A Food for Thought: What is Talent
IMPACT 2018 (a renowned Deloitte industry conference for HR professionals) was held in the 1st week of this month and the core theme was “the rise of the individual in the future of work”. One of the workshop in this 4-day session was “What is Talent in the Future of Work” (http://blog.bersin.com/insights-from-impact-2018-what-is-talent/).

HR/Human Capital professionals and leaders within a company (irrespective of the size) need to come to a consensus on what do they mean by Talent. Does Talent mean individuals having ‘only’ high-level capabilities and expertise (or HiPos) or talent refers to “all” individuals irrespective of their expertise or potential? According to me, every individual has capability, skill and attitude to deliver and hone. Reaching to an agreement or consensus will help establish clarity at all levels within the organization. Next is to understand the talent options continuum the organization would like to ‘go’ with. Do leaders and HC professionals within the organization hold on to the traditional mindset of attracting and acquiring only full-time/part-time professionals or are they open to explore other talent options that are coming into force in today’s workforce economy? A consensus on this too is imperative as it will help channelize the talent acquisition process within the organization.

What are your thoughts on “what is talent” and what are the possible new agile ways to harness the talent options?