No Old Attitudes for New Year – Talent Management Approaches in 2021.

The Year 2020 was a challenging season for many globally. Almost all companies felt it. The workforce were the major losers. Most people lost their jobs, businesses as well as their bosses who owned their dreams. Requiring new insights from talent managers to create a winning approach for this New Year will require tact and facts. The approach organizations will adapt within the first quarter of this year is likely to determine their success by the end of 2021.

The way organizations used to manage their employees in the past year requires a rethought within the first quarter of the year. People Management is more complicated than rocket science. Because people are more complicated than rockets. Each member of the workforce has a unique character, unique talents, and unique needs. The year 2021 requires more workforce analysis for future success. The workforce analysis needs to concentrate on character, talents, and needs. People developed certain characters in the past year due to the challenges of the pandemic; new talents were developed and old talents diminished as well as individual needs shifted. Organizations should make time to analyze each member to increase their chances of success. Emphasis should be on making time to conduct workforce analysis. Not creating time but making time for your workforce!

The other challenge organization will face is to get the most out of people as individuals as well as departments or business units in which they work. To do so means adapting the way in which organizations approach their people management, moving to a culture where employees are regarded as individuals within a community rather than an audience viewed from a stage. This will be of much significance where all the new normal approaches are revised. For instance, if employees need to work from home, psychological support, revising the home environment to have a scent of the work environment, as well as the resources needed for one to enjoy working from home, should be provided. This should include the necessary training for the new normal ‘The psychological and Physical logistics of such an approach is important. 2021 workforce are much optimistic about successful months ahead. To manage their expectations the psychological interventions should lead to all the new normal approaches and processes.

In the past year, most organizations had an exclusive approach rather than the inclusive approach. Revising the way of management and handling of businesses from an exclusivity approach to an inclusivity approach will lead to much success milestones. The inclusivity approach recognizes that everyone has a talent and value and not only a few people on the top. Think of that tea girl in your office, that security guard at your gate as well as the chief finance officer enjoying greater privileges. Think about that hawker in the streets or supermarket tellers. They may understand the people-buying pattern and spending habits beyond your expectations. All these are humans of great understandings, talents, and viewership. Find the best approaches to handle people that surround you both at the workplace and outside the workplace. This enables you to gain and learn much from them. This approach of inclusivity and the concept of making your people before making your products is recommendable for this New Year. Paul Turner and Danny Kalman (2013) developed this concept of making your people before making your products and I believe it still holds some great facts in post-pandemic scenarios. Making your people before making your products means that organizations will recognize that the world is an open market for talented people. Create a community of talent; Include employees in talent management, Ensure that the CEO takes ownership of the talent strategy. Enlighten leaders and empower managers; Giving equal or greater status to global people strategy than other strategies such as product marketing or technology as well as integrating the ‘tools’ used in talent management with the tools of management. It is a joined-up approach between people and business strategies. Involving your workforce in the planning and implementation process is of much significance this year. It is not time-wasting but a recommendable success strategy.

Summarily, the talent management approaches for organizations should include:

• Workforce Analysis: Analysing team Character, Talents, and Needs.
• The psychological and physical approach for people management.
• The joined-up approach - Making your people before making your products.
• The Inclusivity approach – considering that everyone has a talent and of value and not only a few people on the top.

About the Author

Fostine Opiyo Odhiambo is the Founder of Jo Africa and an Independent HR Consultant. He has written a number of articles and immensely contributed to many professional writings globally. He has a wealth of experience in various family-owned businesses, industries, and projects in the hospitality, communications, manufacturing, production, merchandising, Maritime, Casinos, Entertainments, Education, Agribusiness, and Healthcare sectors as well as community-based projects within East Africa. Working with people is his passion. He advocates for Honest Human Resource Practices and Africanization of Human Resources practices. He developed AKOBRA Model as a fit between the employer and its employees. He is a member of IHRM - The professional body of HR Practitioners in Kenya. He sits on various Development Boards within Kenya. You can reach him through [email protected]