Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/210252
Editor's Note HR's Got Talent The word talent has been getting tossed around a lot lately. Some of my favorite catchphrases include the war for talent (oldie but goodie), state of talent, talent mobility, talent pooling, talent analytics, and the talent gap. But, wait—there's more! The absurdity aside, it couldn't be more true: attracting, managing, retaining, and engaging top performers is critical. An organisation is only as good as its best talent. So it's no surprise that we explore this incredibly crucial HR function throughout our Autumn issue that spotlights our HRO Today Forum Europe in London. Our theme this year is "Working Towards a WorldClass Workforce," and one can't have a world-class workforce without the right people. Business consultant and strategist Shirley Engelmeier argues that organisational leadership needs to shift their thinking from hierarchical to inclusive in order to land—and keep—today's top talent. With business shifts including technology and web applications, as well as changes in demographics with an expansive growth in Gen Y workers (75 per cent of the total workforce by 2025), executives need to mold their approaches in order to encourage the most from their employees. Traits of an inclusive leader include openness to listen; welcomes new ideas; being self-aware; willingness to learn from others; cultural agility; and being a team player. To learn more, see The Road Not Well Traveled on page 16. Jamil Quershi also sees the value in inspiring employees to unleash their potential. "Leadership is the ability to elevate people to a level they wouldn't have reached by themselves," he says. As a practitioner of performance enhancing psychology, he reveals four best practices organisations should take in order to create a culture for engagement transformation. For more, see Empowering Employees, page 8. CEO of Capability Jane Sara Hill has an interesting perspective on how to keep employees happy—by offering the opportunity to work less. Her solution is job sharing which combines "part-time working with career progression." She contends that offering flexible work arrangements encourages talent retention. And job sharing isn't only for lower-level positions. Research finds that 67 per cent of job sharers held team management responsibility and 80 per cent held senior positions. Change your mind? Check out What's Mine Is Yours, page 13. And I would certainly be remiss if I didn't point you in the direction of our special coverage of our 10th anniversary. Take a break from this—but don't forget to come back—and flip the magazine to the back cover and flip it again. Yes, our upside down thinking is to pull your attention to our decade birthday. Reminisce on where the industry started—and how much it has changed. Plus glean all the value that our 2014 Resource Guide has to offer. Looking to leverage expertise in contingent labour management? We got that covered. Wealth benefits? Check. Mobility? No problem. The consortium spans 14 sectors of human resources services and nearly 500 providers. Did you come back? Just checking. Debbie Bolla Executive Editor [6] HRO TODAY GLOBAL | AUTUMN 2013