Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/136276
Market Outlook 6. The rise of talent communities. Consumerism will also underpin the continued maturation of talent pool management and the use of talent communities. The challenge—and in fact the opportunity in 2013—will be to build a sustainable strategy for engaging internal and external talent. Organisations are battling with the fact that they know they will need talent at a point in the future, but in today's economic climate, they don't have the luxury to hire them when they first encounter them. This time last year, we predicted that in 2012 we would see the creation of more professional candidate communities in addition to a presence on existing social media platforms, as brands look to engage above and beyond the limitations presented by those sites. In 2013, the use of talent communities will be driven by particular segments of the industry that are becoming increasingly difficult to find positions for– such as engineers or sales and marketing professionals in the fastmoving consumer goods sector. They will also gain momentum in three specific areas: executive level, experienced hires, and graduate hires. Talent communities will also be used by businesses to target passive candidates. A whopping 80 per cent of candidates on LinkedIn are passive and in 2013 there will be a drive to engage them. 7. The engagement imperative and the new norm of employeedriven development. An engaged workforce is essential to drive growth and innovation—a continued struggle for businesses in 2012. The economic uncertainty has left workforces exhausted; employees feel insecure in their jobs and there are no guarantees. In 2013, employers will need to become more egalitarian in their engagement approach–not just favouring the top talent but engaging all employees to retain all talent. Social media will emerge as the tool of choice in engaging employees while also aligning them with the company strategy and vision. Linked to this is the fact that over the next 12 months we believe we will see employee-driven development becoming the new normal. It remains true that the majority of employees globally do not have an actionable development plan. They may know where they are going career-wise but they are not at all clear on the steps they need to take to get there. Organisations should be looking to put the onus around performance management, succession planning, and career development back on the employee themselves. Talent management professionals looking to increase employee engagement in 2013 and beyond need to examine their employee development strategies. It is here that the root of better engagement and productivity lies. 8. Closing the innovation gap. HR technology solutions are becoming more engaging, a welcome shift away from the monolithic systems. Driven by a global business arena that is crying out for talent to reach its potential and excel, solutions providers are innovating at a rapid rate. New solutions seem come to market every week. However the level of adoption within HR departments is patchy and is not increasing at the same rate. There is a gap between innovation and adoption in the industry, and we believe in 2013 this will start to reduce because it has to. Organisations will need to improve the investment they make in new technology in order to be competitive both as a recruiter but also as a manager of talent. More and more over the next 12 months, businesses will look to innovative products to give them the edge. 9. Increased intention for diversity. Businesses will increasingly tend toward demanding greater diversity in the workplace in 2013. This will be particularly apparent in sectors such as engineering where there is a focus on gender equality, and in markets such as North America where there is an all-industry push for diversity. The main driver behind this trend is its presence in the boardroom, with business leaders looking to HR to ensure their company represents society. 10. Focus on internal mobility. The various pressures facing recruitment and talent managers in 2013 will lead almost inevitably to a greater focus on internal mobility and up skilling employees. Tighter budgets, the requirement for specific talent areas, and increased complexity in global workforce planning will mean that many businesses look internally to solve their staffing issues, rather than externally. Byrne Mulrooney is the CEO of Futurestep. SPRING 2013 | www.hroglobal.com [35]