On day 1 of the ATC 2017 Annual Conference, of the many fantastic presentations we were lucky enough to enjoy, the concept of Total Talent Management is one we want to comment on the most, given the learnings are so important for better engagement of contingent workers into an organisation.
Here are some of what we learned, relating to Total Talent Management:
- Co-employment
- Presents risk for organisations, often such a risk that it’s not worth offering more to contingent workers. ‘More’ such as learning & development, a more engaged experience in the business. If continent workers are treated like employees, the blurred line between each becomes a disincentive to the path of Total Talent Management (TTM), including contingents
- Technology
- Technology is essential to achieve a successful TTM strategy. It’s sits as an enabler, but is absolutely critical to achieving success
- Learning & Development
- Most often, learning & development opportunities are not offered to contingent workers, as there’s a consistent view that the ROI won’t be there, and the length of engagement of contingent workers precludes contingent workers from company L&D. This therefore underpins the ‘myth’ side of the TTM equation
- Decision Trees
- Decision Trees help hiring managers engage the correct worker types. Today, decision trees are primarily driven by technology which assist organisations with strategic talent decisions
- Worker Types
- When the organisation is aligned to transition contingent workers to permanent workers, it paves the way for a likely TTM scenario
- Diversity of Vendors
- When an organisation has a diversity of vendors servicing their talent needs, this creates an unlikely environment for TTM to be a success
- Talent Engagement
- The approach must be more about compliant engagement, less about HOW workers are engaged, irrespective of the worker category. This broad-based approach therefore adds weight to the argument that TTM is a reality
- Worker Classification
- If at the end of a recruitment process a candidate wanted to work with the organisation under a different engagement model, it’s likely the company ‘probably’ could do it. If the organisation can be flexible enough to cater to this dynamic, the likelihood of TTM is far greater
- Partnership
- Achieving TTM will only be realised if a true partnership approach is taken. That’s partnership across internal and external stakeholders
- Managing Contingent Workers
- A common factor precluding successful TTM rests with the ability of the hiring manager (a permanent employee) to effectively manage contingent workers. Without the knowledge and capability to manage contingents successfully, a well-functioning TTM approach won’t be realised
- Power Shift
- Increasingly, organisations are finding that the power sits with talent when it comes to the type of engagement. Workers are increasingly in the driver’s seat I deciding ow they want to work with organisations… and for TTM to be a reality, organisations need to adapt accordingly
- Bringing Procurement & HR Together
- If TTM is to be achieved, the cohesion between procurement and HR, must be in place. The two stakeholder groups must be able to work together to achieve TTM success
- Employee Seniority
- For TMM to be achieved, the divide between senior level employees and those at the lower level must be closed. A one-workforce approach will set in place the best possible chance of TTM success
- Co-employment
- Presents a real risk. The number of workers at risk of being classified as such, drops dramatically when the contingent workforce is under a strategic contingent workforce management program. Again, this creates a more likely scenario for TTM to be achieved
- In Summary
- The general consensus from the session around TTM was that in A/NZ, no organisation is doing TTM really well. The models in this region are immature and underdeveloped to yet be successful
There’s more to come…stay tuned by checking out our dedicated ATC Annual Conference page here.
