managing your talent

People Planning Toolkit

S T A G E 4 : M A N A G I N G Y O U R T A L E N T

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P E O P L E P L A N N I N G TO O L K I T

S tage 4 : Manag ing you r t a l en t



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People Planning Approach

Stage 1Identify yourcritical posts

Stage 4Identify high potential/

high performingindividuals within your Service area(managing your

talent)

Stage 2Identify your

critical people

Stage 6Evaluate and measure

outcomes of yourpeople planning

approach

Stage 3Identify and prioritise

key risks to yourService delievery

Stage 5Identify potential

successors for yourcritical posts

Stage 4Identify high potential/

high performingindividuals within your Service area(managing your

talent)

What is talent?‘Talent’ is defined as a dormant or untapped qualityto be accessed in the future, either in an individualemployee or a group of employees. ‘Talent’ is anindicator of the capacity to learn, as well as thespeed with which a person can adapt to newchallenges. It should be noted that talent is not thesame as educational achievement – an individualdoesn’t need to have had any formal education to beconsidered ‘talent’!

What is talent management?Talent management is defined by the Institute ofManagement as a means of identifying, releasingand guiding untapped potential in people.

Within the Council, this translates into developing aplanned strategy for investing in the development oftalented individuals, retaining their commitment tothe Council and properly using their abilities toleverage high performance in the delivery of Councilservices.

How do we identify our talent?Identifying talent is not easy as you are trying toidentify potential – that is, something that ‘could be’as opposed to something that already exists. Aspotential is all about future performance rather thancurrent performance, it is impossible to predict anemployee’s potential to assume bigger or morechallenging roles with 100% confidence or completeobjectivity. However, a range of factors may assistyou to develop a reasonably accurate andcomprehensive picture of an employee’s potential.

It is recommended that you use the highpotential/high performance matrix that is set out inthis guide to identify your talent. This guide will helpyou identify who your high potential/high performingemployees are and how to plan their developmenteffectively so that you have a ready pool of talentwhich can compete for vacancies, and specifically,Critical Post vacancies within your Service area.



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Hints and tips: You may well identify an employee as ‘high potential’and they subsequently fail to realise that potential.Don’t be disheartened – this is only to be expected.You must, however, ensure that you review your highpotential/high performing employees on a regularbasis so that this is identified early on and that yourinvestment in terms of time and money is not wasted.

Hints and tips: The objective of developing a ready pool of talent isnot to ear-mark employees for promotion but toprovide focussed and accelerated development foremployees who are considered to have the ability totake on higher and more complex challenges. Thisdoes not guarantee promotion in any shape or formand all vacancies will continue to be filled subject toan open, fair and transparent competition process.However, one of the key advantages of talentmanagement is that, done well, such an approachequips your employees with the skills, knowledge,experiences and exposure that are required for yourkey vacancies – all that’s left for the employee is todemonstrate this at the application and selectionstages of the recruitment process!

Identifying your high potential employeesA high potential employee is one considered to havethe ability to take on higher and/or more complexchallenges. Depending on the context and theircurrent role, this may mean progressing one, two ormore organisational levels in future, or taking onbroader and more critical roles at the same level.

All high potential individuals will be high performingas they will be demonstrating some ability orpotential ability to function in a bigger role. Notevery high performing employee, however, will beidentified as high potential. Why? Some highperforming employees will have already reached thehighest level at which they are able to functioneffectively. Others may simply not want to move tothe next level or a bigger role.

The following model identifies the critical traits thatwill help define whether an employee is to beconsidered high potential. To rise to and succeed inmore senior, more critical roles, employees musthave the aspiration, engagement and ability to doso. Ability is most important, engagement second,and aspiration third, but none alone can serve as aguarantee. Without significant amounts of all three,employees will simply fail to excel in the next morecritical job.



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Aspiration

Ability Engagement

The High-Potential EmployeeA high potential employee is

someone with the ability, engagementand aspiration to rise to and succeed

in more senior, critical roles

AbilityA combination of the innate characteristics andlearned skills that an employee uses to carry outhis/her day-to-day work.

Innate characteristics• Mental/cognitive agility• Emotional intelligence

Learned skills• Technical/functional skills• Interpersonal skills

EngagementEngagement consists of four elements:• Emotional commitment – the extent to which

employees value, enjoy, and believe in theCouncil

• Rational commitment – the extent to whichemployees believe that staying with the Councilis in their self-interest

• Discretionary effort – employee willingness to go“above and beyond the call of duty”

• Intent to stay – employee’s desire to stay with theCouncil

AspirationThe extent to which an employee wants or desires the set of responsibilities, challenges, and rewards thatsucceeding in a more senior, more critical role entails.

PerformanceConsistently high standard of delivery

Past performance and observed behaviours havebeen proved time and time again to be the mosteffective means of predicting future performance.However, identifying high potential employees isabout more than just predicting future performance.Roles of greater responsibility and/or greater breadthtend to have very different kinds of requirements interms of technical skills, behaviours, businessexperience and the types of challenges that will befaced in the new role compared to the previous rolein which the employee has a proven track record ofperforming well.

A robust talent management approach is essential toavoid employees being promoted intobigger/broader roles based solely on past or currentperformance and then perhaps struggling or evenfailing completely in the new post.

Key steps to identifying your high potential employees

1) The Senior Management Team/GroupManagement Team/Corporate ManagementTeam will meet initially to seek consensus on whatfactors constitute high potential within theirparticular Service area. In doing this ChiefOfficers should refer to the Council’s competencyframework which sets out key skill andbehavioural requirements for each family of jobs.

2) Details of what high potential “looks like” in theService area is then cascaded to all managersresponsible for identifying and nominating highpotential employees for further development. Thefollowing list suggests relevant sources ofinformation that could help you assess youremployees against the agreed high potentialindicators. This list, however, is not exhaustive:

3) Once you have started to assess employeesagainst the agreed high potential indicators, youmay wish to plot this data in a way that will helpguide and inform your decisions as to who in youteam should be considered for further,accelerated development and within whattimeframe using the followingperformance/potential matrix. It is recommendedthat, at the very minimum, you carry out thisassessment for all your Critical Posts (identified inStage 1) and your Critical People (identified inStage 2). However, if you wish to extend theassessment process to all employees within yourteam then the same principles apply.



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Performance Ability

Corporateknowledge andexperience whichwill be relevant infuture

External assessment tools includingpsychometric testing e.g. work style;leadership or motivation inventoriesto identify strengths and potential‘derailing’ factors

360º feedback Assessment centre data based onrealistic simulation exercises, casestudies and interviews, designedagainst future critical role andleadership requirements

Behaviouralinterviews todetermine pastperformance inchallengingsituations

Individual managernominationssupported by theviews of a range ofothers

Career history/biographical data

Observedbehaviours

Career preferences and intentions

Performance Ability

Currentperformance,capability strengthsand gaps, resultsand performanceratings

Manager assessment of keycharacteristics – e.g. decision-making; risk analysis; problemsolving; strategic capacity;emotional intelligence; adaptability;commitment to learning – mappedagainst a template of futureleadership/critical postrequirements



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Box 7: Role Mismatch/New to role

• Temporary situation (new in function,expected to become fully performingin 6 months)

• May require on-the-job coaching dueto promotion or new in theCouncil/Service area

• Needs a lot of information aboutculture and/or exposure to technicalknowledge

• Full performed in previous roles and isworking to expand capabilities toperform in a larger role

• If no improvement in performance thisbecomes a capability issues andshould be dealt with in accordancewith the Capability Policy

• Regular 1-2-1’s required

Box 8: Growth employee• Always achieves targets/

deadlines/manages workload• Always meets expectation• Occasionally exceeds expectations• Keeps up with changes that impact

upon the service theydeliver/Council as a while

• Comes up with innovative ideas/pushes boundaries/challengesstatus quo

• Demonstrates capabilities andcompetencies that are requirementsof the next level

• Could currently take on roles ofnext tier (deputise)

• Needs challenge, opportunities todevelop performance further

Box 9: Next generation leader• Constantly exceeds expectations, delivering

over and above what is required for therole within given timescales

• Demonstrates a range of capabilities andcompetencies that are required at the next level

• Has the potential/ability to move verticallyor horizontally if the opportunity arose witha high probability of success

• Has vision, can map where and how toprogress as a Council in the future

• Sets and strives to achieve stretchingtargets/new boundaries

• Highly driven and self motivated• Sets high expectations for self and others• Requires challenges to keep motivated• Could become a mentor• Requires challenging development

opportunities• Is accountable for decisions/actions

Gro

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Box 4: Role Dilemma/New to role• Mismatch in current role (e.g. good at

some things but large knowledge orperformance gaps)

• May demonstrate competencies thatare better suited to other roles

• Low confidence in their owndevelopmental potential

• Needs corrective action plan with clearmilestones – if no improvement inperformance this becomes a capabilityissue and should be dealt with inaccordance with the Capability Policy

• Regular 1-2-1’s required• May need to move to a more

appropriate role within 6 months

Box 5: Core employee• Always performs to required

standard• Always achieves

targets/deadlines/manager’sworkload

• Keep up with changes that impactupon the service theydeliver/Council as a whole

• Researches and implements sectorspecific best practice

• May need encouragement toachieve full potential – coaching,more challenging targets, greaterand broader Council involvement

Box 6: High Impact Performer• Constantly exceeds required

standard/expectations• Demonstrates some capabilities and

competencies that are required at the nextlevel

• Very good representative of the Councilboth internally and externally

• Good interaction with colleagues, peersand managers

• Uses a wide internal and external networkeffectively to achieve goals/advise onfuture developments

• Thrives on challenge

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Box 1: Under performer• Does not currently demonstrate the

right competencies for the role• Actions to be put in place to improve

performance – Capability Procedure• Not demonstrating the appropriate

technical skills• No confidence in their own

development potential• No promotion potential• Big gap between what is needed and

current performance• Regular 1-2-1’s required

Box 2: Effective employee• Usually performs to required

standard/achieves work targetswithin timescales

• May find it difficult to keep up withdevelopments/issues that impactupon their role/service area/Council

• Not currently ready to considerapplying for a high grade role

• Requires motivation and support tobecome a Core Employee/ TrustedProfessional in the first instance

Box 3: Trusted Professional• Professional backbone of the Council• Excellent knowledge – the one everyone

learns from • Performance always reliable in all aspects• Strong desire to remain in current position/

at current level• Stays up to date with current developments

and methodology relating to their role• Could become a mentor/coach

Does not meet/partially meetsexpectations – should not be in thiscategory for more than 6 months

Meets expectations Exceeds expectations

PERFORMANCE

Note: this is a snapshot of your Service area only.Assessments will change over time given changes inperformance during the year or personalcircumstances and/or other factors that influenceemployees’ decisions to participate in accelerateddevelopment programmes.

Employees will move between quadrants over time –the key is to base your assessment on as muchobjective information as possible in order to targetyour development strategies effectively.

Those employees who sit in Box 9 are the primarycandidates to be considered for accelerateddevelopment interventions. Their development needsto be targeted to encourage/enable them to beconsidered ready for opportunities at the next levelrelatively quickly, that is, within the next 6 months.

Note: Once considered “ready” these individuals willcompete for promotion and/or vacant roles withother candidates (who may or may not haveundertaken accelerated development opportunities)in an open, and transparent competitive selectionexercise.

A wider pool of employees demonstrating potential isavailable by considering those employees who fallinto Boxes 6 and 8.

For ease of reference this information can bedocumented as follows:



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Emerging Potential(12 months to 3 years awayfrom next move)

Potential Growth(Progression potential indicated,identify bigger/stretch role atsame level. 6-12 months awayfrom next career move)

High Upward Potential(Significant progression potentialindicated. 0-6 months awayfrom next level career move)

Priority action needed Development opportunities needed Develop and motivate at current level

Service Area/Group, Month/Year

Potential

Perf

orm

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4) Once you have identified your high potentialemployees, you will nominate these individuals tothe relevant Senior Management Team/GroupManagement Team/Corporate ManagementTeam via your Chief Officer. A meeting will be setup with the sole purpose of discussing thesuitability of the nominations submitted byindividual managers. Wherever possible, theChief Officers present should have worked with orat least have had some kind of work-basedinteraction with the nominated employees inaddition to robust evidence to support themanager’s nomination. Where this is not the

case, the nominating manager and any othermanagers who have worked with the individualshould be included in the discussion about thesuitability of the nominated employee foraccelerated development.

Need to make a decision around how the TalentManagement approach is communicated within theCouncil – is it open and transparent? Are we goingto develop a culture where managers justify whysomeone is not on the talent programme and whatthey need to do to be considered? Or is thissomething that is discussed between the managerand the individual and kept discreet?

Once your high potential employees have beenidentified, the real value of this approach is indeveloping these employees effectively.

At this point there are a number of factors toconsider:• Some high potential employees may choose not to

participate in development programmes due tofamily commitments or personal circumstances.Whilst these career preferences and intentions maychange over time, these employees need to bevalued for the contribution they make at theircurrent level and strategies need to be put in placeto continue their development and retain them forthe longer term.

• Just because an employee is identified as highpotential, this potential still needs to be developedto be successful. High potential won’t necessarilybe realised unless nurtured through targeted andtailored development experiences.

• High potential employees often movecomparatively quickly through various roles(laterally or vertically). They may be at differentstages of their career, and differ in their experiencelevels, but will all have individualised developmentneeds which need to be addressed. No twodevelopment plans will therefore be the same.

• Participation in accelerated developmentprogrammes does not guarantee promotion withinthe Council and all employees need to be madeaware of this. Any promotion or move into analternative role will be subject to open competitionin the usual way.

The Council is committed to investing in thedevelopment of high potential employees and so tothis end, development strategies must be carefullytargeted and must be tailored to the specific needs ofthe individual.

What are the most effective developmentexperiences?When considering the development experiencesrequired by each individual, the following questionsmay help you, as their manager, focus on theirspecific needs:

On the job development • What stretch assignments are available in the

workplace?• What opportunities are there in the next 3-6

months to:- Take on a leadership role?- Take on a strategic planning role?- Take on a project management role?- Share their knowledge/skills with others?- Take an analytical role?- Lead change?- Broaden their perspective outside of their current

Service area?• What rotation/secondments opportunities

are there?

Informal development• What opportunities are there to learn from others

in the workplace with complementary skill sets?• What personal attributes could benefit from formal

coaching?• What job shadowing opportunities are

available/appropriate?• What networking opportunities are available?

• What experience/exposure could be gained e.g.from attending relevant forums, strategy meetings,committees, partnership working etc?

Formal development• What specialist development is required through

formal development e.g. bespoke managementdevelopment programmes, specialist training etc?

• Formalised feedback processes also providepowerful guidance



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Developing high potential employees/managing your talent

Talent management brings together a number ofimportant Council policies and practices. In order tobe successful, any talent management approachreally needs to focus on co-coordinating andintegrating the following:

• Recruitment – ensuring the right people areattracted to the Council

• Retention – developing and implementing practicesthat reward and support employees

• Employee development – ensuring continuousinformal and formal learning and development

• Leadership and “high potential employee”development – specific development programmesfor existing and future leaders

• Performance management – specific processes thatnurture and support performance, includingfeedback/measurement

• Workforce planning – planning for business andgeneral changes, including addressing the ageingworkforce and current/future skills shortages

• Culture – developing a positive, progressive andhigh performance “way of operating” within theCouncil

For further information or practical support inmanaging your talent, contact the PeopleDevelopment Team on 01443 424159 or 01443424082.



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Key links to Council policies and practices



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Manager checklist

Action Completed

1. Identify your high performing employees

2. Identify your high potential employees

3. Map these employees against high potential/high performance matrix

4. Identify your primary candidates to be considered for accelerated developmentopportunities

5. Nominate these individuals to your SMT/GMT/CMT via your Chief Officer

6. Create tailored development plans to address specific needs of each successfullynominated individual

7. Conduct regular performance reviews with successfully nominated individuals tomonitor and assess progress against development objectives

8. Review your high potential/high performing matrix on a regular basis to identifyany changes in performance/assessment of potential

managing your talent

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