Does your employer deserve you?
Almost all companies claim that 'people are our greatest asset,' but how many really treat employees that way? A talent-management expert tells how to find one that does.
(Fortune) -- It's a paradox: Even with growing numbers of people unemployed and a slowdown in hiring, U.S. companies complain of a talent shortage.
In fact, worries over finding enough of the right people now surpass even the cost of health care among HR managers' top concerns, according to a survey last month by Deloitte & Touche (www.deloitte.com).
After all, experienced Baby Boomers are getting ready to retire (or embark on second careers elsewhere). Meanwhile, the nature of work and the skills required to do it keep changing, and in an increasingly global job market, even when a candidate who is the perfect fit comes along, he or she may not be located where the job is.
In this environment, the best employers take "a holistic approach, where every part of the organization, and every individual in it, is connected and animated by the need to foster talent," says Peter Cheese, head of the human performance practice at consulting giant Accenture (www.accenture.com).
I recently spoke with Cheese, who is co-author of The Talent-Powered Organization: Strategies for Globalization, Talent Management, and High Performance ($39.95, Kogan Page), about the implications for job seekers. After all, you want to work for a company that attracts the best and brightest employees. Some excerpts from our conversation:
Q. What are some of the signs that you're working for a "talent-powered" company?
A. They're not difficult to spot. There should be a lot of upward mobility, and lateral movement as well, within the ranks. Talent-powered organizations give their employees frequent, constructive feedback on their performance. They also present people with regular, planned opportunities to learn new skills and develop their abilities. If you aren't being offered those opportunities, and if no one around you is either, it means your employer isn't making talent management a real priority. And a talent-powered company is one where people know that excellence will be recognized and rewarded, which is sadly not the case in too many companies now.
Q. Let's say I'm a middle manager, in charge of a relatively small department of a big company that isn't walking the talk. Anything I can do to change that?
A. Certainly. Line managers can develop their own skills at mentoring and developing people. A big part of this is making sure you are giving people clear direction and helpful criticism. It's not rocket science, but some managers do it instinctively while others don't do it at all. You can also be on the lookout for opportunities for the people under you - chances for them to learn what they'll need to know in order to move up. This part is harder, because it includes being willing to let your best people go if a great opportunity for them arises somewhere else in the company. The upside is that, if you're good at this, you'll be noticed, and your own influence in the organization will increase over time.
Q. I often hear from people who feel "stuck" in their current job, who aren't being rewarded or promoted despite strong performance. Supposing these folks look for new jobs elsewhere: How can they avoid a repeat of the same situation?
A. Well, nowadays thanks to the Internet, lots of resources exist for getting a pretty good idea of what a company is really like before you go to work there. Vault.com, for example, will give you a great deal of information from current and former employees that you can use to gauge how well you would fit in. But you also have to pay close attention to how much information a prospective employer gives you directly. Are they open about describing how things are done? Will they let you talk with potential colleagues?
To identify a truly talent-powered company, what you want to look for is a regular structure of support: Are there performance evaluations at regularly scheduled intervals, and a culture that encourages day-to-day feedback in between? Is there a clear career path for people who excel? Is formal training available to you? Is there a widespread, systematic mentoring effort going on within the organization? You should certainly ask job interviewers about these things, but it's also a matter of networking and fact-finding on your own. The more current and past employees of the organization you can speak with, the clearer the picture will be.
Often people feel let down because they are led to believe, before they're hired, that the company wants to develop and promote them - but then, once they start work, the structures are simply not in place to make that happen, or they've fallen victim to cost-cutting. That disconnect can be extremely disappointing, especially to Generation Y new hires, who have little patience for what they see as hypocrisy. It's unfortunate, because that young, entry-level talent is often the kind that companies most want and need to keep.
Readers, what do you say? How good is your company at developing talent? Have you ever felt "stuck" in a going-nowhere job (maybe your current one)? If so, what did you do about it? Post your thoughts on the Ask Annie blog. 
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