What is talent development?

Talent development is about how an organisation handles the talent it has and creates room for that talent to grow. Not everyone is a talent, but everyone has a talent. Talent development is not reserved for a select group of high potentials. It is about how you develop the talent already present. It is up to the organisation to create the conditions in which every employee's talent can be discovered and developed further. The art is in creating an environment where everyone's talents can be put to their best use. Talent development therefore starts from an employee's estimated potential and builds on it.

Why does talent development matter?

Talent development is becoming more important to more and more people. Millennials in particular want to keep growing and developing. It is even one of the most important things they look for when they go after a new job. Research shows that employees feel their talent is not sufficiently seen and that they have more to offer than they currently get to show. Many organisations still work with a traditional annual cycle in which personal development is discussed three times a year. What a waste. Personal development cannot be captured in half-yearly sessions. You have to see development more as a living document that is worked on continuously. A digital performance review cycle is the key to making that work. Finishing a project, for example, can be an excellent moment to talk about personal development. That is how you put talent development at the centre.

What can talent development deliver?

For years, companies focused on training employees' skills. Instead of looking at talents , they looked at which competencies were needed to perform a particular job well. Every role was given a competency profile, and by the time those profiles had been written for every role they were already out of date and new competencies were needed. Did you not fully meet the profile? Then you were not eligible for the role. A shame, because people who really knew their subject were held back by the fact that they did not meet a competency such as 'communication skills'. Talent development has taken its place. It is a way of continuing to innovate in a fast-changing world. Investing in talent development produces satisfied people and a better return.

How do you get started with talent development?

To get started with talent development, it is important to talk to your people. Where do their talents lie? What do they enjoy most about their work? How can this person perform at their best? Where do they want to be in five years? To help answer these questions, you can also ask for feedback from an employee's immediate colleagues. They work closely with this person and will certainly know what they are good at. Stop fixating on the competency profile of the role someone holds and start from their qualities and talents instead. During this conversation it is important to make the employee aware of the talent they have, because before you can develop your talent you need to know what it is. That awareness creates direction and confidence, so the employee dares to take on the challenge. It is also important that the organisation facilitates the whole process. What does this person need in order to perform at their best and develop their talents? As an organisation you also have to make sure there is enough challenge in that area. If there is not, the chances are the employee will quickly get bored and start looking for another role, at another organisation.

How can an online tool help with talent development?

Motivated people are always learning and developing, however small or large that development is. They think about themselves, about what they are good at and where they can improve. That growth process is often fragmented, though, and organisations have no idea where people stand in it or where each person's talents lie. A performance management platform like Treams helps people see where they stand and where their development potential lies, and shows at a glance where everyone is in their development. That creates more ownership of their own growth.