Caribbean Views: Talent Management in the time of COVID-19
These are ‘novel’ times, pun intended. The novel corona virus (COVID-19) is here and there is no end date in sight. Indeed, these are unprecedented times and change is rife in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. In response to the pandemic, Caribbean governments have attempted to control the spread of the disease by closing the borders of countries, instituting states of emergency, ‘lockdowns’ and social distancing guidelines. These measures have brought a radical shift to how we live and how we work. One such shift is the realities surrounding the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents “a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second and third industrial revolutions” (https://www.weforum.org/focus/fourth-industrial-revolution).
Within the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology is said to be the reason for the increased demand for highly skilled workers and the decreased demand for workers with lower skills (Schwab 2016). Since COVID-19 organizations have been seeking to use technology to ensure that they remain operational. In fact, many are realizing, belatedly, that the future of work is NOW. These changes have provided HR practitioners with a further opportunity to be true business partners as they help to steer companies through these unchartered waters.
Given the focus of my own research, my mind naturally turns to the role of talent management (TM) in organisational response to COVID-19?
What is Talent Management?
Over the last twenty years there has been a significant interest in the concept of TM as evidenced by the approximately 1.2 billion hits on the research engine Google (as at May 7, 2020). Talent management was deemed to be the solution to ‘the war for talent’ and a source of competitive advantage to the firm once it was elevated to a corporate priority (Chambers et. al 1998). According to Ulrich and Smallwood (2012) Talent = competence x commitment x contribution. With all three elements present, talent will be evident and the organization will stand to benefit significantly.
One of the most highly cited definitions of strategic talent management states that it constitutes
activities and processes that involve the systematic identification of key positions which differentially contribute to the organization’s sustainable competitive advantage, the development of a talent pool of high potential and high performing incumbents to fill these roles, and the development of a differentiated human resource architecture to facilitate filling these positions with competent incumbents and to ensure their continued commitment to the organization.(Collings and Mellah 2009, 304)
In the Caribbean, there is a shift towards digital transformation in the workplace primarily due to COVID-19. If we are to use Collings and Mellah’s definition, organizations within the Caribbean should be considering what are the key positions which will be needed now and post-COVID-19; where can I find the individuals with the requisite skillsets to become members of the talent pool; and how will I define talent? Therefore, it would be imprudent to exclude a discussion on talent and talent management in our response to COVID-19 based on the pace of changes occurring in the workplace and the Caribbean’s availability of human resources.
Should HR be concerned about Talent Management during COVID-19?
According to HR Expert Dave Ulrich, the most important thing that HR can give an employee is an organization that succeeds in the market place. This is an interesting perspective as it brings to the fore the reality if we do not have a business that is able to win in the market place, we will not have a business. Profit is made through people. Therefore, we can hypothesize that talent is one of the key ingredients required for an organization to be successful. If we can agree on this point, then it is reasonable to suggest that HR should be concerned about TM during COVID-19.
This pandemic will eventually come to an end and the institution of TM in the present and the plans made for TM post-COVID-19 has the potential to impact the company’s bottom line. HR Planning at this juncture is critical. The status quo as we know it today may need to be changed due to the rapid changes being brought about by COVID-19. Some considerations which can be made by Caribbean organizations as it pertains to TM include:
1. Will we redefine our talent philosophy? Talent philosophies can be defined as the ‘fundamental assumptions and beliefs about the nature, value, and instrumentality of talent that are held by a firm’s key decision makers’ (Meyers and Woerkom 2014). It in essence addresses what is our leanings towards talent being exclusive (some people) versus inclusive (all people). This will be an important consideration as COVID-19 has redefined who is an essential worker. Traditionally, the knowledge workers were seen as the employees who add greater strategic value to the organization. During this period the status quo has changed as the front line workers have become the heroes in organizations. Based on the COVID-19 learnings, can our approach to talent remain the same?
2. What capabilities will we need? The future of work is here. It has been fast-tracked as evident by a number of companies attempting to get digital and move the business online. Digital transformation may require a different skillset than that which exists in house. This is the time to assess who is in your talent pool and the skills they bring to the table. Will these skills be needed going forward? Are we willing to build versus buy talent?
3. What are the pivotal positions which will contribute to gaining a sustainable competitive advantage i.e. strategic versus non-strategic jobs? This may require some semblance of job analysis to determine which roles we will keep, transform or introduce. What is the status of our talent pool? If we need to recruit, how much is the organization prepared to pay? Additionally, how willing is the organization to capitalize on opportunities which may arise for example, due to lay-offs or redundancies. There may be persons who you were unable to afford in the past, who will become available on the job market.
This is an unprecedented time. HR has a grand opportunity to get a seat at the proverbial table. The ability to be strategic and demonstrate that the decisions made will help the business to be successful today and in the future is critical. Since the start of this pandemic, some of the areas of focus for HR have included occupational health and safety, developing remote work policies and business continuity. The reality is that the future of work has arrived in the Caribbean. Should talent management be included in the list of priorities for HR? My answer is a resounding yes!
