Why Do Businesses Lose Trust in Talent Management?

Talent management is a cornerstone of modern business strategy, yet it often fails to meet expectations. While sourcing and training talent are critical steps, they do not inherently guarantee the delivery of business outcomes. When organizations invest in talent management but experience misalignment with their goals, trust erodes.

This article explores the key reasons behind the shortcomings of traditional talent management systems, highlighting common pitfalls and offering insights into how businesses can close the gap between talent and execution.

The Overpromise of Talent Management

Talent management is often marketed as the solution to workforce challenges: find the right people, provide training, and success will follow. However, many organizations discover that while they may have skilled employees on paper, actual results fall short.

In my opinion:

‘There is no point sourcing great talent/s for the job but not committing on the outcomes. Over the years, I have seen businesses lose trust in the value of recruitment agencies and talent mgt companies because the outcomes are not achieved by the people they recruit and train’

Having spent decades in the people business, managing training, L&D and Recruitment, Jay knows that Talent Management on its own is only part of the solution.

I have 1 case study that springs to my mind as I write this:

Case Study: Engineering Project Delays

In 2019, just before COVID, an engineering firm in Australian invested heavily in hiring and training project engineers and managers in the Robotics space. They were to work on a very ambitious and innovative project in the Machine Learning and Visualisation space.

While these individuals had the technical expertise, the firm experienced recurring project delays. The project failed and like many others, it was smeared by budget overruns and no tangible outcomes were delivered.

• Was it HR's fault? No - They found the right people.
• Was it the PM's fault? NO - They had an approved execution plan.

People + Execution = Performance

As a talent management professional it is a challenge for me to 'compete' with recruiters and talent managers who have 'No Skin in the Game'. I strongly believe that Talent Management professionals should engage on project outcomes by the individuals they propose for the roles. How can they guarantee outcomes ? I hear the Naysayer.

The recruiter/L&D practitioner/HR Professional must first truly understand the technical aspects of the job and what it takes to complete the project. They should partner with the business and take mutual risks that they can mitigate together. Likewise, they should be rewarded for the risks mitigation such that their job should be considered as complete only after the project is delivered - Not when the person signs his/her contract of employment.

Conclusion

Businesses lose trust in talent management when it fails to deliver on its promise of better performance and outcomes. While sourcing and training are necessary steps, they must be complemented by execution-driven strategies to ensure alignment, accountability, and motivation.

As organizations navigate the challenges of 2024, the focus must shift from merely building talent pipelines to fostering systems that guarantee success. By prioritizing execution, businesses can rebuild trust in talent management and achieve sustainable growth.

#TalentManagement #Execution #WorkforceDevelopment #Leadership