T for talent
One of the most important aspects of any business is the talent management of the people who work there. From the first to the last person, everyone in every position. Because I’ve always felt, and I try to apply it to any project I’m involved in, that it’s strategic. Maximizing the development of the individual talent of the people who make up an organization and aligning it with corporate strategy are the keys to strategic talent management.
In the words of Xavier Ferràs, Professor of Operations Management, Innovation and Data Sciences at ESADE, “a company is a talent network. A social network stretched by the need to achieve goals, which will grow only if it’s able to develop its internal talent and grow along with it”. I couldn’t agree more.
There is something that is much more scarce, something far finer, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.
- Hubbard (1856-1915)
American writer and philosopher
While talent management practices had already been evolving in recent years, the current circumstances arising from COVID-19 and the assimilation of the hyper-changing environment in which we live have accelerated their implementation. Because it’s been proven that the commitment of employees drives the success of companies, because Talent Management works. And the HR department isn’t exclusively responsible for this as it used to be; it must involve managers, leaders, internal communication, IT… Human capital management has been completely reformed and organizations, we, must be a part of it throughout the entire life cycle of employees; in other words, even before they become an official part of our teams.
Customer experience VS Employee experience?
Customer experience strategies and transformations should include a priority focus on the employee experience, but often don’t. That is, there are still companies that believe they can improve the customer experience without improving the employee experience. This is a mistake. Because the correlation between the two experiences is a fact. Happy employee = happy customer. Focusing on employees is not only the right thing to do, it’s also good for business.
That’s why it would probably generally be wiser to promote strategies in companies to improve the “people experience”. Neither customer-centric nor employee-centric: human centric. Seeking to make a profit, of course, but focusing on doing so in a way that most benefits all the stakeholders involved, including customers, employees and suppliers. Because we’re people who interact with people.
A matter of attitude
My current experience in Hispano Suiza shows me every day that the talent of each individual is measured more by attitude than by aptitude. Each one shows how they know and think it’s best to approach a problem, a challenge or their everyday work, thinking about what they can offer to improve our product and service. When you work with people who are totally involved, unconditionally, the goals that are achieved (or not achieved but not for lack of trying hard) really generate a maximum satisfaction which is difficult to explain, especially because you realize their personal and professional commitment and the enormous value that this has.
Sergio Martínez Campos
CEO, Hispano Suiza