effective talent management
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EFFECTIVE TALENT MANAGEMENTA N R S G W H I T E P A P E R • W W W . R S G - P L C . C O M
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSRSG would like to thank all Debate participants for their
valuable time and contributions. In particular, we would
like to thank David Mason, Global COO Resourcing at
RBS, for leading the Debate and Nicky Bizzell, Freelance
Resourcing Specialist, for reviewing this white paper.
Built on over 35 years of trading history, RSG has grown
organically, and through the acquisition of specialist
services, into an established selection, assessment and
solutions driven resource provider.
RSG’s focus is on strong partnerships; we have
developed solid relationships with our candidates and
clients since our inception in 1975 and this is reflected
in the repeat business and referrals that our specialist
companies receive.
Our family of companies gives us an understanding
across a variety of market sectors including: permanent
and contract recruitment through to executive search,
bespoke recruitment campaigns, advertising campaigns
and total recruitment outsourcing. This knowledge
empowers us to provide our clients with an independent,
innovative and proven response, every time.
ABOUT RSG
02
CONTENTS02 About RSG
03 Contents
05 Foreword from David Mason, Global COO Resourcing, RBS
07 An Introduction from Mike Beesley, CEO, RSG
08 Effective Talent Management
08 Introduction
09 Successful Talent Acquisition
14 Managing Global Talent
Increasing Global Mobility is Complex
18 Programmes to Accelerate Careers of High-Achievers
19 Women on the Board - Attracting and Managing Female Talent
What should businesses be doing to increase the number of women on the board?
22 Young People - the Untapped Talent Pool
Bristol Young Talent Case Study
What steps can businesses and the Government take to combat youth unemployment?
27 Conclusion
28 Guest Profiles
30 Contact RSG
03
One of the greatest challenges facing companies across the world is how to attract and develop a strong pipeline of talent throughout their business.
04
FOREWORDOne of the greatest challenges facing companies across
the world is how to attract and develop a strong pipeline
of talent throughout their business. The concept of talent
management is difficult for employers to tackle; defining
what ‘talent’ means to an individual business is often
the first hurdle which must be overcome. Once this has
been established, employers then have to decide upon a
strategy that will ensure the successful attraction of new
talent, alongside a process of managing, supporting
and developing the selected individuals in their role.
Throughout my career I’ve faced these challenges in
varying degrees and on vastly differing scales; from
developing a UK wide resourcing strategy in my role as
Head of Resourcing for AXA, to leading talent acquisition
in over 20 countries during my time at CH2M Hill as
International Talent Acquisition Director. Most recently
I find myself working for the Royal Bank of Scotland,
where I have seen our entire resourcing function forced
to adapt and transform in order to overcome the
damage we faced as a result of the near collapse and
government rescue of RBS.
Our brand image was dented and consequently our
customers lost faith in the services we could provide,
which meant we had to focus on channelling our efforts
into our Customer Services and inspire confidence and
loyalty back into our valued customers. Our resourcing
function had to re-organise to accommodate this new
culture - an example of the ever-changing nature of
talent management.
My experiences have given me a unique and truly global
insight into the issues concerning talent management,
which is why I’m delighted to have been invited to lead
the RSG Debate on this subject. I was particularly keen
to discuss the issue with other leading HR professionals
in order to gain an insight into their approach, the
difficulties they have encountered and whether there
is any common ground between our views on strategy
and solution. The outcome of our discussion lies in
this paper, alongside relevant research that has been
conducted into the area by RSG.
David MasonGlobal COO Resourcing, RBS
05
Without doubt, strategies that are consistent, continuous and inclusive are likely to be far more successful in the long run.
06
The other issue is consistency. Many talent strategies
are often demand led, reacting to business needs with
reference to the current week / month / year, yet, without
doubt, strategies that are consistent, continuous and
inclusive are likely to be far more successful in the long
run. The reality is that few organisations have the vision
or the energy to embrace this approach. Yet, what
might look like the equivalent of Mount Everest in terms
of effort is, in reality, rather easier.
It is against this backdrop that RSG decided to host a
debate over dinner with some of the UK’s leading HR
and Resourcing professionals at Bentley’s Oyster Bar
& Grill, in Mayfair, London. Our guests represented a
broad base of industries to discuss the many talent
challenges businesses face. This white paper brings
together their thoughts and personal experiences, in
addition to industry research and RSG’s own extensive
knowledge. The aim has been to uncover examples
of best practice and innovative approaches to talent
management.
Finally, and not wishing to draw too many conclusions
for you before reading this white paper, I can’t help but
feel that an enormous opportunity to gain significant
competitive advantage exists for those organisations
who are keen to invest in their people strategies.
After more than 35 years in the recruitment industry,
much of which has been spent working strategically
with organisations to solve major resourcing issues, I
am consistently surprised at how few organisations
have an integrated talent management strategy.
In my experience, I’ve found that the appetite to build
an effective talent strategy continues to prove to be a
top priority for most businesses. However, companies
often cite numerous reasons for allowing the focus on
talent management to fall by the wayside, from “our
organisation is going through a significant amount of
change and when we are finished...” and “we have a
new CEO and we are waiting to see what changes are
likely to take place”, through to “I just haven’t had time.”
Broadly speaking, if we assume that there are three strands to any talent management strategy - attraction, development and retention - most organisations get only one of these right.
Now, more than three decades into my career, I can
genuinely state with confidence that I can count on one
hand the number of organisations I have encountered
who have had a fully integrated and clearly planned
talent management strategy which has withstood the
test of time.
AN INTRODUCTION FROM MIKE BEESLEYCEO, RSG
07
Talent management is a broad and complex area, which
is becoming a recurring topic on the board agenda
of many businesses. During the RSG Debate, the
participants shared their experiences and successes
within this arena with a view to uncover examples of
best practice and innovative approaches towards talent
management and the changing nature of the talent
acquisition process. It is based on these discussions
that this white paper further explores the nature of
some of the main challenges facing business as well
as the approaches that can lead to effective talent
management.
The term “talent management” has become increasingly
common in the HR world since McKinsey coined the
expression “the war for talent”. There is considerable
debate within businesses about what constitutes
“talent”, how it should be managed and the importance
of talent in driving organisational stability, development
and change. It was to discuss these issues that some of
the UK’s leading HR professionals joined RSG’s thought
leadership Debate at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill in
Mayfair, London. The group represented a variety of
industries, from financial services and technology to the
legal sector and NHS.
EFFECTIVE TALENT MANAGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
There is considerable debate within businesses about what constitutes “talent”, how it should be managed and the importance of talent in driving organisational stability, development and change.
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09
RSG Debate participants emphasised the need for
organisations to hire talented people in order to achieve
their strategic goals. Consequently, effective sourcing
to secure the best talent is critical. Looking to gain
competitive advantage, businesses are re-evaluating
the way they source and engage with talent. Rather than
focusing on filling positions as quickly and cost-effectively
as possible, it is evident that they are looking for ways to
improve the quality of the talent they attract directly and
the subsequent experience of the candidates as they
move through the company’s processes. As such, over
50% of organisations are moving away from solely using
job boards1 as a talent attraction tool.
Many of the organisations which
took part in the RSG Debate
are undergoing a significant cultural
change. This is driven by the economic
climate, but also is due to clients’
changing demands, the changing nature of business and
the requirement to acquire different types of individuals
or skills. As stressed by Debate participants, developing
a successful talent attraction strategy is of fundamental
importance in driving through the organisational shift
that must follow. It is evident that talent acquisition has
changed significantly over the past decade, from being
a mere administrative function to developing into a
multi-channel sourcing strategy.
The creation of, and communication with talent pools
is an on-going activity, which, when managed well,
promotes employer branding and creates loyalty and
interest before a vacancy occurs. With this in mind,
organisations are likely to benefit from partnering with
an expert who understands their business objectives,
creating bespoke sourcing strategies to attract the
best active and passive talent, as well as promoting
outstanding candidate experience throughout the
process. It is critical to select appropriate marketing
channels and the tone of voice to
promote vacancies to the external
market to ensure a response from
your target audience.
Having analysed the pros and cons of
various sourcing channels such as social media, internet
advertising, print advertising and recruitment agencies,
we at RSG concluded that effective recruitment cannot
be “one-size-fits-all”. Unsurprisingly, recruitment
requirements vary from business to business as well as
department to department.
1. Aberdeen Group, 2012, “Strategic Talent Acquisition: Are you Prepared to Hire the Best?”
SUCCESSFUL TALENT ACQUISITION
“50% of organisations are movingaway from solely using job boards
as a talent attraction tool”.
Knowing what you will need to recruit and what “good” looks like. This should be done through
effective resource planning and job analysis, with an eye on what type of person your business needs
to succeed in the future.
Being honest about the level of talent you need. Not every role requires high talent.
Identifying critical roles within the organisation and focusing on filling these roles with valuable high
talent.
Understanding candidate behaviour - knowing where the best people look for jobs and how you can
reach the right audience; knowing the difference in behaviour between active and passive candidates.
Understanding which sourcing channels are available to you and choosing the right approach
depending on the type of person that you are looking to hire.
Developing a strong EVP (Employee Value Proposition) – the characteristics and appeal of working
for you. This should accurately communicate why your employees enjoy working for you and,
importantly, what makes you different as an employer. This should flow throughout your processes;
from the systems you use, the emails you send, the interviews with hiring managers, your feedback
and offer management.
Utilising social media to engage with candidates and build relationships with the talent pool.
Being aware that directly attracted candidates need more resource to manage them than agency
candidates. The impact of poor management on directly attracted candidates can be greater than on
agency candidates because they are likely to have made a greater connection with your EVP.
Creating an outstanding candidate experience through consistent communication of your EVP, an
efficient recruitment process and the enthusiasm and professionalism of everyone involved in the
recruitment process.
Despite the differences in roles and skills recruited and the approach to recruitment, RSG found that almost every recruitment challenge could be tackled by:
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(predominantly LinkedIn and Twitter and, increasingly,
Facebook for graduate and intern positions) to promote
their employer branding, engage with talent pools and
to source talent. Websites such as YouTube are used
to provide potential talent with an authentic insight into
the organisational culture and its people, as well as to
showcase any exciting initiatives and projects.
“It is often tricky to find talent for certain organisations with damaged EVP - as soon as you mention the name to potential candidates, they lose interest! We have worked with a number of our clients to help them develop and improve their employer branding and assist them with promoting their key benefits to potential talent pools”.Steve Phillips, Client Solutions Director, RSG
However, social media can also have a negative impact
on a company’s EVP. According to SHL research,
2010: “36% [2007 survey by Personnel Today said this
would be 55%] would tell their family and friends about
their negative experiences and 10% would use social
media to make their feelings known.” This means that
in some cases your EVP had been damaged before
your interviewer even got back to their desk following
an interview.
RSG Debate participants also felt that it is equally
important to ensure that your Employee Value Proposition
(EVP) is authentic and truly reflects your corporate
values. Organisations are in danger of losing valuable
talent if they discover a mismatch in expectations
after joining the organisation. The effectiveness and
alignment of your EVP and your corporate values can
be measured through the analysis of attrition levels at 6
and 12 months tenure.
The importance of EVP cannot be underestimated
in attracting and retaining global talent. According
to a Towers Watson study2, EVP can be an effective
tool in creating the right balance between employee
preferences and employer needs – leading to stronger
overall performance and improved financial outcomes.
Despite an existing perception in some organisations
that employer branding is owned by the Marketing
and Communications function, it should be a
collaborative effort involving key employees to act
as “brand ambassadors”, creating brand awareness
and communicating the main company messages to
potential talent pools.
Employer branding was considered to play an important
role in organisational talent attraction strategies during
the Debate. The impact of social media on recruitment
is huge with businesses using social media channels
If an organisation has damaged EVPcandidates can swiftly lose interest.
2. Towers Watson, 2012-2013 Global Talent Management and Rewards Study”
the talent acquisition team, the business and marketing
team is crucial. It also necessitates the need for the
talent acquisition team to ensure that their business is
fully engaged with multifaceted attraction strategies.
With so much buzz and interest in social media, it is
understandable that some companies feel that they
need to appear everywhere. However, just like with hard
copy advertising, companies should focus on the social
sites that their target audiences are using. This helps
to create a clear and focused EVP as well as reducing
unwanted traffic.
The Group taking part in the RSG Debate also
emphasised the importance of inspirational leadership,
especially at CEO level, in an organisation’s talent
attraction strategy. If you have strong, passionate
leaders, talent will follow and will want to work for
your organisation. There is a strong demand for new
leaders and attracting leadership talent is, therefore, an
essential part of the talent attraction strategy. More and
more organisations face a shortage of strong leaders
at both executive and general management levels,
suggesting they need to either intensify their search for
external talent, identify and develop their internal talent,
or combine the two.
Talent attraction is only the first step in an integrated
talent management process. Subsequently, talent
needs to be selected, retained and developed through
an integrated approach. According to Aberdeen Group4,
as leading organisations evaluate integrated talent
management, they find a natural synergy between talent
acquisition and succession planning. When aligned,
these processes can help organisations improve their
organisational growth and readiness through a unified
With so many technological developments since this
research was conducted, it can only be assumed that
these figures would now be significantly higher. How
would these figures translate in your business? This
was the question a leading international law firm asked
and used their analysis as the basis for their interviewing
training.
The growth in the use of social media in recruitment
is phenomenal; it is fast, efficient and cost-effective. It
can, however, be a problem as well as an asset. Do
employers utilise multiple social media channels fully
and are they reaping all of the benefits? According to
Aberdeen’s talent acquisition survey3, nearly half of the
participants are using social media to simply broadcast
jobs to candidates. This, therefore, creates the need for
employers to have a meaningful and results-orientated
social media attraction strategy, including research into
their targets’ behaviour patterns, so that they engage
with them through the right channels. It was stressed
during the Debate that to take full advantage of the
opportunities that social media presents, it is important
to ensure that an organisation’s social media strategy
is consistent and continuous, and not only used when
recruiting for a particular role.
However, does using social media in this way take away
from some of the benefits highlighted earlier? Engaging
with your candidates fully and meaningfully requires
resources that some companies do not have available
to them. In such circumstances, resource realignment
may be necessary. Another question is, who within your
organisation should be involved in the engagement and
how do you ensure consistent messages? Candidates
are keen to engage with the team and manager they
will be working with. This is where alignment between
3. Aberdeen Group, 2012, “Strategic Talent Acquisition: Are you Prepared to Hire the Best?”
4. Aberdeen Group, 2013, “A Unified Talent Pipeline: Integrating Succession Planning and Talent Acquisition”
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businesses in theory want to take a more strategic and
aligned approach to recruitment, in reality are they
willing to invest time, budget and resource to take this
approach? It could be a tricky balancing act when you
are under pressure to recruit.
RSG Debate participants stated that strategic talent
acquisition combined with a positive candidate
experience can significantly improve organisational
performance. Employers, therefore, must ensure that
their talent acquisition strategies are aligned to their
overall business goals. According to Aberdeen Group’s
research7, 45% of organisations have a reactionary
approach to talent acquisition while only 3% have a long–
term approach that aligns with business objectives. This
presents a real opportunity for businesses to differentiate
themselves and gain competitive advantage in the
acquisition of the best talent. However, as identified
above, with budget and resource pressures, this level of
forward planning may be hard for companies to grasp.
Boards, therefore, should consider investing in their
talent management and acquisition teams in order to
capitalise on future talent.
talent pipeline that meets both current and future talent
needs5. However, in many companies these processes
operate independently, where recruiters manage
talent acquisition, and HR generalists, Learning &
Development or Organisational Development functions
own succession.
The RSG Debate highlighted that often recruiters have
to fill vacancies without a clear understanding of the
internal talent available or the organisation’s future
requirements. Clearly, recruitment in isolation is not
effective. However, increasingly businesses expect
their recruitment partners to understand their business
needs, corporate culture and competitive pressures
in order to give strategic advice to hiring managers.
According to the research conducted by RSG in
partnership with APSCo6, a huge opportunity exists for
recruitment organisations and Heads of Resourcing to
set themselves apart if they can meet this challenge.
Do these two groups have the skills, behaviours and
business penetration to be able to meet this challenge,
or does the industry need to further develop in order to
give clients what they are looking for? In addition, while
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While businesses in theory want to take a more strategic and aligned approach to recruitment, in reality are they willing to invest time, budget and resource to take this approach?
5. Aberdeen Group, 2013, ibid.
6. RSG in partnership with APSCo, 2011, “Indepenent Analysis into Perceptions of the Recruitment Industry”
7. Aberdeen Group, 2012, ibid.
One of the questions at the heart of the RSG Debate
was: “How do you manage global talent?” The Debate
participants spent considerable time sharing their views
and experiences on this challenging topic. Evidently,
talent management becomes very complicated for
businesses operating in multiple markets, cultures,
labour laws and institutional environments. The
globalisation of talent management is a trend that we
expect to continue as companies expand internationally,
with different markets presenting attractive business
opportunities. What do international businesses need
to do to attract and develop the very best employees
on a global scale?
Clearly a one-size-fits-all model does not work
when there are so many complex issues to consider.
However, companies that are showing signs of success
are taking core principles, processes and policies and
adapting the detail to fit individual organisational needs.
UK principles tend to be the easiest to adapt when
companies are using UK law as the basis of their legal
system, e.g. in Anglophone environments.
Cultural alignment is one of the most challenging
areas to adapt, particularly in relation to gender, race
or religious inequality. Asking some countries to adopt
principles and policies that are not aligned to their culture
will alienate them from the central business. In these
situations patience and restraint are called for, as well
as a watered down version of policies and processes.
MANAGING GLOBAL TALENT
Asking some countries to adopt principles and policies that are not aligned to their culture will alienate them from the central business.
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environment - their role should be purely academic.
When combined with an aging work force, where older
employees retire taking with them crucial, difficult to find
skills, this represents a real resourcing challenge.
During the Debate, considerable time was dedicated
to discussing issues associated with international
assignees and sharing best practice. Evidently,
international businesses have to deal with a wide
range of considerations and complexities during the
selection and management process where international
roles are concerned. Potential obstacles that must be
considered include adaptability, cultural sensitivity and
family circumstances. Therefore, organisations need to
provide their international assignees with the necessary
support, such as cultural and language training, as
well as developing their transferrable skills for future
placements in order to ensure that they are successful
in their roles. They should also understand and consider
the challenges of balancing careers and family life.
RSG Debate participants confirmed that international
mobility is an increasingly common feature of today’s
working environment. It is evident that global competition
for talented people is tough worldwide with many
employers experiencing a talent shortage. There is also
an increasing mismatch between the skill sets employers
seek and the available talent. A leading international
employment agency estimates that 31% of employers
worldwide find it difficult to fill positions because of talent
shortages in their markets8. Furthermore, 65% of global
companies are having problems finding employees with
the skills they need9.
These challenges occur despite there being a record
number of college and university graduates and relatively
high levels of unemployment in some global markets.
This is possibly explained by the fact that the required
skill level is changing and the educational institutions
are failing to produce an adequate talent base to meet
the changing needs of the global employers. In fact,
some institutions go as far as saying that it is not the
place of universities to prepare students for the working
INCREASING GLOBAL MOBILITY IS COMPLEX
International mobility is an increasingly common feature of today’s working environment. It is evident that global competition for talented people is on the rise.
15
8. Manpower, 2010, “Talent Shortage Survey”
9. Towers Watson, 2012-2013, Global Talent Management & Rewards study “The Next High-Stakes Quest. Balancing Employer and Employee Priorities”
Organisations need to provide their international assignees with the necessary support, such as cultural and language training, as well as developing their transferrable skills for future placements in order to ensure that they are successful in their roles.
16
More than half of the survey12 respondents reported
difficulties retaining talent. The same study confirms that
when selecting candidates for international assignments,
business needs are consistently cited as the most
popular criteria. Global businesses may be overlooking
other equally important factors. For example, only 16% of
companies consider family circumstances when making
selections. And yet family and personal circumstances,
or a family’s inability to adapt to the host country’s
culture are often reported as the primary reasons for
failed international assignments13. Irrespective of these
difficulties, only 35% of organisations taking part in
the survey14 have developed special programmes to
promote international mobility.
In addition, employees often come back from their
international assignments feeling demotivated and
disillusioned by the organisation’s lack of interest in
the experience they have gained; in some cases they
return to find there is no job for them to go back to.
Ernst & Young indicate that most companies have failed
to address the long-term trend towards globalisation
in their talent management programmes15. Almost
two thirds of survey respondents (63%) say that their
organisations lack standard policies for managing the
careers of international assignees, or do not know if
their organisations have such policies. Nearly one-
third (32%) say their organisations have no consistent
talent management strategy for internationally mobile
employees, while almost half (47%) place little or no
importance on helping returning expatriates reintegrate
into the organisation.
In a report conducted by the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development (CIPD)10, it was found that
working on an international basis for a period of time
brings definite benefits to the career and development
of an individual. However, there is also a significant
amount of disruption for both the employee and their
family. If these disruptions are acknowledged and
carefully managed by the organisation, the benefits for
both the employer and the employees will be enhanced.
It is therefore essential that all the issues are carefully
addressed before an employee actually starts on an
international placement.
Typically, successful global brands find it much easier to
attract the required talent. The culture and values of the
organisation have to appeal to people and be something
they want to be part of. As indicated by the Debate
participants, increasingly global businesses focus on
selection based on cultural fit and mentality, as well
as traditional job-related skills and experience. Brands
such as Accenture, BP and IBM, used as examples
during the RSG Debate, have global mobility embedded
in their philosophy. By joining them, you are signing up
to an international career and should be prepared to
be deployed anywhere. Towers Watson in their Global
Talent & Rewards study found that companies which
have highly effective global EVPs (Employee Value
Proposition) have three times as many highly engaged
employees as those with low global EVP effectiveness
(58% versus 16%)11.
The subsequent challenge is to retain and develop this
talent, especially when their personal circumstances or
career developments necessitate a change.
17
10. CIPD Factsheet, 2011, “International Mobility”
11. Towers Watson, ibid
12. Towers Watson, ibid
13. Towers Watson, ibid
14. Towers Watson, ibid
15. Ernst & Young, 2010, “Managing Today’s Global Workforce”
Talent management strategies should include advanced
development of “high fliers” whilst at the same time
managing the expectations of other staff. A number
of employers now have “top 250 global fast track” or
“top 100 fast track” talent programmes to accelerate
the careers of high-achievers. For example, PWC
have Emerging Leaders Programmes, both in the
UK and globally, which aim to create networks of
emerging leaders. As discussed during the Debate,
these programmes involve a tough selection process
whereby chosen candidates are being continuously
assessed, some of whom opt out at the outset as they
are unprepared to make certain career commitments.
The prevailing sentiment from the RSG Debate
participants was that it is essential not to marginalise the
employees that either opt out, or are unsuccessful in the
selection process. Companies must adopt an inclusive
approach to talent management that encompasses the
diversity of skills, experience and backgrounds found
within the workplace.
Employers face a real challenge in uncovering how
to keep this valuable talent energised and motivated.
The recent Towers Watson Talent Management Survey,
which included 1,605 employers globally, found that
companies not only have difficulty attracting talent
but also struggle to retain high-potential employees
critical to increasing their global competitiveness16. The
research also found that not all employers are taking
advantage of opportunities to attract and retain high-
value employees. They focus too much on financial
rewards and underestimate the importance of EVP that
is vital in a highly competitive global market as it helps
to attract and retain high-performers by achieving the
right balance between employees’ individual needs and
organisational requirements.
Furthermore, there are a number of sensitivities
associated with managing fast track talent programmes.
It can involve difficult conversations with employees who
do not meet the employer’s expectations and, therefore,
are not selected as “high potentials”. If this process is
not conducted by HR professionals, it is essential that
they prepare and train business managers to handle
such conversations.
It was stressed during the Debate that, in line with good
HR practice, there should be a role for people who are
not aspiring to the same level and they should still be
managed properly and feel valued. As such, the quest
for talent management should not detract from the need
to keep the entire workforce motivated, especially as
the way in which organisations manage staff who are
not considered “high-achievers” will have a bearing on
overall talent acquisition and retention. It should also be
remembered that some individuals may choose not to
join high performance programmes because of personal
circumstances, which may change in the future.
PROGRAMMES TO ACCELERATE CAREERS OF HIGH-ACHIEVERS
There are many sensitivities with fast track programmes.
16. Towers Watson, ibid.
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The Grant Thornton International Business Report17
for 2013 has shown that, while figures have increased
promisingly since 2010, just 24% of Senior Management
roles are currently filled by women. Similar results are
also registered by the Women on Boards Report18 which
illuminates that only 17.3% of FTSE 100 companies
have female Board Directors (as of March 2013). These
results are staggering considering that women comprise
more than 50% of the UK’s population and nearly half
of the working population. So why don’t we see more
women on the board?
The overarching feeling from RSG Debate participants
was that the societal ‘double burden’, which still
predominantly rests upon women, may lie at the
bottom of why many women feel they cannot aim for,
or accept high level roles. Typically such positions
require employees to display unfailing availability and
total geographical mobility – assets which the majority
of parents (women in particular) feel they are unable
to commit to. Support for this argument is evident in
The Women on Boards Report, which shows that while
male and female graduate entry into the workplace is
relatively equal, beyond junior management positions
there is a marked drop in the number of females who
are promoted to senior level.
The effect of a male-dominated environment on women’s
perceptions of their own capabilities should also be
considered. Research conducted by McKinsey &
Company19 found that 64% of women in the US
saw a lack of female role models as a barrier to their
development, as well as finding that the majority of
highly qualified women were less ambitious than their
male counterparts when aiming for top roles. Bearing
in mind the constraints associated with senior roles in
terms of both availability and flexibility, it is no surprise
that men are more often found reaching for high level
jobs given the current social environment, which
predominantly places the responsibility of childcare and
domestic duties upon women’s shoulders.
The one area of business which flips the status quo on
its head is that of Human Resources, which continues
to attract and retain a female majority. There are many
suggestions surrounding this area as to why more
women work in HR, including the ‘naturalistic’ view that
its perception as the ‘soft side’ of business appeals
more to women than men. However, the conclusions
drawn from the McKinsey research would argue that in
fact it is the significantly higher number of female role
models in the HR sector that perpetuates women’s
attraction to it. Interestingly, despite the fact that 72%
of HR roles are filled by women, just 40% of Directors
are female, which suggests that the effect of the ‘glass
ceiling’ remains as seniority increases. This may also
partially be due to women returning to the workplace
at a lower level following a career break, or simply not
returning at all.
WOMEN ON THE BOARD:ATTRACTING AND MANAGING FEMALE TALENT
17. Grant Thornton International Business Report, 2012
18. Women on Boards Report February, 2011 by Lord Davies
19. Mckinsey & Company “Women Matter”, 2007
The societal ‘double burden’, which still predominantly rests upon women, may lie at the bottom of why many women feel that they cannot aim for, or accept, high level roles.
20
Finally, companies should prioritise building the
confidence of their female employees by focusing on
providing quality mentoring and networking programmes.
As the McKinsey Report22 highlights, this would help
to increase women’s awareness of the limitations they
impose on themselves, thus enabling them to manage
their careers in a male-centric environment. Such
programmes would be particularly beneficial in areas
such as engineering, which don’t attract high numbers
of female employees, by helping to gender-neutralise
the perception of them. However, ultimately changes
need to be made in both business and wider society
in order for there to be a real impact on the work
environment for female employees. As McKinsey writes,
‘greater participation by women in corporate senior
management will require social environments that are
more supportive of working women’.
Quotas are an inappropriate method of ensuring women are on the board because any member of staff should obtain their position through skill and ability alone.
The concept of introducing quotas has raised much
debate. At the RSG Debate it was deemed that quotas
were an inappropriate method of ensuring more women
are on the board because any member of staff, whether
male or female, should obtain their position because
they hold the right skills and ability - not because of their
gender. In addition, quotas hold a sense of tokenism
by suggesting that women in top roles have only made
it there by fulfilling a Government target. Furthermore,
utilising quotas does nothing to alleviate the dehydrated
pipeline of talent that precedes board level. As Louisa
Peacock writes for the Telegraph20, there is no point
putting women at board level and fulfilling a Government
target, just to realise in a few years time that it has had
no effect on the other levels in the workplace.
It is important for businesses to consider increasing career
flexibility for both males and females. Fundamentally,
there is no reason why a woman’s career path should
be negatively impacted by the requirement for career
flexibility, which would in fact enable both genders to
manage the work-life balance more effectively. In order
to retain and develop the very best talent, companies
should be in a position to offer ‘personalised career
paths’21, which would prevent females from dropping
out of the talent pipeline and simultaneously encourage
them to progress up the career ladder.
WHAT SHOULD BUSINESSES BE DOING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN ON THE BOARD?
21
20. “Why we must never, ever introduce quotas for women on boards”, Telegraph Online, 10th April 2013
21. McKinsey & Company, ibid
22. McKinsey & Company, ibid
YOUNG PEOPLE - THE UNTAPPED TALENT POOLYoung people are widely considered an undervalued
market, yet many businesses don’t know how to
effectively tap into the undiscovered talent that dwells
in the school-leaver and graduate sectors. In some
ways there has been erosion over the last 20 years in
the youth development activities that companies used
to offer. Tighter margins and tougher targets mean that
managers want to use their often limited headcount
for experienced hires. They are deemed easier to hire
and need less support to be effective. However, as
mentioned earlier in the report, with an aging population
this is not something that is sustainable.
During the RSG Debate, it was suggested that another
problem facing both employers and young people is a
mismatch of expectations. Employers are expecting too
much from young employees in terms of their experience
and skills and young applicants between the ages of 16
– 24 are unaware of what is expected of them in the
recruitment process and working environment.
In a report conducted by the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development (CIPD)23, it was found that
for the majority of young people facing unemployment
(currently 1 in 5 in the UK), the recruitment process
is a daunting one. While there are numerous support
systems in place for students who wish to attend
university, across the board there is a staggering lack of
guidance given to those who take an alternative route.
Students who don’t go to university leave the education
system unprepared for the transition into the workplace
and are often ill-equipped with the skills employers
deem as ‘basic’, such as writing a tailored cover letter,
completing a CV or knowing what to wear and how to
behave at an interview. The process of applying for a job
can also be a demoralising experience, particularly due to
a lack of feedback offered from prospective employers.
A large majority of school-leavers are unaware of how
to structure a job search, often taking a one-size-fits-all
approach to their CV and sending the same application
for a number of different vacancies. This results in a
cycle where businesses receive an excessive number
of irrelevant CVs for which they simply cannot provide
individual feedback. The lack of feedback means that
young candidates do not learn how to improve their
application and so do not increase their chances of
success in the future.
During the RSG Debate, work experience was
considered one of the greatest hindrances employers
face when recruiting young people. Typically employers
want to take on young people who have a substantial
amount of hands-on work experience, yet in many of
the more competitive industries, obtaining a wealth
of experience before graduation is extremely difficult,
particularly if internships, apprenticeships, or work
placements are not offered as part of a student’s
studies. It is a bleak situation that many graduates find
themselves in: no job, no experience; no experience, no
job. While a lack of experience by no means equates
to an applicant being unable to fulfil a job role, many
recruiters fail to give young people the chance to prove
themselves, thereby missing out on an entire talent pool
of potential.
23. CIPD ‘Employers are from Mars, Young People are from Venus’ Report, Research Report April 2013
22
Martin Marafko, 17Winner of the Bristol Young Student of the Year Awards 2013
“My experience of career guidance at school was
very basic. I attended mock interviews, but still felt
very inexperienced and unprepared for attending real
interviews. When I first heard about the Bristol Young
Talent Awards, I jumped at the chance to enter, especially
when I saw that you could gain work experience with
companies such as RSG and Atkins.
The competition illuminated just how competitive the job
market really is. I was under the same misconception as
most young people are: good grades equates to a good
job. Now I know that work experience, confidence in
the workplace and knowing how to promote yourself
against your competitors are the most important skills
in getting ahead. You don’t get taught these skills in
school.
As a young person who has experienced school-
level career guidance and come out the other side of
the Young Talent Awards, I believe that schools in no
way prepare students for working life. Career paths,
particularly for the most competitive jobs, aren’t made
clear enough and therefore students have no idea what
steps they can take to achieve their goals. We leave
school physically and psychologically unprepared to
enter the work place. If I were Education Minister, I would
introduce regular work courses that allow students to
take up regular and varied work experience placements,
as well as teaching them how to prepare, dress and
present themselves at an interview.”
CASE STUDY:RSG BRISTOL YOUNG STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDSThe RSG Bristol Young Student of the Year awards is
a six-month competition for 16-19 year old students
aimed at developing employability skills in young
people. The competition is free to enter and is open to
all state schools, colleges and academies in the Bristol
region. It provides young people with tangible business
experience by getting them to work directly with local
companies. Throughout the competition students have
the opportunity to work in real life business situations
with the support of leading professional mentors.
In addition to the awards, students have the fantastic
opportunity to apply for a scholarship worth £15,000 at
BPP University College. Paid work experience as well
as cash prizes are also awarded to the winners to help
them along their career path.
23
Therefore, schools should liaise with local businesses to
ensure that focussed work experience placements are
created, which take students through the entire process
of applying for a job and entering the workplace.
Furthermore, it is essential that these placements
conclude with insightful feedback that the student can
then use to improve their future job applications.
Secondly, it was agreed that in the majority of instances,
the recruitment process can be tailored to suit younger
applicants. RSG has found a significant positive effect
in the attraction and recruitment of young people if the
employers involved in the recruitment process are of
a similar age. Put simply: young people recruit young
people. Furthermore, standard competency based
interviews are unhelpful as young people cannot draw
on past experiences, meaning employers don’t get a
true reflection of the potential they have to offer.
The education system needs to address the current level of career guidance offered to students.
Firstly, the education system needs to address the
current level of career guidance offered to students.
Many educational institutes state that they offer career
guidance programmes, but their quality and value to
students is questionable. The lack of effective career
advice in schools is seen as a contributing factor to
those who are unaware of what employers expect from
them or what opportunities are available. Naturally,
career advisors cannot be experts in all fields; however
RSG Debate members involved with youth development
programmes cite examples of extremely misleading
advice given, particularly regarding the legal industry.
With the development of the government and industry
led initiative Plotr (the one-stop shop for career
inspiration and preparation), it is hoped that there will
be improvements in this area. As part of the National
Curriculum, schools should be continually assessed
on the career guidance they offer in order to motivate
them to improve their services. The basics of job
application should be instilled in students before they
leave the classroom to help alleviate the stress of job
hunting, which will simultaneously improve the quality
and relevance of job applications.
RSG Debate participants were also unanimous in the
belief that work experience should once again become
an essential part of the curriculum. Utilised in conjunction
with solid career guidance, work experience placements
would offer a practical outlet for students to apply the
skills learnt within the classroom.
WHAT STEPS CAN BUSINESSES AND THE GOVERNMENT TAKE TO COMBAT YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT?
24
On the other hand, strength-based interviews, where
candidates suggest how they would work in different
situations, allow employers to gain an understanding
of how the applicant can be trained and developed.
Companies should also review their talent attraction
strategy to ensure they utilise the many tools social
media has to offer. In addition to being highly cost
effective, social media allows businesses to attract
a wide network of talent as well as enabling them to
specifically target the people they need.
With regards to feedback, it remains unrealistic to
expect that individualised comments can be provided
to all applicants. However, as suggested by CIPD24,
automated emails should be utilised to acknowledge
the receipt of an application. Similarly, unsuccessful
applicants could receive an email listing the most
‘common’ reasons for not obtaining an interview as well
as advice on how they can improve. For those applicants
who make it through to the interview/assessment
phase, constructive feedback should be given to help
young people improve their skills and encourage them
to try again.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, more graduate
schemes, apprenticeships and work experience
placements should be created by businesses to allow
young people to gain truly valuable, hands on experience
within the workplace. Such programmes will allow
students to become familiar with the work environment,
gain experience of the job application procedure and
help them to build connections with employers. In
addition, they will illuminate more possibilities and
career options to those students who do not wish to
attend university.
However, some of the organisations represented in the
RSG Debate, do offer work experience and feedback
programmes and have found it difficult to engage with
schools and colleges regarding work experience. They
found a surprising lack of interest from schools and
colleges, particularly outside of London. Considering
the resource, investment and commitment needed
to run work experience programmes, this feedback
is disappointing. As mentioned previously, some
institutions have said that they do not feel that workability
skill development is the responsibility of educational
establishments. In order to gain maximum advantage
for young people, a greater balance of responsibility
between employers and educational institutions needs
to take place, with both sides improving their support
and commitment in order to develop future talent.
25
24. CIPD, ibid
There is still considerable opportunity for most businesses to create a cohesive, intergrated talent management strategy aligned with their business objectives to enable them to reap the benefit from their investment.
26
The RSG Debate provoked much opinion and raised
a number of critical issues in the area of talent
management. As it drew to a close it was apparent that,
despite the diverse range of organisations participating
in the Debate and their unique circumstances, most
businesses face similar talent management challenges
to which there are no easy answers or quick fixes.
It is evident that although businesses have made
significant progress in raising the awareness of talent
management and have taken steps towards its
successful implementation, a lot of organisations are still
not fully embracing the talent management challenges.
There is, therefore, still considerable opportunity for
most businesses to re-evaluate and create a cohesive,
integrated talent management strategy aligned with
their business objectives to enable them to reap the
benefits from their investment.
CONCLUSION
As Ernst & Young state25: “In today’s global market,
people success consists of aligning your company’s
vision, values and strategy with its management of
people and integrating the key components of your
talent management programmes so they form a
coherent whole”.
If you would like to find out more about the services
RSG provides, please contact Mike Beesley, CEO, RSG
at mike.beesley@rsg-plc.com
If you are interested in taking part in future RSG round
table debates, either as a lead speaker or a participant,
please email liz.gibbs@rsg-plc.com
If you would like to comment on this white paper please
use the Twitter tag #RSGdebate.
27
25. Ernst & Young, ibid
GUEST PROFILES
David Mason, Global COO Resourcing, RBS
Listed as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Resourcing
Leaders by Resourcing Magazine, David has gained a
wealth of experience in various roles as Director and
Head of Resourcing at reputable companies including
AXA, CH2M Hill and Royal Bank of Scotland. In his current
role at RBS, David’s responsibilities include delivering
large volume recruitment, senior executive recruitment
across multiple countries, talent management and
workforce planning. David has achieved particular
success in developing strategic approaches, leading
resourcing teams and implementing change focused on
commercial objectives.
Jayne Mee, Director of People and Organisation Development at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Jayne’s expertise as a commercial HR Director has
enabled her to deliver her experience to a variety of
companies including Whitbread, Royal Mail and Barratt
Developments. From early April 2013, Jayne took
on the role of Director of People and Organisation
Development at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS
Trust. Between Barratt and her current role, Jayne
enjoyed a short career break, which enabled her to
mentor for the Prince’s Trust and the RSG Bristol Young
Student of the Year, as well as volunteering for Hearing
Dogs for Deaf People where she has worked for the
CEO and Senior Team.
Nicky Bizzell, Freelance Resourcing Specialist
Nicky is a global resourcing specialist with extensive
experience in aligning resourcing strategy to business
drivers and ensuring that HR functions become the
catalyst to business success. Prior to her role at
Eversheds as Head of Resourcing, Nicky worked
as Global Head of Resourcing and Talent at ESAB
and Strategic Resourcing Account Manager at AXA
where she played an integral part in the development
of resourcing activities and branding, which led to
exceptional cost decreases for recruitment, time to hire
and quality of hire.
Steve Pratt, Interim Executive Human Resources
Following graduation with a degree in Business Studies,
Steve spent the first few years of his career in HR with
Nestle and Ross Foods before moving into Electronics,
initially with Plessey. He joined THORN EMI in 1990,
and held 3 HR Directors roles in different Divisions
of THORN over the next few years, finally becoming
Managing Director of Thorn Business Communications.
In 1999 he chose to become an Interim Manager, and
has held a number of Interim HR Director roles over the
last few years, latterly in Financial Services, including
Direct Line, Swiftcover.com and Novia Financial plc.
28
Ross Crook, EMEA, Head of Resourcing at Ace Group
Since April 2012, Ross has been responsible for all
Resourcing and internal mobility across Ace European
Group in EMEA and providing management and
consultancy services in all aspects of Resourcing to the
business. Ross’s background includes 4 years as Head
of Executive Resourcing at Barclays Bank, as well as 3
years as Executive Resourcing and Talent Manager for
Prudential.
Matt Collington, Interim HRD at Avis Budget Group
Since graduating from the University of Lancaster, Matt
has developed an impressive record of generalist and
specialist positions in HR in a variety of companies
including Mitel, GE and Airbus. With experience in
managing both UK and transnational teams, Matt now
works for Avis Budget Group as the UK HR Director
where he specialises in International Business Partnering
to CEO level, Tactical and Strategic Recruitment and
Organisation Development.
Charlotte Sword, Head of HR Ops at Wates Group Ltd
As a commercial HR Director, Charlotte has extensive
cross sector experience in areas such as Telecoms, IT
and Financial Services. Over the past 20 years, she has
achieved a demonstrable record in building and leading
commercially focused HR teams and now specialises in
Talent Management and Change Programmes. Previous
to working at Wates Group, Charlotte held the position
of Group Head of HR at Royal London and has also held
HR Management roles at Rothschild and Caminus.
Mark Boorman, HR Director at IPL
Mark is a senior HR professional with extensive
experience gained from working with leading
organisations such as Vodafone, Northern Rock plc and
AXA UK across the financial sector, media/publishing
and HR outsourcing. In his career to date, Mark has
demonstrated his ability to perform as a permanent
member of commercial leadership teams and as a
senior interim professional. He is passionate about
the diagnosis, design and implementation of the best,
value-add HR solutions and holds particular success in
establishing start-up HR teams, change management
and organisational development.
Helen Norris, Head of Business Partners at Nationwide Building Society
Helen moved to Nationwide in 2012 from her position as
a Global Head of HR at HSBC. Her dedication to driving
major change programmes for business transformation
has allowed Helen to develop a reputation for
delivering results in growth, turnaround & constrained
environments within the international blue-chip financial
services and telecommunications sectors. Throughout
her career, she has managed direct and virtual teams
within Europe, Asia, Middle East, North America and
Latin America.
29
CONTACT RSG
E info@rsg-plc.com
W www.rsg-plc.com
Bristol T 0117 907 7571
Clifton Down House
54a Whiteladies Road
Clifton, Bristol
BS8 2NH
EdinburghT 0131 301 5350
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Edinburgh
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30
LondonT 0207 469 0970
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Plough Court
London
EC3V 9BQ
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Manchester
M2 4PD
Resource Solutions Group Plc is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 01617971,
VAT registration number 357912724 and registered office at First Floor, Clifton Down House, 54a Whiteladies Road,
Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2NH.
31
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