I just chanced upon a ComputerWorld Article on Just-in-time talent: How to develop a supply chain of people. Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School wrote in this month’s Harvard Business Review suggested that the best way to hunt for talent is through the supply chain perspective.
A supply chain framework for talent management (adapted from ComputerWorld/HBR)
‘Make’ and ‘buy’ to manage risk.
- Undershoot your estimates of the talent you need to develop.
- Make up the shortfall with outside hiring.
Adapt to the uncertainty in demand for talent.
- Break development programs into shorter units for more flexibility.
- Create an organizationwide talent pool to be allocated as needed.
Improve ROI in development.
- Ask employees to invest their own time in stretch assignments.
- Maintain relationships with former employees who may return someday.
Protect your investment by balancing employee/employer interests.
- Have employees share in advancement decisions.
Adapted from the Harvard Business Review
As much as I think this will be excellent in managing talent and using web2.0 to fill in the gaps within the organisation, somehow I do not like the feeling that organisations are treating employees as part of the supply chain. As an employee, I am a human and, preferably, I would not want to link self worth at the same level with raw materials.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Michael // Mar 24, 2008 at 1:36 am
I have wondered about the same idea a while back, treating employees from a supply chain perspective, and felt the same like you do. Agile placement of employees means treating employees like raw materials than can be supplied and capped.
This idea would work wonders with management that treats employees like expendable assets. Then you have your Bourgeoisie Vs Working Class argument. This may simply be a sad reality in a capitalist system.
“Ask employees to invest their own time in stretch assignments. ” –> One should wonder about the practicality of this in a real commercial world.
2 Sean // Mar 24, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Yeah I agree with you. Now my next question is really how to strike a balance between the 2 ideas to achieve the best outcome.
3 Michael // Mar 25, 2008 at 2:52 pm
1) Give employees incentives to perform. Promotions is just not good enough anymore, given the agility that the business environment has in hiring employees.
2) Supply Chain Hiring are tactical hirings, meaning find the best brain to do the best job quickly, and then kick them out. I believe for companies to grow, strategic hires should be the main focus instead of tactical hiring.
You can’t go a lot off the tangent by combining strategic hires + good incentives that promotes creativity/productivity. Most companies are only good at one, or the other.
4 Sean // Mar 26, 2008 at 12:14 am
Well said man!
5 Talent Management - Part 3 // Apr 22, 2008 at 10:42 am
[...] part one and two of Talent Management I wrote previously, I talked about Just-In-Time resource [...]
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