We are often asked what the challenges of Talent are in the 21st century. Today we want to answer that question, but to do so we have to do a little retrospective.
That Talent is an increasingly scarce commodity is not news. Since the 90s we have been talking about the “battle for Talent” but it is now when, in a situation of constant and increasingly rapid transformation, this shortage threatens to limit the possibilities of growth of our organizations due to the difficulty in finding the professionals we need.
If a few years ago this drought was especially noticeable among technical and technological professionals, today it is a reality for all types of profiles, from internship programs and young talents to the highest managers.
But what can we do?
Although human resources are not a science, we do have at our disposal a couple of essential tools to be able to face this crisis: optimize the search for talent and enhance the link between professionals and our organization.
We must understand our role as a holistic project in which selection, training and development go hand in hand to make our companies healthy and healthy environments that attract talent and achieve their long-term commitment.
Something that was once a specific focus on certain sectors characterized by high turnover is now a reality for all of us.
Employer Branding and Employer Experience, the basis of the system
If we consider professionals as the center of our business, everything they perceive about our organization acquires a critical character. And it’s not enough to have an attractive and visual website or a work with us section. Our press appearances, social media posts, corporate blogs, third-party referrals, awards, and search engine scoring all come together to create an image that envelops everything we do.
The question we must ask ourselves is, does the image we project fit the one that the talent I am looking for expects from me?
Beyond that, does my own inner talent feel satisfied with who I am? Maybe I can activate some element to finish turning my collaborators into the best possible brand ambassador.
Executive Search, Headhunting and International Talent Search
If our image is correct, the next critical step is attraction. Sometimes organizations are corseted by job descriptions or organizational charts inherited from the past that little or nothing correspond to the current reality. Proposing a review and update of them can allow us to refine the search for new professionals with a greater focus. It may take us a little longer, but the results will not be long in coming.
We must also consider each search almost as a direct search. Let’s define the profile in detail, but leave room for flexibility. Let’s propose a selection process with an international scope and allow ourselves to consider diverse profiles with different backgrounds but that converge in the most important thing: the tasks to be carried out and the potential for contribution and growth in our organization.
From the Search, Selection & Headhunting area of Psicotec we maintain our commitment to an in-depth evaluation of candidates, focusing on achieving the greatest long-term fit between person and organization. This is the only way to create a healthy work environment in which both company and professional nurture and enrich each other, evolving together.
Our international presence, reinforced by our recent incorporation into the ENEX Direct Search and Headhunting network, exponentially multiplies the options of finding that “perfect match”. Present in more than 40 countries around the world, distance is not a challenge. It is an opportunity.
Bonding emotionally and professionally
But even if we find the right talent, there is always the risk that professionals will decide to leave our organization. Recent literature tells us of a phenomenon, the Great Resignation, whereby a large number of workers are voluntarily abandoning their jobs and sometimes giving up interesting economic conditions in favour of better living conditions or work-life balance.
If the Great Recession, the Pandemic and the Great Resignation can teach us anything, it is that when a professional decides to turn the page, their motivations are not exclusively economic. The rest of the components of this “emotional salary” weigh more and more in this decision-making.
If we want to anticipate this situation and retain our professionals before they even consider taking the leap, we must understand this sociological change and act accordingly.
Compensation is important and without an attractive salary the rest of the scheme loses meaning, but from a certain level at which basic needs begin to be covered, the more emotional aspects of remuneration increase.
Flexible schedules and the possibility of remote work are the two most discussed workhorses, but going beyond that, what is really important are the details.
These great professionals that we have worked so hard to meet need to feel special, understood and valued. It is the gestures on a day-to-day basis that end up projecting that image of a healthy company of which they want to be a part. Therein lies the challenge… in being able to personalize and give continuity to those details.
Given this enormous range of possibilities, there are some actions that the vast majority of professionals value very positively: training, the implementation of development plans or career plans and participation in high-impact activities or teambuilding.
Training tailored to the tastes and needs of each employee, a plan that certifies the future evolution of the professional and moments of meeting with colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere allow us to link professionals through three ways: personal development, professional development and social development.
The individual, the group and the common project united with a common goal: to grow together.
And all this, in constant change
And while the cycle of searching, onboarding, and linking continues, the organization must not stagnate. It is necessary to continue evolving in substance and form so that the organizational structures themselves adapt to the moment, the market and society.
At the end of the day, the biggest challenge a company has is precisely that: to combine stability with change to perpetuate itself over time.
At Psicotec we have been offering comprehensive solutions in the field of Talent for more than 30 years. Our four business areas – Search & Selection, Development & Training, Assessment & Assessment and Consulting & Transformation allow us to respond to any Human Resources needs that your organisation may need. In the face of uncertainty, there is nothing better than having the support of an expert like Psicotec.