2010 is quickly approaching. HRO Today recently sat down with blogger and vice president of Taleo Research Alice Snell to discuss her 10 buzz words for next year.
“There’s a lot of predictions out there, and talent management is really a hot topic for next year,” said Snell. “These are 10 words we are going to hear everywhere. Each one of these topics has many challenges and opportunities as we move forward.”
Leadership
With unemployment holding steady at 10 percent for the majority of 2009, employees have witnessed a significant drop in trust in their organization, be it large or small. “There’s been a lack of confidence, so there’ll be talk about the need for leadership,” Snell noted. The C-suites will need to step up to the plate to restore trust within their organizations.
Succession
The drop in leadership confidence has lead to a pressing need for succession planning. Organizations will have to consider how to move forward to be successful in the recovery.
Performance
Some companies were stretched pretty thin in 2009, and that will need to be faced in the coming year. “There will be issues about getting the best from your workforce, and how to drive that,” said Snell.
Talent
It’s a big buzz word for 2010. Companies will be focusing on getting the best talent, said Snell. Retaining talent will come to the forefront as well.
Recovery
“Don’t need much explanation here,” quipped Snell. “It’s a word we are going to hear a lot.” It’s top of mind, and many organizations are hopeful of a recovery, but fearful of what it will look like and what it will mean. Snell said she expects the recovery will have different attributes for different industries and geographies: “Everything is pointing right now that we are going to be in recovery mode.”
Productivity
It’s nothing new, noted Snell, but 2009 was an interesting year, as companies asked their employees to do more with less. “When you are looking at talent management issues, productivity is so key,” she noted. “What is the output? Do you have the right talent? Have you taken care of the leadership gaps?” Answers to these questions will help outline how to successfully drive productivity.
Turnover
“What I think we are going to see in 2010 is a return to more concern about turnover,” said Snell. “There will be additional moves by top talent that feel more confident as recovery moves along and as organizations go into growth mode.” Snell said she thinks turnover might increase, but foresees a shift in the game—from involuntary to voluntary turnover.
Compensation
Bonuses have made headlines this year with some bailout-funded companies still dishing them out lavishly (such as AIG, for example). “Financial services firms and banks have brought a new attention to issues around fair compensation. Talented employees will be looking to make sure they are being compensated,” Snell explained.
Recruiting
“We are already seeing an uptick in recruiting,” said Snell. “With the recovery, we are going to see more and more recruiting. The process and issues around quality talent and competing for talent will return as a forefront talent management issue.”
Skills
Many companies went through a reorganization process due to downsizing in 2009, and will have to take a hard look at their decisions. Snell said she believes skills might have become mismatched during this process. “It may be a development issue where organizations need to understand skills of employees they have, and they also need to understand what skills they need.”
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