Early Talent strategy

Every graduate hire is an investment, and the way we design the development programme, competency frameworks, and assessment protocols can make or break that return. If you have an Early Talent strategy that covers a substantial intake over regular cohorts, the stakes are even higher. Add to the mix navigating skill gaps, changing talent pipeline priorities, and a constant squeeze on time and resources, and it’s more important than ever to get it right. But like any forward-facing strategy, success lies in listening: not passively but actively. It’s a matter of tuning in:

• Regularly.
• With purpose and focus.
• And with a wider understanding.

We put these principles to use when working with an international technology company. Invited in to help with their Early Talent strategy and assessment, as well as their graduate development programme, we worked closely with their teams at a personal and strategic level.

The importance of cadence

Over the past decade or so, we’ve learned that the only route to success involves listening, but not just once. It’s something that has to happen throughout the transformation and afterwards too. It’s the best way to ensure a clear and consistent path that works for both the client and their candidates – and the best foundation for a workforce everyone can celebrate success with. At the beginning of the project, it was about everything from stakeholder consultation to talking to the assessors themselves. We caught up regularly and established a culture of monthly check-ins between line managers and graduates so they could iron out difficulties and maintain progress. Then the following year we came back to support the graduates’ development by designing and facilitating modules to enrich their progress and embed learning. At every stage, we modelled a stance of talking with, not to our clients as part of the team. It was never a one-and-done, and there were always new parts of the story to discover.

Success is in the details

Part of the brief was to design new and adapted assessment materials, and to do this, we needed to tap into the client’s language. Why? Because the words we use reflect something deeper: our culture. To ensure updates could be fully aligned and assimilated, they had to be recognisable and in tune. We worked closely with the Early Talent team to sharpen up their competency framework and expectations of junior-level employees. By being fully aware and spotting the details others may have missed, we were able to help them to strategically bridge their skill gaps with clarity and humanity.

Attention to the bigger picture

Everyone has an opinion: problems arise when some are louder than others. So we also spoke to line managers and the graduates/apprentices themselves to get a broader view from the people at the rock face. By making sure all voices were heard over a period of time, we were able to deliver sustainable, meaningful solutions that worked. Weaving the company’s values throughout, we developed programmes addressing an array of areas like self-awareness, influencing, communication, commercial awareness and business acumen. A holistic approach called for holistic listening.

Measure twice, cut once

There are no shortcuts. Efficiency calls for the job to be done well first time but to do this we need to listen deep and care about the answers. By taking in a diversity of voices, we’re able to peek around corners and discover new insights we may have otherwise missed. Then we listen in again and again, to make sure we’re keeping up. Here we’ve used a competency framework and Early Talent strategy and assessment project as an example but these listening principles can be applied to any HR transformation project. And if you need a listening ear, we’re here for you. Drop us a message to organise a call with Kerry. Want to hear more from us?  Sign up to our bi monthly Breakfast Bites