From Talent Engagement to Value Creation

Generation X,Y,Z : the challenge of the intergenerational

The company of the 21st century is currently undergoing several revolutions, at once material, technological, financial and organisational. In two centuries, the entrepreneurial world has never changed its pyramidal structure and hierarchical codes so much, and the change is sudden.

And for good reason, the arrival on the market of the Y generation (25-35 years old) and then the Z generation (people born at the end of the 1990s) represents the main catalyst of this phenomenon that few companies can still manage. While there have always been several generations ready to coexist in organizations, newcomers no longer seek to distinguish themselves in the traditional way. From now on, the promises of long-term development are no longer enough to attract and retain talent.

In addition to this new difficulty in retaining talent, there are conflicts between generations with different aspirations. Generation X (45-55 years old) often feels that they are being sacrificed in order to promote the retention of young people. Technology has also brought to the new generations a role more of knowing than learning.

Fortunately, this situation is not inevitable and requires teamwork by managers. This new diversity must be experienced as an opportunity and the implementation of new tools in the company (online leave request, intranet, etc.) helps to fluidify relations between people who have the same level of knowledge and information.

The manager, until now the holder of the information, sees his role transformed in depth. This evolution must be accompanied by the Human Resources Department at the forefront in the transition to a more collaborative organizational mode.

Finally, the other path that is beginning to prove its worth is that of “reverse mentoring”, in which the younger generations train the older ones, generally in new technologies.

Employee engagement = Emergence of  Talents

It is well known that employees who are recognized and valued in their work and proud of their company are more likely to commit themselves and bring out their talents.

But this posture is not only decreed on paper and requires a clear vision of the company and its objectives. For the latter, the challenge is to provoke this commitment by knowing how to recognize the value of each person.

In 2016, a study by the Canadian company OfficeVibe revealed that more than 85% of employees worldwide are not fully engaged in work, and the lack of active engagement costs companies around the world several hundred billion euros. Thus, committed employees are a necessity today. However, commitment cannot be decreed and must be the result of a managerial policy and various processes implemented within the organisation that are decisive in bringing employees to reveal themselves and give their best.

The employer brand and the company’s reputation are nowadays essential criteria for employee motivation. Reinforcing this reputation today requires not only social networks but also a series of initiatives led by HR departments and/or the communications department. Long-term commitment also means agreeing to separate from an employee while giving them the opportunity to return. This is the phenomenon of “re-hiriing”.

Analytics and Big Data: new technologies for talent management and retention

BI and Big Data tools are designed to change human resources management. They are nowadays very present in the recruitment phases but their use is increasingly focused on talent management. They allow a better understanding of employee profiles while matching employee aspirations to the company’s needs.

Big Data is now a reality in many companies. At the marketing and sales level, it makes it possible to know and better target customers. But Big Data is much more than that and is of increasing interest to Human Resources, which also has its customers to manage: employees.

The data they offer is a gold mine of information on the career path of each of them, their professional and personal aspirations. In addition to this information, there is now also all the information on the Internet that can be used to further enrich analyses.

However, having such an information resource is an opportunity, but it is still necessary to know how to use it. To do so, methodology and purpose are essential for its successful implementation.

Big Data is a turning point in HR management. From this premise, the promises he announces in the field of HR are attractive both for recruitment and talent management. Big Data makes it possible to match CVs, training and job offers. This opens up career opportunities for employees that he may not have necessarily imagined. Even if companies are now at the beginning of experimentation, Big Data will allow employees to imagine their career path and offer them opportunities throughout their career.