We run into this question many times when working with Enterprise clients on TM strategies. When asking process related questions during discovery interviews, inevitably the answers come with varying levels of understanding, confidence, and clarity on the state of talent management processes utilized within the organization. To remedy this issue, Knowledge Infusion recommends a three step method to define and transform talent management processes in the organization.

Business Process Transformation is the first step and takes a high level look at your talent management processes and offers the opportunity to rethink, blend, and challenge the way you are doing things today. It is a systematic way of putting down on paper the high-level tasks that a process must accomplish and blending together steps to ensure they meet defined business outcomes. A cross-functional team is typically assembled to do this work to ensure that the traditional HR functional silo mentality of process ownership doesn't influence end-to-end transformation. This work inevitably feeds the software/vendor selection process.

Business Process Design is the next step in the chain. This is usually performed after the software has been selected and the organization has knowledge of what the software can actually do. During this step, processes are refined to a more granular level of detail adding in the enabling technology that will support and drive the process in the organization. Roles and responsibilities, workflow, and other factors are also defined during this step.

Business Process Calibration is the final step in the chain and is performed during the software implementation process. During this step, processes that were refined in the design phase are calibrated to the exact capability of the software. There is usually some element of give and take to ensure the software can accommodate the process. As a result of calibration activities, the transformed TM processes are clearly defined, enabled by technology, and ready for roll out to the organization.

At Knowledge Infusion, we are constantly expanding our individual and collective knowledge of the Human Capital Management and Talent Management domains. Information comes through a variety of channels including this recommendation from one of our clients.

The book is titled "Results" by Gary Neilson and Bruce Pasternack. I haven't read it all, but have focused on a chapter titled "The Resilient Organization". The content is interesting to me because it speaks to the same mantra that Knowledge Infusion does on the importance of vision, alignment, adaptability, and moving the  goalpost every three years.

Some excerpts:

"Flexible enough to adapt quickly to external market shifts, the Resilient organization remains steadfastly focused on and aligned behind coherent business strategy......Resilient is the healthiest of all organization types (compared to the Passive-Aggressive, the Fits and Starts, the Outgrown, the Over-managed, the Just In Time, and the Military Precision organizations). It is in good working order... They're always scanning the horizon for the next competitive battle or market innovation."

"Nothing exists "just because" in the Resilient organization; every position, process, and policy has a purpose...and that purpose is aligned with the strategic objectives of the enterprise." (Reminds me of Knowledge Infusion's trilogy of People, Process, and Technology).

This just scratches the surface...might be worth a read for you as well!!

Merry Christmas.  Happy Hanukkah.  Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Boxing Day.  No matter what your faith, this is the time of year when many of us make New Year's resolutions. [Check out this list put out by the Fed if you're looking for some direction - h[ttp://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml|http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml]]   Whether it's ‘lose weight,' ‘take a trip,' ‘volunteer to help others,' or ‘pay off debt,' the individuals who make these promises will have realized varying degrees of success by the time they sit down 12 months from now to start on 2009's list.  There are many reasons for this.  One is that some individuals take the time to document these promises.  By writing them, these individuals are more conscious of them, and thus, are more likely to develop them into goals, build a strategy to achieve these goals, and execute on that strategy. 

Making New Year's resolutions and acting on them is not always easy for us as individuals.  Doing so as a team can be even more difficult.  We at Knowledge Infusion help our clients face this challenge every day.  We work with HR executives to build strategic roadmaps that sequence technology initiatives based on business objectives.  A common pitfall once the strategy is created is to forget these business objectives as the focus shifts to executing on project tasks. 

That is why we encourage our clients to document the metrics the organization will use to measure the impact of their investments.  These metrics should drive the development of reports and dashboards as technology is rolled out.  If this sounds like HCM analytics or workforce intelligence for anyone who reads this it should.  Workforce intelligence starts with identifying measures that tie key indicators of business performance to HCM practices and programs. Only after such measures have been identified can they be leveraged to make better management decisions. These metrics include:

1. Transactional Metrics: These measures quantify the activity in various HR functions. Examples include headcount, the number of hours trained, the number of performance reviews submitted, payroll, and active headcount. When taken in isolation, none of these figures is very strategic. However, many of them act as building blocks (i.e., variables used to calculate) for HR Operational Metrics and Workforce Effectiveness Metrics.

2. HR Operational Metrics: These are meant to monitor HR's performance in terms of process outcomes and employee satisfaction. Examples include time-to-hire, retention of high performers, and satisfaction with training programs.

3. Workforce Effectiveness Metrics: These tie Transactional and HR Operational information and metrics to other business performance indicators outside HR. As such, they yield the intelligence to support strategic decision making. Examples include the total cost of turnover, the effect of assigning key accounts to high performers on sales, the impact of a six-sigma certification program on operational efficiency, and the identification of managers adept at developing people.

After you've defined the metrics, consider when you will be able to deliver them, to whom they should be delivered, and in what format they should be served.  By developing and delivering these metrics, you will keep the goals of the business and the value that HR provides front-of-mind for the appropriate constituencies.  Consider this as you set out to make good on the resolution in 2008 that we should all be setting for ourselves as HR professionals - making our organizations a more rewarding place for people to work.

Be on the lookout for workforce intelligence innovations from Knowledge Infusion in 2008...