Talent Assessment: A New Strategy for Talent Management

Talented and ambitious people will only stay with their current employer if they are offered positive development, motivation and nurturing to ensure they are given every chance of realizing their potential. Simple financial packages, although superficially attractive, often assuage a short term need but rarely cater for the long-term requirements of a talented person. Talent Assessment demonstrates how to manage the needs of the individual employees and those of the organization in parallel; how to identify the aspirational and development needs of potential top performers and how to manage them sensibly. This involves using techniques to assess their mindsets, behaviours and skills and then providing effective training, development and performance management interventions. IT is an increasingly important support and enabler of this kind of process and the authors provide guidance on the process and content required for a talent management database. There is also a chapter exploring the critical operation role of HR in talent management. The book is filled with practical examples and mini-case studies to help you apply the various techniques. It provides positive, practical guidelines to encourage you to implement a suitable talent management programme as well as introducing more advanced aspects of the subject, particularly in terms of assessing suitable candidates for this way of managing your organization's future.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 The Concept of Talent Management; Chapter 2 Why is it Necessary? The Case for Talent Management; Chapter 3 Elements of Psychometric Testing; Chapter 4 Elements of Knowledge Assessment; Chapter 5 Education and Training; Chapter 6 Performance Appraisal; Chapter 7 The IT Infrastructure; Chapter 8 The Operational Role of HR; Chapter 9 Assess Your Own Knowledge of Talent Management Using a Talent Management Corporate Profile; Chapter 10 Summary; Chapter 11 Guidelines for Creating a Talent Management System Based Upon Best Practices;

About the Author :
Tony Davis is Product Line Director with SkillsEdge Limited. He has achieved world-wide acclaim with a range of diagnostic testing products covering sales, project and general management. Tony's background is in marketing in the IT industry and he is the author of Selling Professional Services, and joint author with Richard Pharro of The Relationship Manager - The next generation of project management published by Gower in 2003. Maggie Cutt is a professional HR Consultant with around 30 years' HR experience gained mainly in the IT industry. She is an all-round HR generalist but has particular experience in employee relations with extensive knowledge and application of employment law. She is currently advising a UK trade association on policies and strategies. Neil Flynn has a distinguished background in software and consultancy-related solutions. He has worked for some major software houses in senior manager/director positions. His client experience includes a wide range of industries within the IT sector. Neil has extensive experience in a very wide variety of both psychometric and knowledge-based assessment processes. Neil is also CEO of SkillsEdge Limited. Peter Mowl is Technical Director at SkillsEdge Limited and has been responsible for customer services and support with a number of large UK organizations including ICL. He has also had a series of technical consultancy and management appointments culminating in his appointment as Senior Project Manager for a UK building society. Peter specializes in web-based knowledge assessments for business professionals. Simon Orme has worked in the technology sector since 1965. After periods with ICL in the UK, Australia and Fiji he became a consultant with Hoskyns. Subsequently he was Managing Director of Lonsdale Systems and BIS Insurance before rejoining Hoskyns as a Divisional Managing Director. He formed Simon Orme and Associates in 1992 and is Chairman of SkillsEdge and GOSS Interactive. He is an advisor to and investor in a number of leading computer services companies.

Review :
'This is a solid, hardworking manual that gathers together any pertinent material on its subject... Surprisingly though, for a reference work of this nature, it also takes the reader into some difficult territory and asks tough questions...There is plenty of material that an HR or training department could implement directly...Keeping a copy of this in the corporate library is equivalent to having a consultant to hand. Its cover price reflects the value of the information and tools inside, and as such it is remarkable value. Useful 5/5, Well-written 4/5, Value for money 5/5' Personnel Today