Talent Development, contrary to common belief, is not solely about training. Talent Development encompasses the full cycle of attracting talents, developing them, and retaining them.
If we’re going to take training and development alone, we’re then assuming that people only learn in classrooms, and focusing on one form rather than taking the approach as a whole. Talent Development is about much more than training, it’s about listening, coaching, guiding, lecturing, and many other forms that don’t come with training and development alone. Talent Development is about attracting, working with and on, and retaining the best people in the organization.
Genuine talent has become scarce in today’s industry. For many who do not acknowledge the fact that people are the most important asset in an organization, average performance is acceptable. Yet when it’s time to fill crucial positions, they struggle to find compatible people to do the job. Why? Because they’ve failed to create an environment talented people are attracted to.
Talented people don’t just look for places they can work; they look for places they can grow. They want to walk into an office knowing that they will be appreciated for their talents and hard work. They want to walk into an office that reeks of opportunities. Whereas training programs are a great way to develop a specific skill in a person, talent development is about continuous learning, and not just in one knowledge area. Talent Development teaches employees to learn from everything that they’re surrounded by, to learn from their peers, from their competitors, and from the challenges that the organization and the industry face. Talented people want to experiment, and companies who want to attract and retain them need to encourage exactly that. So creating a working environment that allows for experimentation and innovation can be a strong competitive advantage.
No matter how many skilled and talented employees a company has, there are always more out there. Organizations must always remain in search for new talent that will guide them towards a healthier growth. Those who understand the importance of Talent Development in the workforce will find a significant difference in productivity and employee satisfaction in the organization.
