Strategies for Talent Development in IT

🛠️ Contribution Analysis & Talent Capability: Unleashing Potential 🚀 I remember diving into our team's performance data and realizing how crucial it is to understand contribution patterns and talent capabilities. This insight can truly transform team management and development. 📊 Using Backlog Tools to Reveal Trends By leveraging tools like Azure DevOps (ADO) / Jira, I normalized our data, uncovering trends and setting clear expectations. This approach provided valuable insights into our team's strengths and areas for improvement. 🔍 Setting Clear Expectations Analyzing contribution data highlighted our strengths and areas for improvement. This clarity ensured everyone knew what was expected and where they could grow. 📈 Identifying Upskilling Opportunities The data revealed gaps in our skills. I aimed for a “diamond” proficiency distribution. 💎 Diamond Proficiency Distribution 🥉 Novices: Fewer in number, focusing on foundational skills. 💠 Mid-Level Pros: The majority, driving core productivity and innovation. 🥇 Experts: Providing deep expertise and mentorship. In my experience, this approach enhances performance and boosts morale. For instance, normalizing data and focusing on upskilling led to a 25% increase in team efficiency. 🚪 The takeaway? Use tools like ADO to analyze contributions and identify talent capabilities. Aim for a balanced proficiency distribution to build a strong, dynamic team. Curious about how to implement these strategies in your team? Drop a comment or connect with me! Let’s drive productivity together. 🤝 #SoftwareDevelopment #Productivity #TalentManagement #TeamEfficiency #SkillDevelopment

In 20 years of developing talent, I’ve seen this mistake cost companies their best people. They wait. They wait for someone to be 100% ready to promote them. They wait for the budget to invest in development. They wait for things to feel less hectic before prioritizing development. They wait and watch their top talent walk out the door OR worse…become disengaged. Here are 3 ways to develop your top talent BEFORE they start looking elsewhere: ✅ Stretch them—with purpose. Not with more work! With one meaningful, high-impact project that provides exposure, makes them lead in a different way, and experience discomfort. ✅ Go all in on their superpower. Stop obsessing over "opportunities" unless it's a derailer (my CPO at Taco Bell taught me this). Helping someone get from below average to average at something they hate isn't development. ✅ Give them a personalized roadmap of critical experiences. I've never heard a successful leader say that they followed the downloadable career path from the company intranet. ✴️ If you know development matters, but it keeps getting pushed down on the list—send me a message and let’s talk. …………………………………………………………………… 👋🏼 Hi, I’m Michelle former Chief Learning Officer and full-time people development nerd 🤓 Follow along for simple ways to grow your career and your team’s. #HR #FutureOfWork #Leadership #LearningandDevelopment

In a recent quarterly planning session, a client recognized that they needed to level up the skills of their team. They immediately jumped to the idea of making a significant investment in training. It makes sense that they would think of training, right? Yes, AND… We also came to the conclusion that training was only one of 12 WAYS to level up their team’s skills. What were those 12 ways? Training - of course. Setting Clear Expectations - clear expectations for each team member – not only focused on their roles and responsibilities, but also around how their success will be measured. Coaching – the ability to know the right questions to ask to help someone uncover the right answer for themselves Hiring – knowing how to raise the average skills level every time they onboard someone new. Cutting the Cord - knowing when to let go of the underperformers. Having Difficult Discussions - improving everyone’s ability to have productive, difficult discussions. Creating New Roles - creating new roles in the organization that better leverage strengths and focus on what’s most important. Implementing New Tools - new tools to better automate people's jobs or processes and help them improve their performance. Improving Processes - build new processes or modify old ones that are slowing us down or hurting quality. Improving Leadership Skills - become stronger leaders, and do a better job of communicating, inspiring, motivating. Group Problem Solving - it's not all about the leader helping people, we may also need better opportunities for group problem solving (cross functional brainstorming sessions, peer groups, etc.). Improving Accountability - Put “teeth” into the process to hold people accountable for leveling up their skills and performance. So is training part of the answer? Yes, but at best, it's one-twelfth of the answer to how you level up skills and performance within your organization. And if you need a refresher on why it’s so important to level up talent in your company, listen to this episode of the Better Leadership Show: Grow your talent, grow your profit. https://lnkd.in/gbWVPNmg

Did you know? Understanding the basics of how we learn is essential to designing effective learning and development programs, employee communications, effective change management, and engagement/performance strategies. This comes down to the simplest definition of explaining the why, who, what, where, and when while co-creating the how. We can begin to see why a multi-modal approach is critical to tap into the neurodiversity and collective intelligence of our workforce effectively. We assume what people know based on what we understand ourselves, we tend to tell more than show. This is why we are failing to intrinsically motivate the individual teammates, properly recognize great behaviors, and provide clarity to performance. Maybe you know someone who is always assuming the worst without having all the details and dates first? Or maybe you know someone who is a blind optimism who always assumes the best? When we understand how we individually learn we are able to continuously improve, reskill, and upskill ourselves and others to keep up with demand and the velocity of change. Quick idea on how we can apply these human insights: 1. Diverse Learning Methods: Tailor your training and development programs to include a mix of learning methods, such as reading materials, listening to lectures or presentations, watching videos, and hands-on experiences. 2. Visual Content: Incorporate visual aids, infographics, and video content into your employee communication and training materials to tap into 30% of learning from what we see. 3. Interactive Workshops & Learning Debriefs: Conduct workshops and training sessions that encourage active participation and discussions, taking advantage of the 70% of learning from discussions. 4. Experiential Learning: Encourage employees to learn by doing. Create opportunities for them to apply what they've learned in real-life situations, tapping into the 80% of learning from experience. 5. Peer Learning and Mentorship: Facilitate peer-to-peer learning and mentorship programs to allow employees to teach and learn from each other, which aligns with the 95% of learning when teaching others. #development #communication #learninganddevelopment #peopleinsights

The Dust Bowl of Talent Management Just like the perfect storm of a tough climate and poor agricultural practices of the 1930s led to the migratory and wasting effects of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, companies are not making strategic adjustments to the talent market and internal talent management, and it leaving them barren, frustrated, and weighing their future direction. About once a week, I have that conversation with at least one business leader whose company is on life-support, severely short-staffed, and praying for a candidate who is "plug and play" capable in rural, metro markets. It's like going to Walmart the day before snowfall in the south, there are 1000 people fighting for a dozen cases of eggs and milk, and you're hoping you get lucky. This scarcity of talent isn’t just frustrating; it’s a clear signal that we need to turn inward and nurture our own gardens of talent. 🏡 A Pain Point Close to Home The most biting issue we face is the talent gap. It’s like watching a plant wilt for lack of water. We scramble to fill positions with external hires, overlooking the fertile soil of our existing team. This oversight not only costs time and money but also saps the spirit of our workforce. 🧑🏽🌾 Cultivating Our Garden: HR Meets IT Here’s how we can start watering our own garden, bringing HR and IT together to cultivate a thriving talent ecosystem: 🪴 Spot the Sprouts: Begin with open, honest conversations within our teams. Identify who has the spark, who’s hungry to grow, and what skills we need to foster. 🗓️ Tailored Growth Plans: Like crafting a garden, we need to customize our approach. Let’s work together to create growth plans that fit each individual, nurturing their unique talents and aspirations. 💧 Nurture Constantly: A thriving garden needs regular care. Similarly, we must commit to continuous learning and growth, making it part of our daily routine. 🎉 Celebrate Growth: Every new skill learned or project milestone reached is like a bloom in our garden. Recognizing and celebrating these achievements fosters a culture of appreciation and motivation. 👏 Keep the Conversation Flowing: Like gardeners exchanging tips, regular chats between HR, IT, and team members can keep our talent cultivation efforts fresh and relevant. Through these steps, we can transform our approach to talent. Instead of constant external searches, we nurture our existing team, encouraging them to grow roots and flourish. This isn’t just about filling gaps; it’s about building a resilient, innovative community that grows together. Fox Search Group is not only a white-glove IT and executive recruitment partner, but we also provide talent management consulting services to companies facing issues like this and others. You can either try to wait out the Talent Dust Bowl, hoping you survive, or you can take proactive steps today to begin cultivating your own precious talent farm that will feed your company for generations.

There's an open secret in the corporate world: the dance of job hopping for better pay. Like clockwork, every two years, the crème de la crème of the talent pool leapfrogs to greener pastures. And why? They're on a non-stop quest for more: more growth, more challenges, more opportunities. If they hit a ceiling or feel their worth is on the down-low, they're out the door. Can you blame them? Now, picture this: A world where your top talent doesn't just stick around but flourishes. They're not just employees; they're enthusiasts, thriving and soaking up every moment. This isn't a pipe dream. It's doable, and I'm here to show you the way. Embrace Growth: Make your workplace a learning hub. It's like tending a garden; the more care you give, the lusher it grows. A Little Praise Goes a Long Way: Never underestimate the power of a "well done." Sometimes, it's worth more than a bonus. Chat it Out: The best conversations often happen over coffee. Foster a space where open, candid chats are the norm, making everyone feel valued and heard. Pay Fair: We all have bills to pay. Ensure your team's paychecks mirror their efforts and achievements. Build a Family, Not Just a Team: Work is more than tasks and deadlines. It's about camaraderie, shared moments, and mutual support. Find Purpose in Every Task: Help your team connect their work to the bigger picture. It's a game-changer for motivation. Lead by Example: Be the leader everyone wants to follow. Your zest and dedication are contagious; let them spread. Look Beyond the Desk: Life doesn't stop at the office door. Show your team you care about their life outside work too. Ready to turn your workplace into a magnet for talent, where people aren't just passing through but genuinely want to build their careers? Let's create an environment where everyone is clamoring to be a part of, not just for now, but for a fulfilling, vibrant career journey.

Darren and I have been talking to talent and learning execs every day for the past 9 months. I'm talking: Chief Learning Officers Chief People Officers Global Heads of L&D Heads of People VP of Talent Development Across both F500 and high-growth startups. I think it's important to share with the other learning and talent leaders in my network some of the key trends we are hearing: -Succession planning (thinking ahead to 2035) -Retaining high performers -Supporting first-time managers -Centralizing coaching spend In a bit more detail: -Building strategic plans around succession involves exposing high-potential employees to experiences and providing them with the right learning paths for future leadership roles. O/D and talent folks are leading the charge here in many orgs. -Retaining high performers in critical roles is crucial. They may seem self-sufficient, but organizations realize they need support, career pathing, and a sense of direction. In every single room, the retention of high performers in critical roles has never been more important. -First-time managers are a priority going into Q3 and Q4. Many were promoted internally without adequate training. The action here has been a deeper approach to coaching with a more consultative approach from a coach that has been in their shoes, think a coach with a deep level operator experience and understanding. -Decentralized coaching spend. Coaching has been a hot topic, with a recent trend toward centralization. Companies seek clarity, ROI, budget/data visibility, and the right coaches with tenured operating experience. As Darren said, a huge thank you to all of the L&D / OD / talent leaders working tirelessly to support their organization's leaders. We're privileged to work with these people every day. Have a great weekend everyone!

We released the first version of talent readiness for next-gen technology services skills in 2019 with a hypothesis that we will see talent shortage and demand-supply imbalance for these skills and wanted to create a framework to help both the supply and demand side understand market readiness and investments needed to bridge that gap. I am so excited to share our second iteration of Everest Group's Talent Readiness for Next-generation IT Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment! See how the 26 IT service providers featured stack against each other on the PEAK Matrix. Accenture Atos Capgemini EPAM Systems HCLTech IBM Infosys Persistent Systems Tata Consultancy Services Brillio CGI Coforge Cognizant Mphasis NTT DATA Tech Mahindra ValueMomentum Virtusa Wipro Zensar Technologies DXC Technology Happiest Minds Technologies Stefanini Group Unisys LTIMindtree Randstad Digital Read on: https://okt.to/caNbnq In response to the evolving talent market dynamics, service providers are making substantial investments to optimize and future-proof their talent supply chain. Key highlights include: 💡Talent value chain optimization is a key strategic priority for SIs to optimize workforce development and management processes, ease pressure on margins in next-generation IT engagements, and future proof talent pipeline 💡 Adoption of non-conventional talent acquisition channels, geography-specific strategies, and strengthening ties with academia and EdTech firms are some of the key methods being adopted by providers to build sustainable talent pipeline 💡 Leading service providers understand that merely relying on external talent acquisition to match enterprise demand is not enough. There is a strong focus on providing best-in-class upskilling opportunities to their workforce, backed by structured frameworks to enable non-linear career progression, tailored skilling journeys and career pathways, aligning these journeys with employees’ aspirations, and enabling cross-functional skilling of employees 💡There is a need to accelerate adoption of data and AI-driven approach to drive precision in skilling, forecast demand-supply gap, build skill clusters to efficiently identify adjacencies, and predict attrition rate to strategize build vs buy decisions for next-generation skills 💡 Leading providers are increasingly leveraging technology to build a more engaged and motivated workforce including adoption of AI- based tools to capture employee sentiments and burn out rates Get in touch with our fantastic team: Arpita Dwivedi Amit Anand Chirajeet Sengupta Abhigyan Kumar

Retaining top-performing employees is crucial for long-term success in any organization. While factors like work-life balance and a positive work environment are important, there are other strategies that can be implemented to ensure employee satisfaction and commitment. Every person on your team might have a different motivator so implementing all or several of the strategies below will increase your chances of employee retention: 1. Invest in Career Pathing and Growth Opportunities: Provide a clear roadmap for advancement within the company. Offer opportunities for continuous learning, upskilling, and professional development. This allows employees to envision a promising future with the organization. 2. Recognize and Reward Excellence: It is important to regularly acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of top performers. Include things like work anniversaries, personal achievements, and milestones. This can be done through personalized shout-outs, rewards, or bonuses. Recognizing their hard work shows that their efforts are valued and appreciated. 3. Foster Empowerment and Autonomy: Give employees the freedom to take ownership of their projects and decisions. Empowering them fosters a sense of responsibility and pride in their work, increasing their commitment to the organization. 4. Maintain Open Channels of Communication: Encourage open dialogue and feedback. Employees should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions, as their contributions can shape the company's success. This also helps in identifying areas for improvement. 5. Implement Mentorship and Leadership Programs: Establish mentorship initiatives to facilitate knowledge transfer and skill development. Such programs create strong bonds and a sense of belonging within the organization. 6. Provide Challenging Projects and Responsibilities: Assign projects that align with employees' strengths and aspirations. Engaging and challenging work keeps them motivated and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. 7. Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits: Stay updated with market standards and provide competitive compensation packages. Additionally, comprehensive benefits beyond salary, such as healthcare or retirement plans, are crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. 8. Focus on Continuous Feedback and Improvement: Regularly assess and improve employee retention strategies based on feedback and data. Adapt and evolve to meet changing expectations, ensuring that employees feel heard and valued. Remember, your employees are an investment, and it is essential to prioritize their satisfaction and growth within the company. By creating an environment that nurtures top talent, you not only retain valuable team members but also save on job ad and recruiting costs in the long run. #EmployeeRetention #InsuranceIndustry #LongTermSuccess #TopPerformers #EmployeeEmpowerment  

The Vital Role of AI in Talent Transformation In today's fast-paced world, organizations face the ongoing challenge of adapting to ever-changing business environments. Unlocking the potential of talent within an organization is crucial for success. Looking ahead, artificial intelligence (AI) will play a critical role in talent transformation, revolutionizing how we attract, develop, and retain skilled individuals. 1. Streamlining Talent Acquisition: AI enhances the talent acquisition process by swiftly analyzing vast amounts of data. Intelligent algorithms identify suitable candidates efficiently, screening resumes, and conducting initial interviews. This reduces time and effort for recruiters. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants engage with potential candidates, providing information and answering queries, streamlining the recruitment experience. 2. Data-Driven Decision Making: AI-driven analytics enable informed talent management decisions. By analyzing data on employee performance, engagement, and career development, AI identifies patterns, trends, and areas for improvement. These insights optimize talent strategies, personalize learning programs, and identify high-potential individuals for leadership roles. Data-driven decision making ensures effective resource allocation, enhancing employee engagement and retention. 3. Personalized Learning and Development: By leveraging data on skills, performance, and learning preferences, AI recommends relevant courses, resources, and learning pathways. Adaptive learning systems adjust content and pacing to match employees' styles, optimizing skill development. On-demand learning modules powered by AI ensure continuous professional growth, keeping employees relevant in a rapidly evolving job market. 4. Enhancing Employee Experience and Engagement: AI automates mundane tasks and provides real-time support, contributing to a positive employee experience. Virtual assistants manage schedules, answer common queries, and facilitate internal communication, allowing employees to focus on strategic tasks. Sentiment analysis and natural language processing gauge employee feedback, enabling proactive measures to address concerns and enhance engagement. 5. Talent Retention and Succession Planning: By analyzing employee data and aspirations, AI identifies flight risks and develops targeted retention strategies. Predictive analytics anticipate skills gaps, allowing organizations to nurture and upskill existing employees. AI-powered talent marketplaces match internal talent with opportunities, promoting internal growth and reducing turnover. Conclusion: AI is set to become an indispensable part of talent transformation. By optimizing recruitment, enabling data-driven decision making, personalizing learning, enhancing employee engagement, and facilitating retention and succession planning, AI revolutionizes talent management practices.