Introduction
Employees are the fundamental part of an organization. They are known as the most fundamental factor of production in any organization. Therefore, employers across the globe have been extra-keen on how the manage as well as retain workforce. Such positioning of an organization highly depends on the ability to bring the right people on board, utilizing their talents, developing the talents and retaining employees. Although, this process is challenging to different organizations employers should never give up on acquiring the best talent. Possessing a talent in an organization is unique in itself as it is a proper definition of excellence of the organization in a given field.
Talent has become more fundamental than capital and strategy. The competitive advantage of an organization is properly defined by possession of unique talents. Strategies are ideas that can be copied by competitors to challenge the operations of a business. Capital can be gathered by anyone or business wishing to extend its operations in a given business field (Vaiman, 2010). Therefore, any organization intending to be extremely influential in its industry of operation must recognize the significance of talent.
The current global economic performance is an outstanding standard to measure the competence of individuals in a given industry. These are the times that companies sink while others thrive. The performance of a company during these difficult times is an indication of the potential of its personnel. During this time, the highly performing companies poach the most talented individuals from its competitors (Kaye, 2010). This is a strategy to ensure that competitors are harmless in their bid to extend business challenge.
The main strategy through which companies compete for talents is through offering an extensive range of benefits to the individual. The individual must be convinced by the company that he will earn more there than in the competitor’s camp. Therefore, the willing employer must investigate on the compensation ability of its competitors to assist him in setting salary for the targeted employee (Vaiman, 2010).
An attractive package of allowances has also been used a trap for talents. Companies have fashioned sets of allowances as techniques to attract talented individuals. Since talents are special and rare to find, companies have developed new strategies that assist in ensuring that talented individuals are treated better than the rest of the personnel (Kaye, 2010).
Utilizing talent
Once the company has thought of fetching talent from far and wide, it must have identified a niche in its operations. This means that the individual must be utilized accordingly to bring the needed influence to the business of the company.
The employer should ensure that the talent that has been acquired by the company is utilized to the maximum. This is achieved through ensuring that the right environment has been set for the talent. It should be clear that a talent cannot work exceedingly well on its own. It requires a combination with a favorable work environment (Kaye, 2010). The employer must have a proper understanding of the environment needed to ensure that the talent that has been paid for dearly is utilized accordingly.
The talent must be used within its line. This is on the definition of the expertise of the hired individual. There must be the willingness or the readiness of the employer to show the hired individual the line in which he or she is supposed to operate. At no point should the hired individual be confused for utilization in a different field (Vaiman, 2010). This means that the employer will confuse operations of the company as well as underutilize the ability of the talented individual.
Points where the hired talent is required should be well defined. This helps in ensuring that the employer makes maximum use of the hired employee. This may be achieved by identifying interlinked roles that may require his or her ability to handle (Kaye, 2010). In this case, the employer may use the expertise of the employee which could not have been used if keenness was not applied in the bid of one’s talent.
Ability to find talent
Although, talent is extremely fundamental in driving a given business to the highest heights possible it is usually challenging to find talent. There are various challenges that may prevent easy way to find talent. Some of the challenges are competition, lack of proper techniques to identify talents, and lack of proper negotiation skills.
Competition is a factor that may change the operations of an individual as well as a company. Through its pressure on companies, employees may be forced to work harder than under normal circumstances. This means if an employer popped into the company at that time will be attracted by faint ability. Therefore, employers should approach employees under normal business operations, where employees operate under normal business temperatures (Kaye, 2010). This way, the employer will have achieved the needed talent.
Without extensive exposure to a given field, it is difficult to identify the most outstanding techniques to acquire talents. Exposure to a given business helps the employer to identify the most preferable talent for the identified niche. This would aid in acquiring competent individuals to handle certain business challenges. Exposure to the field gives the employer the ability to identify the most outstanding negotiation skills (Vaiman, 2010). This will help in acquiring the best talent required for the company.
Ability to attract talent
Before making a move to acquire talent in an organization, the employer must have been attractive to the employee first. This means that the employer must possess certain elements that are attractive to the employee being sought. These are elements may be internal or external. They include competitive advantage, organizational performance, and availability of expansion opportunities (Kaye, 2010).
Competitive advantage if the possession of special traits that aids a company to be above its competitors in business (Vaiman, 2010). A company must show the employee that it has the potential to dominate the market through being the best among its competitors. The employer must be in a position to show the employee, what the company can do in bid to challenge the operations of its competitors.
The previous performance of a company is extremely significant in defining the future of the company. Every employee would wish to work in a performing business. Talent must be motivated by previous performance. Therefore, the employer should expose the previous performance to the employee to ensure he convinces the talented individual to stick to the company (Kaye, 2010).
Ability to retain talent
Hiring an employee is not the end of the concern of the employer. He needs to be extra cautious on how employees continue their operations in the company. The hired talent being previously sought after by other employers needs to be treated with extensive keenness (Vaiman, 2010). Retaining an outstanding talent is a tall order and requires the willingness of the employer to participate in the successful utilization of the obtained talent.
During the employee-hiring process, there are agreements or conditions that the employer puts down with the employee. Both parties have to remain faithful to their promises. Therefore, for the employer to retain an employee he has to keep all the promises they had agreed. This means that the standards required by the employee have to be set accordingly (Kaye, 2010). This will help in ensuring motivation at work for the employee.
Also, the employer has to identify potential threats that may attract the employee to competitors. The employer must ensure that the employee acquires that he or she could have acquired from competitors. This will motivate the employee to work harder as the employer is concerned and willing to assist in achieving the objectives of the employee as well as those of the company (Vaiman, 2010).
Develop talent
Talent needs to be developed from time to time following the changes that take place in the business world. It is a way to put up with the challenge of competition that may come up in a given industry. There are various ways that are applicable in talent development.
One of the main techniques that are most suitable in talent development is employee training. The employer needs to invest in extending the skills of the employee. There are certain skills that need to be matched with the talent to bring out the best of the employee. This will ensure success for the employee in delivery of the required effort to enhance performance for a given business (Kaye, 2010).
Awards are also used as elements of developing talent. There should be motivation for excellent performance among employees. A talent may be developed by awarding employees for previous achievements.
Conclusion
Employees being the most fundamental part of an organization should be treated with extensive respect. Different employees possess different talents and there is need to recognize each of them. Lately, companies have been moving around seeking exclusive talents. It is the responsibility of every organization to acquire the best employees. This can only be achieved through the availability of the expertise to evaluate the most needed talent, identify the individual with the talent, attract the talent, utilize the talent, retain the talent, as well as develop a talent. With proper relationship between an employer and the employee, it is extremely easy to achieve excellence for a company as well as maintain its competitive advantage.
References
Kaye, B. L. (2010). Up is not the only way a guide to developing workforce talent(2nd ed.). Boston: Davies-Black.
Vaiman, V. (2010). Talent management of knowledge workers: embracing the non-traditional workforce. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
