Set Talent in Motion: Achieving Success with Talent Mobility

7/28/2019 Set Talent in Motion: Achieving Success with Talent Mobility

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Set Talent in Motion:Achieving OrganizationalSuccess with Talent Mobility

In partnership with:

ResearchHCI


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HCI Research

ii Copyright 2013 Lee Hecht Harrison and Human Capital Institute. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ........................................................................1

About this Research .......................................................................3

Defnition o Key Terms ..................................................................3

Introduction ....................................................................................4

Leveraging the Mobility Environment ...........................................5

Defning Talent Mobility .................................................................6

Recognizing Talent Mobilizers .......................................................7Proactive Versus Reactive Talent Mobilizers................................10

Talent Mobility Behaviors & Practices .........................................12

Identi ying & Addressing Talent Mobility Challenges .................17

Conclusions & Recommendations ...............................................19

Appendix A: About the Research Partners .................................22

Appendix B: Respondent Demographics ....................................23

Appendix C: Works Cited ............................................................25


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Set Talent in Motion: Achieving Organizational Success with Talent Mobility

1 Copyright 2013 Lee Hecht Harrison and Human Capital Institute. All rights reserved.

Set Talent in Motion:Achieving OrganizationalSuccess with Talent Mobility

Executive SummaryThis original research report by the Human Capital Institute (HCI) and LeeHecht Harrison (LHH) explores the discipline o Talent Mobility, an integrated talent management process supporting talent movement that hinges on an

organizations ability to e ectively understand, develop, and deploy talent in response to business needs within and outside o an organization. Thesebehavioral segments are de ned in the ollowing way:

Understand organizations ocus on talent mobility as a priority, preparemanagers to assess their talent and actively communicate with employeesin ormation and plans about career opportunities.

Develop organizations provide and prioritize opportunities or employees to gain experience and increase skills, while holding managersaccountable or developing employees.

Deploy organizations ocus on flling open roles internally and ensuringthat employees have the tools they need to move into new and di erent positions, while also recognizing redeployment and outplacement as critical components o the talent mobility li ecycle.

A 37-item survey distributed to organizational leaders in the spring o 2013ormed the basis o this research in which we examined current concepts,

practices and challenges, and proposed a new holistic model o Talent Mobilityor businesses to capitalize on.


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The greatest challenges acing Talent Mobility in business today are: con usionand inconsistent de nitions o what Talent Mobility is; a lack o a true,strategic approach to designing and implementing related programs andinitiatives; and, a lack o proper prioritization across the broader goals o theorganization. Our research proposed and tested a holistic model o Talent

Mobility, and ound that organizations and leaders must plan and implementthree distinct processes in order to achieve Talent Mobility success:

1. Understand an organizations current talent and needs;

2. Strategically Develop that talent; and

3. E ectivelyDeploy the talent.

Our hypothesis was that Committed Talent Mobilizers organizations thatexhibit all three o the behaviors above would achieve better bottom-lineresults, as well as espouse a more proactive approach to Talent Mobility thanwould other organizations. Our survey ndings con rmed this hypothesis.Organizational leaders rom Committed Talent Mobilizers are more likely toagree that within their business, High potentials are identi ed, developmentplans are created, career discussions are conducted regularly, and successionplans or key positions are created and supported. Moreover, organizationsthat have embraced a holistic view o Talent Mobility are much more likely thanother organizations to report revenue growth at or above target goals .

The report illustrates the Talent Mobility landscape today, highlightingcommon behaviors and practices, and identi es key areas or improvement.Most notably:

To meet the demands of todays employee development needs relatedto Talent Mobility, organizations must be more transparent aboutopportunities or lateral moves and advancement opportunities.

As a whole, organizations are underperforming in terms of providingemployees with in ormation and resources needed to improve their skills,and do not prioritize or adequately und Talent Mobility practices.

Employees today expect -and organizations will bene t from- enhancedemployee opportunities such as working in cross- unctional teams, task/

job rotation, and stretch assignments.

To ensure that Talent Mobility is treated as a holistic process, morecollaboration is needed among Recruiting & Hiring, Training &Development, and HR Business Partners.


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About This ResearchThis research study was developed in a partnership between the Human CapitalInstitute (HCI) and Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH), and was conducted in the springo 2013. A total o 435 valid surveys were completed in March 2013 by HCImembers and LHH clients, the results o which make up the core o this research.

As part o the HCI research process, qualitative interviews were conducted withbusiness leaders, practitioners, and subject matter experts on the topic o TalentMobility. These contributors include:

Margo Armstrong, Assistant Vice President, Talent Practices, MassMutual

Wanda Shoer, Director of Global Mobility Operations, Johnson & Johnson

The research ndings are summarized in this report, along with in ormation andquotes rom relevant secondary sources, including white papers, articles, books,interviews and case studies.

Defnition o Key TermsTalent MobilityAn integrated talent management process supporting talent movement that hinges on an organizations ability to e ectively understand, develop, and deploy talent in response to business needs.

Indices o Understand, Develop & DeployIndices produced by the HCI/LHH survey analysis that represent the three

essential behavioral components o Talent Mobility. Committed Talent Mobilizers

Respondent organizations that scored highly on all three Talent Mobility indices: Understand, Develop and Deploy.

Tier II Talent MobilizersRespondent organizations that scored highly on two o the three Talent Mobility indices.

Tier I Talent MobilizersRespondent organizations that scored highly on only one o the threeTalent Mobility indices.

Non-Mobilizers Respondent organizations that did not score highly on any o the threeTalent Mobility indices.

Proactive Talent MobilityOrganizations characterized by activities such as identi ying high-potential employees, creating development plans, holding regular career discussions, and creating and supporting succession plans or key positions.


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Reactive Talent MobilityOrganizations that tend not to identi y uture talent needs, have a weak pipeline, and only fll key roles a ter they are vacated.

IntroductionTodays leading organizations are devoting more attention than ever be oreto Talent Mobility. What was once recognized as a strategy for preparingemployees to take on global assignments has evolved considerably in thepast ew years. Today, it has become a more comprehensive work orceplanning strategy and approach that encompasses the readiness or talent movement and the management process o shi ting talent acrossan organizations projects, roles, teams, departments, and locations. Itembraces and plans or increased lateral and vertical movement amongemployees, domestic and global moves, and even transitions talent outside

o the organization.

When effectively planned and implemented, a Talent Mobility program iswholly bene cial or both the organization and key employees. It enables anorganization to lower its talent acquisition costs by capitalizing more e cientlyon in-house talent, helps leaders develop a more capable and resilient talentpipeline, and helps deliver strong nancial per ormance. At the same time,Talent Mobility is a way to engage top per ormers and make organization-wideopportunities more readily available to key talent.

One study remarked on this trend: One o the biggest success-drivers in

enduring organizations is their ability to rapidly and transparently move peoplerom role to role and unction to unction as business needs change. To do

this requires a new way o thinking about and managing talent. It requiresmanagers to become more fuent and transparent when speaking about talentand it requires employees to become more actively engaged and candid abouttheir career aspirations and development goals. 1

In this research, we ound that in order to achieve success with a Talent Mobilityprogram, organizations and leaders must rst understand the organizationscurrent talent and needs, strategically develop that talent, and e ectivelydeploy it to where it can best support organizational goals. The nebulousnature o the term Talent Mobility raises questions about how it is perceivedand practiced today, and o ers us the opportunity to more clearly de ne it inthis report. In addition to obtaining baseline data about the practice o TalentMobility, our research examined what behaviors di erentiate organizationsas they mobilize their talent. Measures tied to the indices o Understand ,Develop , and Deploy were analyzed to see which, i any, impact revenue andan organizations approach to Talent Mobility.1 Bersin by Deloitte. (2009, November

18). Talent Mobility: The New Era o Talent Management . Retrieved May 24,2013, rom www.bersin.com


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Leveraging the Mobility EnvironmentThe state o talent management today calls or solutions that Talent Mobility cano er. On one hand, organizations are experiencing a shortage o skilled laborand weak leadership pipelines. Despite their zeal or work orce development,CEOs admit their shortcomings when it comes to securing the right people

or the right jobs to drive growth, Ann Pace notes in a 2012 T +D Magazine article. Because o talent constraints during the past 12 months, 31 percent [o CEOs] could not innovate e ectively, 29 percent were unable to pursue a marketopportunity, and 24 percent canceled or delayed a key strategic initiative. 2

These challenges are only expected to intensi y in many developed countriesas large numbers o workers reach the retirement age. In the U.S., more than 46million Baby Boomers with training and education beyond high school will beover age 57 in 2020, which could translate into a labor shortage o as many as 20million skilled workers. 3 Worldwide, one in 12 individuals was at least 60 years

old in 1950, a statistic that increased to one in 10 in 2000, and the proportion isexpected to increase to more than one in ve by 2050. 4

Simultaneously, as the work orce demographic is changing, the drive orworkplace fexibility continues to alter the talent-management landscape. Manyyounger workers eel restricted by the standardized 9 5 work cycle, while moremature workers nd themselves caring or children and/or aging parents whilealso managing work obligations. Employers are meeting these demands byrede ning when, where, and how workers are able to do their jobs remotely,on a fexible schedule, and/or through job-sharing, or example.

In the midst o such sweeping change, employee turnover particularly amongyounger workers is a challenge for todays organizations. While the median

job tenure or U.S. workers age 65 and older was about 10.3 years in 2012, it wasonly 3.2 years or workers ages 25 to 34, and or all U.S. workers, the medianemployee tenure was 4.6 years. 5 Employees in the 21st century are simply notplanning to make a career at a single organization (or even two or three).Many o these individuals are seeking job ul llment and rapid career growth,and they are willing and able to job hop to achieve those goals. Accordingto a PricewaterhouseCoopers study, 38% o Millenials surveyed agreed with thestatement I am always actively on the lookout or other opportunities and keep

an eye on the job market.The recent economic downturn and tenuous recovery has potentiallycompounded this turnover issue, as L&D departments have re rained romo ering the ull spectrum o training programs and development processesto employees, urther adding to the stagnation o workers and their skill-sets. I employees lack meaning ul challenges in their roles and eel that careeropportunities are limited, they are organizational fight risks especially as theeconomy rebounds. In addition to the loss o productive and high-potentialtalent that voluntary turnover can result in, replacing that key talent is an

2 Pace, A. (2012, July). The EnduringTalent Trial. T+D, p. 22.

3 Carnevale, T. (2005, January). TheComing Labor and Skills Shortage.T+D, pp. 37 41.

4 Population Division, Department o Economic & Social A airs, UnitedNations. (2002). World PopulationAgeing: 1950-2050 . New York: UnitedNations Publications.

5 Bureau o Labor Statistics, U.S.Department o Labor. (2012, September18). Retrieved May 24, 2013, romBureau o Labor Statistics: www.bls.gov

For the generation now entering the workforce,there is a big interest inmoving around a business,

in doing different things withyour career and making animmediate impact. To be ableto support that kind of speed,organizations need to think about talent mobility and capitalize on the practice of it. Moving talent laterally is away to keep new generationsinterested and focused onexpanding their skills and support the business, whilealso giving them what they need in order to develop intoleaders.

Wanda Shoer, Director of Global Mobility Operations,

Johnson & Johnson


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Talent Mobility is anintegrated talent managementprocess supporting talentmovement that hinges onan organizations ability

to effectively understand,develop, and deploy talent inresponse to business needs.

HCI Research


6 Brotherton, P. (2010, December).Warning Signs of Turnover Waiting toHappen. T+D, p. 24.

expensive proposition or organizations, as turnover costs can range rom 93-200% o a departing employees salary. 6

Organizations are realizing more than ever that not having the rightemployees strategically deployed hinders productivity and is a risk to theorganizations overall health and talent pool. In addition, a ailure to deploytalent most e ectively leads to increased work or recruiting and acquisition departments that o ten operate reactively to ll critical, vacant roles. Inresponse to this challenge, organizations and leaders can address TalentMobility practices and integrate a new, holistic perspective and approach to itin their organizational culture.

Defning Talent MobilityAs a rst step in our survey research, we asked respondents how theirorganizations currently de ne Talent Mobility. No consensus emerged; rather,organizational leaders expressed wide variance in how their organizationsperceive the term. Nearly hal o respondents (47%) cited that development o in-house talent most closely aligned with their organizations de nition o TalentMobility, ollowed by promotions/advancement o roles (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 demonstrates how respondent organizations perceive or defne Talent Mobility.

In order to address the lack o a basic de nition o Talent Mobility amongorganizational leaders, we propose the ollowing de nition that is supportedby our research data and analysis: Talent Mobility is an integrated talent management process supporting talent movement that hinges on anorganizations ability to e ectively understand, develop and deploy talent inresponse to business needs . In order to achieve success in a Talent Mobilityprogram, organizations must implement e ective ways to assess the talentalready in-house, design development methods to increase the scope andskill-sets o that talent, and en orce plans to deploy that talent according to theneeds o the organization (see Fig. 2).

Figure 1:What is Talent Mobility? Development o in-house talent

Promotions/Advancement o roles

Lateral moves within the business

Moving positions and/or tasksto people best positioned

to manage them10%0% 20% 30% 40% 50%

47%

29%

13%

12%


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TalentMobilizers

n d e

s t a

e

t

U n d e

r s t a

n d

T a

l e

n t

Know your employees strengths

and development needs

Plan and prioritize to helpemployees gain experience

and increase skills

Provide the toolsand resources to move

employees into new internalor external roles

v e l o

a l n t

D e

v e l o p

Ta le n t

e

o y

D e p l

o y T

a l e n t

Fig. 2 illustrates the holistic model o Talent Mobility, an integrated process supportingtalent management that hinges on an organizations ability to e ectively understand,develop, and deploy talent in response to business needs.

Recognizing Talent MobilizersRather than a singular process within talent development, Talent Mobility is betterunderstood as a critical segment o the talent li ecycle that includes three primary

acets o talent mobilization rom strategically acquiring and assessing talent,to actively developing those individuals, to preparing and deploying employeese ectively or roles inside or even outside o the organization. To explore the

impact o these on organizational per ormance, we conducted a actor analysis tocreate three indices to capture the key elements o these behaviors understand,develop, and deploy. An organization scored high on an index i respondentsreported that the correlated behaviors listed below are practiced or o ered 50%o the time or more o ten. Those organizations that scored high on an index werethen categorized as an Understander, Developer, or Deployer , respectively.

Understanders Organizations that understand their talent ocus ontalent mobility as a priority, prepare managers to assess their talent and actively communicate with employees in ormation and plans about career opportunities. Behavioral measures o Understanders include:

Employees are well informed about open positions.

Managers assess existing talent.

Leaders invest nancial resources into talent mobility.

Organizations conduct company-wide talent reviews.

Organizations hold regularly scheduled performance reviews.

Figure 2:Holistic Model o

Talent Mobility


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Organizations use talent management software.

Successors to key positions are identi ed ahead of need.

Developers Organizations that develop their talent do so by providingand prioritizing opportunities or them to gain experience and increase skills,

while holding managers accountable or developing employees. Behavioral measures o Developers include:

Managers are responsible and held accountable for building and developing talent.

Organizations use career planning processes or platforms.

Opportunities for stretch assignments are offered/available.

Coaching is offered/available.

Internal networking is offered/available.

Job search/skill development is offered if/when downsizing occurs.

Deployers Organizations that deploy their talent e ectively ocus on fllingopen roles internally and ensuring that employees have the tools they need to move into new and di erent positions. These companies also recognizeredeployment and outplacement as critical components o the talent mobility li ecycle. Behavioral measures o Deployers include:

Redeployment is considered a key component of talent mobility.

Outplacement is a key component of talent mobility.

Dedication and seniority are rewarded with opportunities for

advancement. Management positions are typically lled internally.

Organizations focus on moving job roles/tasks to people best positioned to manage them.

Organizations measure/track internal talent moves.

Leaders provide employees with tools/information needed to capitalizeon internal opportunities.

We grouped organizations according to the extent to which they exhibit thebehaviors associated with Understanders, Developers , and/or Deployers todetermine what survey respondent organizations are doing, and how manyhave adopted a holistic talent mobilization strategy (see Fig. 3).

Based on our data, we broke down respondents into one o our Talent Mobilizertypes Non-Mobilizers, Tier I Talent Mobilizers, Tier II Talent Mobilizers ,and Committed Talent Mobilizers , and this classi cation showed a relativelybalanced distribution:


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Fig. 3 illustrates the breakdown of talent mobilization types Non-Mobilizers, Tier ITalent Mobilizers, Tier II Talent Mobilizers, and Committed Talent Mobilizers.

Non-Mobilizers : About one quarter (26%) o organizations did not score highlyon any o the three behavioral indices Understand, Develop , or Deploy .

Tier I Talent Mobilizers : An additional quarter o respondents (24%) scoredhighly on ONE behavior index.

Tier II Talent Mobilizers : 24% of respondents scored highly on TWObehavioral indices.

Committed Talent Mobilizers : 26% o respondents scored highly on allthree behavioral indices related to Talent Mobilization Understand,Develop , and Deploy .

A ter breaking down our respondents into their respective mobilization groups,we wanted to see what, i any, impact these behaviors had on organizational

performance. We hypothesized that Committed Talent Mobilizers (thoserespondent organizations that exhibit the behaviors o Understanding,Developing AND Deploying talent) would experience higher revenue growth, aswell as tend to be more proactive in their approach to Talent Mobility, than wouldother organizations.

Indeed, a ter a detailed analysis, our hypothesis was con rmed, demonstratingthe positive impact a robust Talent Mobility practice can have on businessper ormance. There is a statistically signifcant relationship between Committed Talent Mobilizers and revenue growth (see Fig. 4). More than three quarters(81%) o Committed Talent Mobilizers report on or above target revenue growthrates, compared with only 68% o other organizations.

Notably, these data show that its not su cient or organizations to be e ectiveat one behavioral component o Talent Mobility ( Understand/Develop/Deploy ),or even two. Rather, Committed Talent Mobilizers are inclined to aggressively

ocus on e ectively implementing and supporting Talent Mobility. They are12% more likely than other organizations to report positive revenue growth ,demonstrating a clear return on investment or businesses that prioritize thispractice. Organizations need to evaluate how they measure up on each o

Figure 3:Talent Mobilization Types

Tier I Talent Mobilizers(1 out of 3 behaviors)

7 Oracle. (2012, June). Talent Mobility: AnOracle White Paper .

As a leader, understanding what it takes to develop anindividual and knowing what tools are available to do so isessential. Recognizing what kinds of development methodsare offered and which onesare most appropriate toincrease necessary skillscan have a signifcant and

positive impact in how these programs are used. Also,

understanding who your talent is and how you can help them

grow is key. This process of understanding, developing,and deploying talent is critical to effective talent mobility;

exibility and continuousanalysis is also vital.

Wanda Shoer,Director of Global Mobility

Operations, Johnson & Johnson

26% 26%

24% 24%

Non-Mobilizers(0 out of 3 behaviors)

Tier II Talent Mobilizers(2 out of 3 behaviors)

Committed Talent Mobilizers(3 out of 3 behaviors)


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Committed Talent Mobilizers organizations thatUnderstand , Develop , andDeploy talent are 12%more likely to experiencepositive revenue growththan other organizations.

HCI Research


the three behavior indices o Understand, Develop, and Deploy , and use thatin ormation as a roadmap or areas o improvement and uture goals.

As one article noted, Success ul talent mobility programs yield substantialenterprisewide bene ts, including lower talent acquisition costs, strongerleadership teams, and better nancial per ormance. 7 This research corroboratesthat statement, and more importantly, it identi es the three essential behavioralcomponents that can help organizations orecast the next steps they need totake to adopt a strategic Talent Mobility ocus.

Non-Mobilizers All Others Gap

71% 73% -2%

Tier I Talent Mobilizers All Others

68% 75% -7%

Tier II Talent Mobilizers All Others

69% 74% -5%

Committed Talent Mobilizers All Others

81%* 69% 12%

Fig. 4 shows the revenue growth rate Committed Talent Mobilizers experienced in the last fscal year is 12% higher than other organizations.

Proactive vs. Reactive Talent MobilizersPart o the struggle acing Talent Mobility and its limited ormal practice inmany organizations today is how the discipline is treated as an a terthought incomparison to other talent management processes. The way an organizationand its leaders address Talent Mobility can result in very di erent outcomes,and our survey looked speci cally at a proactive versus a reactive approach toTalent Mobility.

Respondents were asked to characterize their organization in terms o one o twoapproaches to Talent Mobility:

Proactive: High potentials are identifed, development plans are created,career discussions are conducted regularly, succession plans or key positions are created and supported.

Reactive: Future talent needs have not been identifed, there is a weak talent pipeline, roles are only flled when they are vacated.

Among the behavioral indices, our data ound that Non-Mobilizers are much lesslikely than other organizations are to describe their approach to Talent Mobilityas Proactive (2% vs. 61 %), and Tier II Talent Mobilizers are more likely than

Figure 4:Respondent Organizations

with Revenue GrowthOn/Above Target

*Statistically signifcant di erence at


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As organizations welcomein more Gen Y employeesand Baby Boomers exit,the leadership teamsare younger. And inthat environment, theopportunity for vertical movement is very slim.Employees must be willing to sidestep, move around,and grow their skills in new and different ways. Vertical

movement still happens, but not nearly as frequently.

Margo Armstrong,Assistant Vice President of

Talent Practices, MassMutual



other organizations are to be Proactive (54% vs. 42%). An even larger di erenceemerged between Committed Talent Mobilizers , as 87% o these respondentsproactively address Talent Mobility versus only 30% o others (see Fig. 5.)

Non-Mobilizers All Others GAP

2% 61%* -59%

Tier I Talent Mobilizers All Others

38% 47% -9%

Tier II Talent Mobilizers All Others

54%* 42% 12%

Committed Talent Mobilizers All Others

87%* 30% 57%

Fig. 5 demonstrates that Committed Talent Mobilizers and Tier II Talent Mobilizers are1257% more likely than other organizations to take a proactive approach to Talent Mobility.

When we looked at the breakdown among all of our survey respondents, slightlymore than hal o organizational leaders (56%) reported operating reactivelyregarding talent moves within the business, while the remaining 44% characterizetheir organization as proactive in their approach to Talent Mobility (see Fig. 6).Thus, or the majority o organizations, there is an acute need or improvement interms o recognizing the need or and bene ts o a robust Talent Mobility program.

Margo Armstrong rom MassMutual commented on the risk o a rushed and

careless approach to talent in business today. Having an emergency successoris not su cient. A reactive approach to talent mobility works in the short-termbut it is not strategic; its a stop gap measure, she said. An organization may beable to keep its doors open, but operating reactively is not going to bene t thebusiness. Accordingly, organizations and leaders need to ocus on designingand implementing related plans and processes to support a proactive approachto Talent Mobility.

Figure 5:A Proactive Approach

to Talent Mobility * Statistically signifcant di erence at


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Only 41% of respondentsare well informed aboutopportunities for lateralmobility within their frms,

and even fewer reporthaving transparency aroundadvancement opportunitiesin their organization.

HCI Research


A cross tabulation o our data with demographic variables yielded anotherinteresting nding, which is larger organizations and those in certain industriestend to be more proactive in their approaches to Talent Mobility (see Fig.7 and Fig. 8). Organizations with more than 10,000 employees and those in

nancial markets and banking, as well as those in manu acturing, construction

and chemical industries, are most likely to proactively address Talent Mobility.This tendency may be a direct result o larger organizations having increasedbudgets and ewer constraints on talent management programs and practicesoverall. In the same vein, businesses with more employees may be betterpositioned to create and o er a wider variety o roles in the organization that aTalent Mobility practice can best leverage.

Small


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76% of respondentorganizations are not givingemployees the informationor resources they need toimprove their skills.

Outplacement is absolutely an important component of talent mobility. Whenbusiness needs requirerestructuring that resultsin reductions, companiesthat offer outplacement are focused on the entirelifecycle, providing impacted employees with the support and development they need to mobilize and move intotheir next role outside theorganization.

Kristen Leverone,Senior Vice President,

Global Practice Leader of Talent Developmentt,

Lee Hecht Harrison



Talent Mobility can be ostered in organizations. However, ewer than hal (41%) o respondents agreed they are well in ormed about opportunities

or lateral mobility within their frms, and even less agreed that there istransparency around advancement opportunities in their organization. Itsclear that some organizations and leaders are behaving in a way that supports

Talent Mobility, but there remains vast room or improvement.

Fig. 9 illustrates how much respondents agree that communication, transparency, and succession planning behaviors are practiced in their organizations.

When we examined survey respondents characterization of their organizationsTalent Mobility priorities, striking ndings emerged (see Fig. 10). The levels o agreement with these measures are low across all respondents, garnering atmost 34%. Indeed, this tells us that critical components o Talent Mobility arenot being adequately addressed by organizations and their leaders. Notably,76% o respondent organizations are not giving employees the in ormationor resources needed to improve their skills, and 67% o organizations do not prioritize or adequately und Talent Mobility practices .

Figure 9:Talent Mobility Behaviors

(% agree/strongly agree)

Advancement opportunities withinthe organization are available to

non-management level employees

Management positions aretypically lled rom within

Employees are well in ormedabout open positions outside

their team

Employees are well in ormedabout open positions outside

their business unit/department

Employees are well in ormedabout opportunities

or upward mobility

Employees are well in ormedabout opportunities

or lateral mobility

There is transparency withinmy organization around

advancement opportunities

Dedication and seniority arerewarded with advancementapportunities

Management positions aretypically lled externally

10%0% 20% 30% 40% 60%50% 70%

67%

45%

59%

41%

56%

37%

50%

36%

20%


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Talent management tools are great, but they are secondary to having leadership buy-in that canhelp implement development

plans and support employees. Managers need to support opportunities like

peer networks and helping their employees build relationships across other areas of an organization.Technology can enhancethose experiences and establish a process around

them, but it begins withleaders who are invested in the success of their employees and thebusiness.

Margo Armstrong, AssistantVice President of TalentPractices, MassMutual

HCI Research


Fig. 10 demonstrates how much respondents agree that Talent Mobility is perceived,prioritized and supported by leaders within their organizations.

Its important to note that 85% o our respondent organizations do not recognizeoutplacement or redeployment as a component o Talent Mobility. But to be moste ectively leveraged, Talent Mobility must be understood as a holistic processo any and all talent development and transitions, including external shi ts. Ourdata also ound that 82% o organizations do not provide incentives to support,promote, or encourage Talent Mobility practices among management. Like anynew initiative, it is critical that executive support and promotion is in place to oster

the growth and practice o Talent Mobility in order to drive sustainable success.

The ways in which leaders monitor in-house talent are worth noting, as therst phase o a strategic Talent Mobility program is understanding the current

talent environment and skill-sets within ones own organization. Nearly 9 out o 10 respondents report widespread use o traditional assessment tools such asper ormance reviews (see Fig. 11). However, when asked about talent planning

or the uture, much less activity is reported. Hal o respondents report that theirorganizations employ succession planning, and only 29% agree that employeesare o ered ormal career planning in the orm o technology plat orms, tracking,or ormal discussions with their supervisors and other senior management. Inaddition, with ewer than a quarter (24%) organizations using talent managementso tware, it is likely that leaders are missing critical in ormation that could helpthem better understand talent needs and strengths across the organization.

Perhaps one o the greatest opportunities or improvement identi ed by thesedata is that only 37% o respondents indicate that their organizations hold leadersaccountable or developing talent, which is arguably an essential component o thesecondary phase o Talent Mobility. Developing top talent is a strategic business

Figure 10:Prioritization o Talent Mobility

(% agree/strongly agree)

Leaders in my organization invest nancialresources into the practice o Talent Mobility

Leaders in my organization spend time ensuringTalent Mobility is an organizational priority

Redeployment is considered a key componento Talent Mobility e orts

Leaders in my organizations arm employeeswith tools/in ormation they need to capitalize on

internal Talent Mobility opportunities

There are incentives in place or managementto support, promote, and encourage Talent

Mobility within the organization

Outplacement is a key component o talent Mobility e orts

10%0% 20% 30% 40% 50%

34%

33%

31%

18%

24%

15%


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Experience in organizationsis really about breadthand depth of knowledge.When you get to a certainleadership position inthe same department aswhere you began, youhave essentially reached your peak. In this era of

globalization and rapid movement, leaders arebetter prepared to take on ahigher-level role when they have experienced a morediverse trajectory, and they understand many different

functions and processeswithin the business.

Margo Armstrong, AssistantVice President of TalentPractices, MassMutual



imperative, one OD Practitioner article notes. As part o the strategic planningprocess, companies divide customers into di erent segments so they properly addressindividual needs and they invest in developing each segment di erently accordingto the potential or greater revenue margins, etc. Companies should do the same ortheir jobs and talent. The idea is to have your best talent in your most important

jobs.8

A robust and strategic Talent Mobility program is one o the best waysorganizations and leaders can achieve this goal o aligning skills to business needs.

Fig. 11 shows what methods are used by survey respondent organizations to measuretalent, most notably per ormance reviews and managerial assessments o existing talent.

It is not particularly surprising that many o our respondents report requent useo established tools in employee development such as per ormance reviews,

ormal onboarding and job training (see Fig. 12). However, newer strategiesand development methods such as working in cross- unctional teams, task/jobrotation, and stretch assignments are more closely aligned with the demands o todays work orce and the nature o work and these more collaborative-based,innovative development techniques also actively prepare employees or mobilityacross departments and unctions.

While some organizations intuitively understand the need to grow well-roundeduture leaders that have hands-on experience and line o sight across the

business, many are missing the opportunity to expose employees to a variety8 Morgan, H., & Jardin, D. (2010, Vol.

42, No. 4). HR+OD=Integrated TalentManagement. OD Practitioner , pp.2329.

Figure 11:Talent Assessment

and Planning

Regularly scheduledemployee per ormance

reviews

Managerial assessment o existing talent

Creation o successionplans

Regularly scheduledcompany-wide talent reviews

Managers are responsibleand held accountable or

developing employees

Career planning

Absence tracking andmanagement data

Talent managementso tware

10%0% 20% 30% 40% 60%50% 70% 80% 90%

89%

37%

66%

29%

50%

25%

42%

24%


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o assignments and experiences that would help them see the big picture. Thiswide-angle perspective continues to grow in importance among leaders as thenature o business continues to become more complex and intertwined. A leaderwho is able to tap into a wealth o varied roles and experiences across a businessis better positioned to understand what needs to be done to sustain the business.

In support o this notion, one recent study ound that one o the greatest drivers o organizational success is the ability to quickly and transparently move employeesbetween roles and unctions when needed. 9

Fig. 12 identifes how requently specifc employee development methods are used withrespondent organizations.

When asked whether their organization tracks internal talent moves, more thanhal (60%) o respondents agreed. O those organizations, approximately 4out o 10 are able to ll at least hal o roles internally; this demonstrates thatmonitoring the movement o talent in an organization is one key step o theTalent Mobility process (see Fig. 13 and Fig. 14). In addition to the cost savingsand morale boost achieved through internal sourcing, 10 there is evidence o apositive relationship between lling jobs rom within and enhanced companyper ormance, as well as developing strong leaders. 11

9 Talent Mobility: The New Era o Talent Management . Retrieved May 24, 2013,

rom www.bersin.com10 N.A. (2013). Trends and Best Practices

in Sourcing and Hiring Talent. LeeHecht Harrison White Paper.

11 Oracle. (2012, June). Talent Mobility:An Oracle White Paper .

Figure 12:Methods o Employee

Development Regularly scheduledper ormance reviews

Formal onboarding

Formal job training

Internal networking

Opportunities to work incross- unctional teams

Opportunities or stretchassignments

Coaching

Con erences/seminars

Mentoring

Task/job rotation

0%

16%

27%

29%

37%

38%

44%

44%

48%

68%

84%

43%

43%

44%

40%

48%

37%

39%

37%

19%

11%

41%

30%

26%

23%

14%

19%

17%

15%

13%

5%

50% 75%25% 100%

Frequently/Nearly Always or Always Sometimes Never/Rarely


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One of the greatest challengesfacing Talent Mobility is lineof sight and communication.Employees need to bemore aware of availableopportunities that exist withinthe organization. Fragments of information dont provide thewhole picture. Its important toimplement the right technology and processes to support thetransparency and transmissionof that information what are

the skill-sets, the development plans, the job openings,and how can we integratethat knowledge into a Talent Mobility program?





Fig. 14 illustrates that o the respondent organizations that track talent moves, 41% fll more than hal o their organizational roles with internal talent.

Identi ying and Addressing Talent Mobility ChallengesWhile these data help present a clear case for the development of a TalentMobility program in any organization, signi cant challenges remain. Mostnotably, there is a lack o strategic prioritization and e ective approaches tothe practice, stemming rom a lack o consensus about what Talent Mobilityis and how it can be supported by organizational leaders and employees(see Fig. 15). It would appear that many larger organizations have the properin rastructure in place to implement a Talent Mobility program, but leadersand employees must take the leap and embrace the opportunities that amore ormal, mobilized talent base can o er.

The in ormation and data outlined in this report can help address some o thetop challenges that organizations need to ocus on be ore they are able toe ectively implement and leverage a Talent Mobility program. Our data showthat 2126% o organizational leaders cannot clearly recognize or articulate whatTalent Mobility is, nor do their organizations actively prioritize it (see Fig. 15).

Figure 13:Tracking Internal

Talent Moves:

Figure 14:Percentage o Roles

Filled Internally

57% 43%

More than 75%

5175%

3650%

1635%115%33%

27%

22%

10% 8%

41% say more than hal

59% say hal or ewer

Fig. 13 demonstrates that, among all respondents, 57% track or measure internal talent movements in their organization.

No

Yes


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Fig. 15 shows the greatest struggles acing Talent Mobility today, as reported by respondent organizations.

A secondary challenge acing organizations is recognizing which organizationaldepartments and unctions should work more collaboratively to maintain or

establish an e ective Talent Mobility practice. In more than hal o organizations(58%), HR Business Partners are primarily responsible or Talent Mobility (seeFig. 16). However, to ensure Talent Mobility is treated as a holistic process thatis part o the breadth o talent management o erings, cross- unctional teams

ocused on Recruiting & Hiring, Training & Development, and general HRpolicies and processes should play a more substantial role in driving e ectiveTalent Mobility. While some collaboration is common, maintaining frequent

Figure 15:Talent Mobility Challenges

Figure 16:Responsibility or

Talent Mobility

No strategic approach in place toidenti y uture talent needs

Lack o prioritization o Talent Mobilityby organizations

Lack o organizational understanding o what Talent Mobility is

Talent territorialism among keystakeholders

Lack o clearly de ned roles andresponsibilities

Little/no ocus on developing talent tomeet uture needs

Lack o in rastructure to connectemployees with potential opportunities

Organizations do not provide keystakeholders with necessary tools

5%0% 10% 15% 20% 30%25%

26%

6%

25%

5%

21%

4%

10%

3%

Recruiting and Hiring

Training and Development

HR Business Partners

0%

30%

35%

24%

32%

50% 75%25% 100%

Frequently/Nearly Always or Always Sometimes Never/Rarely

30% 35%

38%

58% 18%

Fig. 16 identifes the requency with which the departments o Recruiting and Hiring, Trainingand Development, and HR Business Partners work collaboratively to manage Talent Mobility.


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communication and corrective action across all necessary business units Recruiting & Hiring, Training & Development, and HR Business Partners isvital or achieving talent mobilization.

Conclusions & RecommendationsThe challenges o todays workplace a shortage o skilled labor, weakleadership pipelines, aging and retiring populations, high turnover amongMillenials, and a desire or fexibility and career growth among younger workers are great, but many hinge on providing employees: in ormation and toolsthey need to develop their skills; insight into organizational talent needs; andopportunities to gain new and richer career experiences. One way to addressthese challenges and better position an organization or nancial success is bystrategically embracing the mobilization of talent. As Wanda Shoer, Directorof Global Mobility Operations at Johnson & Johnson said, Analyzing talentmobility is an exciting development that is happening in todays market. Werebecoming a smaller, more global world, and the ability to understand andmove our talent is a big part o how we engage with workers and communitiesworldwide. This practice is a key part o talent development today, and itwill continue to grow in importance as people and businesses become moreinterconnected and globalized.

As with many innovative practices, the sophistication o Talent Mobility lies alonga continuum that every organization alls on. At one extreme, some businesses Non-Mobilizers have not adopted any o the behaviors related to TalentMobility whether those behaviors are tied to Understanding, Developing,

or Deploying talent. These organizations are virtually blind to the talent and

C o m m i t t e d T a le n t Mo b i li z e r s

Non-Mobilizers

Tier II Talent Mobilizers

Tier I Talent Mobilizers

Understand DevelopDeploy


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Talent Mobility and all of the processes and peopleand information it entailsneeds to begin the day anemployee walks through thedoor. Employing someoneis a big organizational investment and leaders need to support that investment by ensuring new talent is

best aligned with the needsof the organization. Part of talent management and Talent Mobility is actively thinking about how anemployees career path canbeneft the business.



HCI Research


opportunities at their ngertips. In the middle o the spectrum are organizationsthat recognize how to e ectively conduct one or two o the behaviors Tier ITalent Mobilizers and Tier II Talent Mobilizers , positioning themselves or successbut not yet reaching their ull potential. And on the highest end o the spectrum,there are Committed Talent Mobilizers organizations that have ully dedicated

themselves to e ective Talent Mobility practices and reap those bene ts including bottom-line results o planning or and acilitating talent moves inand around an organization.

This research has identi ed the behaviors key to implementing an e ective andholistic model o Talent Mobility:

Understand Organizations that understand their talent ocus ontalent mobility as a priority, prepare managers to assess their talent and actively communicate with employees in ormation and plans about career opportunities.

Develop Organizations that develop their talent do so by providing and prioritizing opportunities or them to gain experience and increase skills, whileholding managers accountable or developing employees.

Deploy Organizations that deploy their talent e ectively ocus on flling openroles internally and ensuring that employees have the tools they need to moveinto new and di erent positions. These companies also recognize redeployment and outplacement as critical components o the talent mobility li ecycle.

Every organization must conduct a thorough assessment o its prioritization o Talent Mobility and per ormance on these behavioral components so leaderscan recognize where they stand in the process and determine the next stepsthey need to take. This research has identi ed the ollowing areas as those mostcommonly in need o attention among organizations today:

Greater transparency about internal opportunities, including lateral movesand advancement.

Prioritizing and funding the development employees need in order to improve.

More opportunities for cross-functional work, task/job rotation, and stretchassignments.

Collaboration among Recruiting & Hiring, Training & Development, and HRBusiness Partners.

Its important to remember that an e ective Talent Mobility program does morethan simply track movement within an organization. Rather, it is a strategicendeavor that can yield signi cant business results. Deploying workers to wheretheir skills can be best leveraged not only enhances business productivity, but italso contributes to higher levels o engagement and a stronger talent pipeline.Moreover, ocusing on the development o in-house talent can help lower


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recruitment and acquisiton costs and increase the leadership development skillso managers.

Leaders can use this report to better de ne and acknowledge what thecomponents o Talent Mobility are, and ocus on improving the behaviors andorganizational culture associated with the three indices o Understand , Develop , and Deploy . When an organization is able to effectively achieve each of thesethree behaviors, they can expect to adopt a more proactive approach to TalentMobility, and most importantly, experience increased revenue growth as a result.

In addition to experiencing positive bottom-line results, organizations thatthought ully and strategically address Talent Mobility are positioning themselves

or more sustainable per ormance. The ability to recognize, cultivate, and aligntalent most e ciently to an organizations needs not only directly results inincreased productivity, but also rein orces the talent pool o any business andactively contributes to more experienced employees and leaders or the uture.


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Appendix A: About the Research PartnersThe Human Capital InstituteThe Human Capital Institute (HCI) is a catalyst or innovative new thinking intalent acquisition, development, deployment and new economy leadership.Through research and collaboration, our global network o more than 138,000members develops and promotes creativity, best and next practices, andactionable solutions in strategic talent management. Executives, practitioners,and thought leaders representing organizations o all sizes, across public,charitable and government sectors, utilize HCI communities, education, eventsand research to oster talent advantages to ensure organizational change

or competitive results. In tandem with these initiatives, HCIs Human CapitalStrategist pro essional certi cations and designations set the bar or expertise intalent strategy, acquisition, development and measurement. www.hci.org

Lee Hecht Harrison

Lee Hecht Harrison ( www.lhh.com ) is the global talent mobility leader. We connectpeople to jobs through innovative career transition services and help individualsimprove per ormance through career and leadership development. LHH assistsorganizations in supporting restructuring e orts, developing leaders at all levels,engaging and retaining critical talent, and maintaining productivity through change helping organizations increase pro tability by maximizing their return on investment indeveloping people, while assisting individuals to achieve their ull potential.

About the AuthorsAubrey K. Wiete , MA is a Senior Research Analyst at the Human Capital Institute

in the Organizational Development and Leadership Practice Area. Previously, shewas a lecturer and research ellow at the University o Kentucky. Most recently, shehas authored reports on how organizational cultures can drive high per ormanceand what methods o development are most e ective or executives leaderstoday. Aubreys other areas o interest include using robust onboarding programsto jumpstart employee engagement, and how workplace teams unction moste ectively. She earned a bachelors degree rom Saint Louis University and aMasters degree in Organizational Communication rom the University o Kentucky.Aubrey is based in Cincinnati, Ohio where she enjoys shoes, writing, Scrabble,(occasionally) running, and spending time with her amily.

Kristen Leverone is a Senior Vice President and a Global Practice Leader of TalentDevelopment at Lee Hecht Harrison. She is a business management pro essionalwith over 15 years o experience in employee engagement and change management,and project management. In her practice lead role, she leads LHHs strategic clientengagements, develops new products and services, and provides thought leadership inthe areas o employee engagement and change management to the market. Additionally,she consults with LHH clients on the talent mobility process and develops and implementssolutions to help organizations develop, engage, retain and redeploy their work orce todrive business results.


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HCI Research


Role within HR

Less than $10 million

$10$50 million

$50$100 million

$100$500 million

$500$750 million

$750 million$1 billion

$1$10 billion

$10$50 billion

$50$100 billion

More than $100 billion

N/A government/non-profit

10%

11%9%

7%

13%

3%

6%21%

3%

14%

Less then 100

101499

5001,000

1,0013,000

3,0015,000

5,0017,499

7,50010,000

10,00119,999

20,000+

4%

11%

21%

9%15% 9%

9%

10%14%

Number of Employees

Operations

Marketing/Sales

Human ResourcesExecutive Leadership

Other

14%

9%

76%

6%

3%Functional Area

Revenue

Bene ts Management

HR In ormation Systems

Hiring

Recruiting

Employee Relations

Workforce Planning

Training and Development

10%0% 20% 30% 40% 60%50%

39%

58%

35%

51%

25%

41%

23%


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Appendix C: Works CitedBersin by Deloitte. (2009, November 18). Talent Mobility: The New Era o Talent Management . Retrieved May 24, 2013, rom www.bersin.com

Brotherton, P. (2010, December). Warning Signs of Turnover Waiting to Happen.T+D, p. 24.

Bureau o Labor Statistics, U.S. Department o Labor. (2012, September 18).Retrieved May 24, 2013, rom Bureau o Labor Statistics: www.bls.gov

Carnevale, T. (2005, January). The Coming Labor and Skills Shortage. T+D, pp.37-41.

Lloyd, F. (2012, Summer). Building a High Performance Workforce with a newType o Corporate Leadership. Energy Work orce , pp. 5-6.

McKeown, E. (2009, December). Employee Stagnation Could Lead to Migration.T+D, p. 19.

Morgan, H., & Jardin, D. (2010, Vol. 42, No. 4). HR+OD=Integrated TalentManagement. OD Practitioner , pp. 23-29.

N.A. (2013). Trends and Best Practices in Sourcing and Hiring Talent. Lee HechtHarrison White Paper.

Oracle. (2012, June). Talent Mobility: An Oracle White Paper .

Pace, A. (2012, July). The Enduring Talent Trial. T+D, p. 22.

Population Division, Department o Economic & Social A airs, United Nations.(2002). World Population Ageing: 1950-2050 . New York: United NationsPublications.

PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2012). Talent Mobility 2020 & Beyond . Retrieved May24, 2013, rom PwC: www.pwc.com

Sladek, C., & Hollander, E. (2009, Second Quarter). Where is Everyone? The Riseof Workplace Flexibility. Benefts Quarterly , pp. 17-22.


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Set Talent in Motion: Achieving Success with Talent Mobility

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