Talent management is the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention and deployment of individuals who are of value to an organisation, either in view of their ‘high potential’ for the future or because they are fulfilling business/operation-critical roles.
Talent consists of those individuals who can make a difference to organisational performance either through their immediate contribution, by developing their strengths or, in the longer-term, by demonstrating the highest levels of potential.
[Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development – 2015]
Talent management strategy
Over the next five years we will develop and implement a Talent Management Strategy, enabling us to:
- Analyse service requirements
It is important that there are no critical skill gaps and we maintain optimal resilience across the Service. It is also important that we are well-equipped to identify those who have the desire and ability to take on various new skills and responsibilities needed to take us forward and then develop and prepare these people for the future.
It is our ethos to develop people from within the Service wherever we can, because we believe that many of the best people to improve the Service already work here.
- Performance appraisals
Having an effective appraisal structure is vital in ensuring we fully recognise staff achievement, identify individual needs in terms of development and provide clarity when setting objectives in each area of the Service. The number of completed appraisals has improved greatly over recent years. It is now time to work towards a 100 per cent return and focus on improving the quality of each appraisal experience.
- Robust development centres
Our ethos is to look within our own Service first to identify people who can take on the challenge of being excellent leaders. This means if you have the desire to move into new roles you can see there is an opportunity to do so. Alongside the performance appraisal process, our development centres are the perfect environment for identifying potential and are the arena where employees can show off their knowledge, skills and behaviours to the exceptional standard required to be a manager in a modern fire and rescue service.
Good succession planning will ensure there are no critical skill gaps and we are well equipped to identify and develop the right people who have the desire and ability to move to new levels of leadership and management.
- Develop acceleration programmes
Feeling challenged and giving opportunities for personal growth is an important factor of any workplace. By giving people the opportunities to maximise their potential, we ensure that development can be tailored to an individual’s potential. Our best people, who show that they can move quickly into leadership and management roles, should be given the opportunity to do this through an accelerated scheme.
- Cross mentoring
One of the great benefits of having a multi-generational workforce is that each generation brings along a slightly different set of skills. Research shows older workers have a great deal of organisational knowledge, subject matter expertise, institutional memory and procedural expertise and they are more than willing to pass these skills on to younger employees. By having an excellent scheme that harnesses this knowledge, we will ensure these valuable skills are passed on to future generations.
- Menu driven learning
It is important to have an excellent variety of learning opportunities for employees. This is why we invest so much time and resources to analyse our training needs. This means we can provide the people, skills, technology and facilities to deliver. People learn in different ways, so by providing this blend we can ensure everyone gets the most out of each learning experience
- Enhance staff skills
Having highly skilled employees optimises the contribution of our people and builds resilience. This is why we are committed to taking a new look at how we enhance the skills of each employee. By recognising, developing and utilising individual qualities, and tailoring them to Service needs, we can see skills flourish for the benefit of the Service and our employees.
- Evaluation of learning
Planning for effective future learning, whether it be individual, departmental or organisational should be informed by various evaluation processes. This necessary component of the Training Cycle is the fundamental basis for measuring success and formulating decisions that will ensure future resources are best placed to gain maximum benefit for the Organisation and employees.
