If the pandemic has taught us anything, it should have taught us how to better acquire, hire, and maximize talent. COVID has forced a more diverse use of talent. This maximization includes thinking out of the box regarding diversity, shifts, physical presence, salaries, mentorships, succession planning and knowing what you don’t know. When hiring, maintaining, and maximizing senor experienced talent, leadership should be looking at MORE than job title and description.
The shifting workforce includes one where those recently hired may need to be mentored by those being replaced or retired. In order for this to occur, proactive succession conversations should be engaged long before replacement occurs. Leadership should have on-going conversations throughout, embracing existing talents and reorganizing more frequently to maximize those talents rather than forcing status quo and an organizational design based on what was or has been done in the past.
Organizational design should be fluid rather than stagnant until someone leaves or must be hired. Someone who may see a career ending because of the restraints of 40 hours, routine work and being placed in a box may be most willing to stay on to mentor and enculturate the new hire replacing them, if given some latitude. What they don’t want may be the entire box (body of work) and hours, so instead they leave – leaving the organization with a huge gap instead of a small hole that 6 months to a year could have solved.
Many times, when a new, less seasoned person replaces a long-term or more senior person, the content learning curve may be mastered early on but leaders grapple with how to fast-track culture and acceptance and many times leaves the new employee to fend solo rather than rectify with early on succession planning and mentorships. Additionally, seasoned individuals, especially coming to an organization towards the sunset rather than the sunrise of their career, may have a bevy of untapped and global talents. These talents can include: issue resolution, training, reorganization and compliance, to name a few. Many times, such talents are argued over regarding where they should reside rather than who may be the best and skilled practitioner.
Completing on-going skill assessments throughout an employee’s stay and especially keeping a pulse on the more experienced employees regarding needs, can add growth and depth to the organization. These same individuals may also be looking for part-time or different responsibility which many times places them on the less-rather than MORE valued list. It may also be less expensive since many seasoned employees may not have the same needs, like benefits, full-time work, being physically on property and traditional shifts. These same individuals (depending on past experience) may also become mentors to employees just beginning in leadership positions (many may be the historians or culture creatures).
Organizational design has not changed considerably since after WWII when those leading the battle fields moved into the boardrooms. Hopefully, the pandemic has forced an end to this limiting design and hierarchy and leadership will embrace the mobilization of all (especially those more experienced and diverse). Transitions will ultimately transpire. The difference is whether these transitions will be orderly, experience and growth affording or unplanned, disruptive, and experience-lost.
Michelle is Principal of Stiletto Management, a Consulting Company providing HR business thought and practices. Write her at www.stilettomanagement.com or [email protected].
