and costs can escalate when many poor performers, who have been over promoted and under supported, leave the business.

Great news for our Executive Search Practice but is it good for your business?

Understand the capabilities

What is surprising is that a large number of organisations do not appear to understand the capabilities and development needs of their own managers and leaders.  Without this knowledge,  it is difficult to make informed decisions about their top talent, let alone enable those businesses to address long term performance issues.

Businesses may claim to understand the current performance level of their people but how many firms do you know who truly understand the potential of their people?

Addressing people issues

Ramsey Hall and The OPG has extensive experience of working with clients to address people issues such as poor performance, low staff engagement and leadership challenges.  The journey starts with an objective assessment of current capability, future business needs and an understanding of what it takes to succeed in client organisations.  Typically this is through development centres, psychometrics or 360 degree feedback and is supported with a structured executive appraisal/competency interview.  We then prepare individual feedback reports for participants and an overall organisational development report with a Gap Analysis where appropriate.  At board level this can include corporate governance advice and guidance.

At a more tactical level , the service generally includes organisational development advice such as job redesign, succession planning and learning & development guidance by analysing the data obtained.  Increasingly popular is our personal development planning and executive coaching consultancy which helps participants self develop through increased awareness and guidance what can be achieved through changing behaviours.

M & A activity

Using objective assessment is not just about current performance or activity.  Our services include expertise as part of mergers and acquisitions (M & A) activity, particularly as part of the management due diligence process or preparation for business sale.  After all, would you invest in a poorly managed business without having the knowledge to make changes given the importance of your human resources to company success? Do you need to develop your senior people before selling to maximise return?

For more information call Matthew Davis on 02380 236944

In a world of increasing globalisation, one where today’s high flying talent has the opportunity, as well as flexibility, to develop a career on a global platform, we ask the question ‘what are our business leaders and talent directors doing to invest in their talent pipelines for the future? How are they keeping their talent within their organisations now and how are they planning for the future?’

A recent report by Deloitte (‘Has the great recession changed the talent game’) suggests that many business leaders are using the recession as their retention strategy and believe that their top talent has nowhere to go in our struggling economy. Yet this same research also suggests that at least 49% of the talent surveyed are considering leaving their jobs.

The plethora of graduates on the market could take businesses down a road of complacency – after all, ‘when I need a graduate, there are plenty to choose from’. However, the competition for the best talent available, within a growing pool, means that organisations must have a strong proposition to not only attract the best but to retain them for the long term.

Assessment centres, competency bases selection techniques, as well as on-line psychometric tools, provide the ability to assess talent for the future. But it will be ongoing leadership and development that will engage this talent, create platforms for growth and ensure talent pipelines exist that are robust enough to meet the challenges of the future.

It could be argued that some of our business leaders and directors of talent are burying their collective heads in sand and sowing the seeds of a talent crisis for the future. Planning and investing in a robust talent management strategy, one that provides your high flyers with the opportunity for long term career growth, will create successful, sustainable businesses for the future.

Where has all the talent gone, long time passing ……………….. when will they ever learn.

Ramsey Hall is a specialist talent management organisation with an outstanding reputation in identifying and developing talent that delivers business success. Please contact Sarah Hornby or Matthew Davis on 023 8023 6944.