5 questions to ask for an integrated talent solution.

To say that talent management has undergone a transformation may be an understatement. The disruption is multifold - the ascent of a gig economy, global access to talent, changing employer and candidate expectations – and they are driving organisations to drastically shuffle their workforce composition. A dynamic world of work has emerged where full-time, contingent, freelance and remote-working talent are being integrated into a single workforce program.

Amidst such disruptions in the talent landscape, what are the factors that organisations need to be aware of to gain competitive business advantage? What are the questions they need to ask of an integrated talent solution?

1 – Does the solution provide agile mobilisation of a rapidly expanding talent force?

An integrated talent solution should allow the best talent to be hired for requirements – and that includes all talent types and across multiple channels. It should be driven by a unified strategy, and clear visibility of diverse talent and demographics. This will eliminate siloed decision-making and promote effective pipeline creation. Technology is a valuable bridge between talent and business. The talent solution needs to efficiently leverage technology to remove process barriers and provide agility for talent acquisition and development.

2 – What are the financial advantages the solution brings to business?

An integrated talent solution should result in better demand management, workforce utilisation, and lower vendor and contract management costs. The visibility it provides of the talent supporting the organisation should drive optimised spend and improved compliance. Additionally, it should leverage the power of data analytics to present actionable insights for a positive impact on business outcomes. For example, turnover rates can be analysed to predict impending knowledge gaps and make smart hiring and training decisions.

3 – Does it elevate the HR function’s value?

The HR function should be able to leverage the competitive advantage that an integrated talent solution provides to demonstrate their value and earn a seat at the table in driving business strategy. The solution should enable a HR-led collaboration between the quality assurance, procurement and legal functions. It should elevate HR’s capabilities to design more proactive and continuously innovative talent acquisition and development strategies. Such a capability will enable HR to engage different employee demographics and achieve positive internal turnover with ‘zero’ loss of knowledge and skills.

4 – Does it move talent management processes into a digital workflow?

The acceleration of technology adoption has fast-tracked the digitalisation of HR to create unprecedented efficiencies. An integrated talent solution needs to drive automation and efficiency, eliminate errors and delays, and make HR a more agile and cognitive function. This calls for

• Instant access to data and reports through self-service and cloud computing systems
• Contextual analytics that separate true intelligence from the noise of data
• Analytical dashboards and on-demand tools for real-time visibility Seamless connectivity for employees and candidates

5 – Does it provide the competitive advantage of great employer branding?

To win the talent war for star performers, organisations have to win the battle of employer branding. An effective integrated talent solution provides both current and prospective employees clear information on what the company stands for, its mission and goals, why they should join or stay in its ranks. In short, it should make a compelling a case for a winner brand.

As part of building an authentic employer brand, the solution should encompass the elements of employee value proposition, candidate experience, social media and alumni programs.

Holistic agility is the signature of an integrated talent strategy as it brings together an optimised blend of people to achieve business objectives. A comprehensive and efficient solution should therefore have the right combination of knowledge, predictive intelligence, insights, access and scalability. It should combine deep data science expertise and global talent experience with powerful analytical tools to accelerate an organisation’s talent strategy beyond traditional limits.