What do you do if your R&D team needs help identifying and nurturing talent?

And you know who fits within these requirements? PhD graduates! Working for a long time in a topic gives the chance to develop creativity, organizational skills and hands-on experience. When someone tells you: "sorry but you don't have floor experience", the answer is: I do. Four to five years of supervising junior staff, working under pressure, meeting deadlines, managing budget and developing workflows compliant with QESH. Besides: adaptability, analytical mindset and teamwork abilities. The image of a PhD graduate focused in a single minute topic and lacking interpersonal, entrepreneurial and technical skills is definitely outdated.

To help your R&D team identify and nurture talent, assess current skills, define talent needs, implement targeted recruitment efforts, establish talent identification processes, provide training and development opportunities, offer mentorship and coaching, encourage knowledge sharing, recognize outstanding performance, monitor progress, and consider external support for specialized expertise.

Look within: Learn to spot high performers with intellectual curiosity and a problem-solving attitude. Track potential: Implement a system to monitor employee contributions. Recognize and reward these early signs of talent. Mentorship & Coaching: Pair high-potential employees with experienced R&D leaders for guidance and inspiration. Develop their soft skills like communication and teamwork. Growth Opportunities: Provide challenging projects so that they can showcase their skills. Encourage participation in industry events like workshops, seminars, exhibitions and the like. Thus, you can create a talent pool by fostering a culture of recognition, acknowledgement of talent and growth.

To find talent, look beyond resumes. Target universities with strong STEM programs and attend career fairs. Look for individuals with a passion for learning and a track record of independent projects. For nurturing, assign challenging projects with clear goals. Example: Give a recent grad co-ownership of a small experiment to spark initiative and problem-solving. This hands-on approach fosters growth and identifies future R&D stars.

Realizar avalia??es de habilidades e potenciais dos membros da equipe. Promover um ambiente de trabalho que valorize a criatividade, inova??o e colabora??o. Oferecer oportunidades de desenvolvimento profissional e treinamento. Implementar programas de mentoria para apoiar o crescimento e desenvolvimento dos membros da equipe. Reconhecer e recompensar o desempenho excepcional. Estabelecer metas claras e proporcionar feedback construtivo regularmente.

Create a matrix with R&D project phases (e.g., ideation, prototyping, testing) on one axis and core skills (e.g., design thinking, data analysis, coding) on the other. Rate team members on each skill, which helps identify gaps (maybe the team lacks strong data analysts) and plan for development. For nurturing, pair junior members with senior experts for on-the-job learning during specific project phases. This targeted approach can strengthen core skills and prepare future R&D leaders.

Craft a growth plan focusing on skilling up and challenging your R&D team. Start by identifying individual strengths and weaknesses through skill assessments. Tailor learning paths with external courses, conferences, or internal mentoring programs to address skill gaps. For challenges, gradually increase project complexity or scope. Example: Assign a high-performer co-leadership of a new project phase, stretching their abilities and preparing them for future leadership roles within R&D. This combined approach hones skills and readies your team for future innovation.

To boost collaboration and talent identification in my R&D team, I would personally implement mentorship programs pairing seasoned researchers with new hires. Regular knowledge-sharing sessions and cross-functional project teams will foster collaboration and skill development. Additionally, incentivising referrals and attending industry events can help attract top talent.

- Implement a structured feedback system that includes regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, and real-time feedback mechanisms to ensure that each team member knows how they are doing and what they can improve. ?? - Train managers and team leaders on effective feedback techniques, such as the SBI model (Situation-Behavior-Impact), can enhance the quality of feedback, making it more meaningful and actionable. ?? - Encourage a peer review system where team members can give and receive feedback from each other, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and mutual respect within the team. ??

I would say being in exposure to the projects is the most effective of learning and growing R&D skills because we face real challenges leading to a product not a theory or publication

Another thing to consider is that your most talented R&D people might already be working in another role. Often times the best R&D people come from the production or operations side. They have practical, hands-on experience in the environment where your solutions will be implemented and so know many of the common pitfalls and pain points solutions run into when they're released into the real world. As an R&D leader you should be making strong connections with your production and operations teams. And that's not just with the leaders there. Getting to know the people on the floor is where you might find your next star developer.

Start with a talent hunt to find people with potential and relevant skills to help your R&D team find and develop talent. To determine the team's strengths and areas for improvement, carry out skill mapping. Provide team members with opportunities for skill development and career advancement by creating individualized growth plans. Encourage the development of a collaborative culture that values mentoring and information sharing. Create a feedback culture where accomplishments are acknowledged and helpful guidance is given. Promote lifelong learning with opportunities for professional development and training. The R&D team can successfully find and develop talent by implementing these strategies, which will spur innovation and success

To strengthen your R&D team, boost emotional intelligence (EQ) and promote cross-functional experiences. EQ helps team members work better together by improving communication and teamwork. You can achieve this by providing training to build skills like empathy and conflict resolution. Cross-functional experiences, such as working with different departments or teams from other countries, offer new perspectives and spark innovative ideas. By focusing on EQ and cross-functional work, your R&D team will be more adaptable and better at solving problems.