There’s no denying that the principal asset of a business is its employees. Indeed, the skills and experience they bring every day can not only lead productivity but also influence innovation and creativity in the workplace. Without a good team you can rely on, there is no point in designing a strategy.

However, attracting, identifying, developing, engaging and keeping your team is not as easily done as said. For many entrepreneurs, at the heart of their growth, they need to establish an effective and successful talent management strategy. Without it, the potential of your business future is unstable, if not uncertain.

Unfortunately, too many companies continue to struggle with their talent management plans. Of course, the main mistake you could make is to assume that your role as a talent manager stops at the end of the recruitment process. Your job starts with the recruitment process and continues long after new members of the team have been hired. 

Here are the top 5 errors that can cost you your best employees:

New employees don’t feel part of the team

If you want your workforce to perform continuously and smoothly, you need to make sure that the team can work together. For established teams where each member has been with the company for years, you may not find any need for team bonding.

But when you introduce new employees to a service, you have to encourage your staff to engage with each other through team building activities. Indeed, if an employee is isolated from the team, their input to common projects is likely to be minimal.

Additionally, you might struggle to make the most of their skills in a situation where they don’t feel integrated. The bottom line is that cooperation and trust don’t occur naturally in a team. It’s your role to make room for these and get to know your staff.

You’re not making the most of availability

Picture the scene.

You’ve got an urgent project coming in, and you mistakenly assign it to a member of the team who’s on holiday.

Unfortunately, by the time you notice that your employee is on vacation, you have to ask the rest of the team to accumulate overtime to make it work.

Unfortunately, if this is a common occurrence, you might find that your employees are not only getting overworked but they can’t maintain their productivity and quality of work. That’s precisely why it’s essential to keep track of everybody’s schedules through a mobile employee scheduling tool that lets you see who’s available and allocate tasks to the best-suited employee. You can also use the tool to ensure that nobody is unintentionally forced into not taking days off through an extended period.

You don’t know what the company needs

Talent management is ultimately about ensuring that you have the most relevant skill for the job and that you can keep them. Aside from your ability to manage a team effectively, there’s a critical factor that, if missing, can affect your efforts, namely your understanding of the job.

It’s not uncommon for inexperienced managers to produce job specs that are not suited for the business at hand. Indeed, when your staff’s expectations don’t meet the ones from the company, it can be tricky to keep the team together. A lack of understanding of the talent you need, or even of what the company is able to offer, can affect your turnover rate and reputation negatively.

Lack of flexible working options excludes talent

By 2020, it’s expected that 65% of US companies will include co-working space in their office facilities.

The idea is to ensure that remote workers can have access to a fast and secure Internet connection. The appeal of working from home, for most employees, is a matter an emotional and psychological balance.

Indeed, your employees are looking for solutions that make their lives easier, starting by reducing commuting stress and tile away from their families. If, as a talent manager, you can’t help your employees to accommodate their working life to their personal needs, you might face a drop in engagement and productivity, as well as the risk of increased turnover.

You don’t offer adequate training

Who wants to stay in the same job forever?

No one.

Your employees want to be able to improve their knowledge and skills within your company. They expect appropriate workplace training that is suited to their needs and their professional aspirations. However, training comes at a cost, and it can be tempting to be exclusive in an attempt to manage your budget. Your employees need to see you’re ready to invest in their future if you want them to invest in yours.

From managing your staff schedules adequately to helping newcomers to be part of the team, the responsibilities of effective talent management are varied. But a company that understands how to look after its employees doesn’t have to worry about its existence.

© New To HR