**Knowledge Infusion Co-Founder Heidi Spirgi recently contributed her thoughts about lessons learned on the shop floor that would benefit HR strategy and talent management
Lesson #2 from the shop floor: have it, build it, buy it
In its simplest form, Talent Management can be defined as the management of the supply and demand of talent. Let���s boil this down to the basics:
1. Work with business leaders during the business planning process to define the type (leadership, management, individual contributors, skills/competencies, experience, knowledge, languages, etc.), quantity, location, and timing of talent demand. Demand is a function of business strategy and operating plans.
2. Does the needed talent exist in the organization today? Can it be redeployed? Who will backfill the vacancy?
3. If it doesn���t exist or can���t be redeployed, can we develop the talent internally to meet the needs of the demand? Do we have or can we develop the learning programs to build the talent internally? Do we have enough time? Do we have enough resources? Do we have the intellectual property and subject matter expertise to build it?
4. If it doesn���t exist internally and we can���t build it, how can we buy the talent from the outside? How can we access external talent pools to fill the demand? Should we fill the demand with a contractor or with a new hire?
More sophisticated forms of the talent supply chain include forecasting talent demand (workforce planning), optimization of internal deployment (internal mobility, project staffing, and scheduling), and simulation of cost/risk scenarios (e.g. internal vs. external fill, development vs. recruitment of skills, etc.).
HR is several years from this higher level of talent supply chain optimization, but will certainly get there with time and the dedication of a new breed of strategic HR leaders.
Another infusion of knowledge..
