The Talent Game – Are You Ready to Play?

February 24th, 2017
Written by: Dana Papke

CEOs – have you got the time and the skills to manage and retain your talent?  

While 78% of CEOs expect to increase their company’s headcount over the next three years, many worry about being able to find employees with the right skills. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Once you’ve recruited the talent you need to properly staff your business, there’s a long list of human capital related activities critical to ensuring that your company operates effectively, productively, and harmoniously. High quality on-boarding, performance management, training and development, the promotion of employee engagement and retention, and responding to employee relations problems loom significantly on every CEO’s “To Do” list.  

So how do you ensure your (or your organization’s) capacity to do all this effectively? According to a Washington Post news article, “Despite the ubiquitous claim among CEOs that employees are their top priority and talent is their No. 1 asset, it’s actually quite rare for HR veterans to reach the top.” Contrast this with the fact that many early stage company leadership teams expect the CEO – or another leader near the top – to handle HR matters that in many cases they’ve never been responsible for before. And the costs of making mistakes are significant, particularly in early stage, small and medium-sized companies.

CEOs have a big decision to make in deciding how to staff the HR function. Even if you feel you have the basics of people management in hand, it’s still important to pause and ask if managing the HR function is the right and most effective use of your time.

For CEOs of smaller companies, finding a single, affordable HR option with the skills and expertise to manage across all HR functions is almost as difficult as trying to do the work yourself. You need general support and specialized expertise and knowledge in key areas such as Compensation, Performance Management, Employee Onboarding, and HR Strategy. But, you can find an HR solution that provides both excellent general support and deep knowledge in the above key areas, as needed. In fact you must demand it! Why? Because on the day you begin outsourcing your HR function, you probably have no idea what issues, challenges and opportunities may come around the corner – fast. So, your HR resource needs to provide both ongoing, general support and direct access to specialized expertise.

The fact that businesses are not static and therefore need on-demand specialized expertise is exactly why TPO operates the way we do. Clients work with their TPO consultant week to week on HR infrastructure and priorities. Behind that TPO consultant is a “SWAT” team of Compensation, Performance Management, Employee Onboarding, and HR Strategy experts who provide advice or services as needed — based on the client’s shifting priorities.

Many of our clients have commented over the years on the value of TPO’s approach. In fact, one of those comments inspired this headline on our home page: “The focus of an expert resource. The value of an experienced team.” So when considering an HR resource, don’t settle for just general experience. Demand direct access to an array of specialists to help you with whatever your business priorities dictate.