Do you track talent or grow your own?
The hunter is opportunity-minded; they track and scout their prey, developing an intimate knowledge of its characteristics, its likes, and dislikes, to capture it at the right moment.
The employer who hunts for talent will find it. They will prey on the limited pool of skilled staff available and lure them with benefits. But it will be a short-lived venture. To preserve their hunt, they must dedicate time and energy into prolonging their shelf life, or risk scouting relentlessly for new talent. An employer can retain their new talent by adding value to a role; providing clear and constructive management, quality compensation, opportunities to develop, and work-life balance. This is the added value a role provides for their potential workforce; quality compensation, clear roles and responsibilities, and work-life balance.
According to Deloitte’s Global 2021 Millennial and Gen Z Survey, almost half of respondents identified that an organisation’s values significantly impacted their career choices. An employer may survive as a hunter, but they will lack any long-term growth and stability without some farming instincts too.
The farmer creates resources; with a nurturing nature, they work every day to maximise the quality of their crops.
Adopting a ‘train and nurture’ approach to your workforce development pays dividends.
The farming employer fertilises and waters their existing workers to grow their skills and harness their potential. They work to foster long-lasting, loyal relationships with their workforce and develop innovative methods to cultivate talent.
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For an employer to successfully grow a reliable and capable workforce, they must adapt the working landscape to meet the needs of their workers and provide room for them to develop.
The Apprenticeship Levy has created valuable opportunities for employers to grow their talent in-house. But what expertise is required to successfully develop skills and maximise an organisation’s performance?
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To successfully cultivate the best crops, a farmer must first plan their plot; they must survey their landscape, pursue knowledge of their soil and crops, and future proof for potential problems.
A farming employer will need to analyse their business performance, organisational culture, and workforce training needs before they can begin putting in the right strategies to grow their talent. They must learn the landscape of education and training, discover the possibilities for business growth, and implement new strategies for future-proofing their workforce.
Leaders who are prepared to take control of their workforce development can create training opportunities that tackle the direct needs of their organisation and enrich the opportunities available for their employees.
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Bad weather and natural disasters can destroy a farmer’s yield for the year. And even with the best planning, sometimes Mother Nature calls the shots.
The Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on many sectors, highlighting a growing gap in skills and a lack of talent to fill increasing vacancies. The hospitality sector has been particularly affected by a shortage of staff, with one in six jobs currently reported vacant.
The Premier Inn hotels have announced an injection of an additional £12m to boost wages and attract staff to their sites. In a survey conducted by the CGA, 75% of pub and restaurant managers said they had increased wages in an attempt to attract staff to the sector. But the economic benefits of a role aren’t the only compensation that attracts and retains a talented workforce.
The 2021 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey identified “the ability of their people to adapt, reskill, and assume new roles” as the top-ranked objective by employers to navigate future disruptions.
Haven has launched an in-house training scheme to combat the shortage of skilled chefs in the sector. The company has said successful applicants will complete 18 months of training alongside professional chefs. More employers are adopting in-house apprenticeship programmes to tackle workforce shortages, making use of their Apprenticeship Levy pot, and creating bespoke programmes around their organisation and workers.
Employers who harness the potential talent of their existing workforce see improvements in job satisfaction, employee engagement, and job retention. Employees can gain autonomy over their work, enhance their skills based on their interests, and develop their knowledge in their roles.
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A farmer tends to their crops throughout the growing seasons; they treat each plant individually, ensuring they receive the right amount of light, nutrients, water, and warmth to be able to flourish to their full capacity.
A farming employer must ensure their working environment does the same; creating the right setting to maximise performance potential and adjusting the environment for their worker’s individual needs.
Equipping leaders with the ability to cultivate the potential of their teams is a valuable asset, as they are best placed to recognise and harness the potential of their workforce. By successfully implementing relevant training opportunities for workers, an employer can nurture them to grow within their roles, utilising the most qualified, senior members of staff to pass on their skills and practical advice.
Ensuring apprentices can cope with the demands of work and learning is vital to the success of any training strategy. Creating a community of learning and mentorship within the workplace ensures workers feel supported in the process of growing their skills. The Royal Navy’s apprenticeship programmes demonstrate the value of nurturing individuals to reach their full potential. Apprentices are part of a team from day one, learning from their experienced crew-mates and on-the-job challenges, allowing them to develop their skills alongside their qualifications.
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Whilst the hunter adopts a reactive approach, the farmer is proactively planning for the future.
The employer who thinks sustainably about their business growth and workforce development will be able to create a wider range of opportunities that meet the evolving needs and challenges of our labour market.
Evolving technology requires regular, up-to-date training, and to bridge the gap in skills, organisations can benefit from creating clear pathways for young people to access the relevant skills to progress.
Rolls Royce has adopted a successful farming strategy for their workforce development via their apprenticeship programmes and degree apprenticeships. Nicola Swaney, Education Outreach Manager for Rolls Royce highlighted “We are always interested in supporting and inspiring the next generation of engineers and this is embedded throughout everything we do.”
By creating a supportive working environment where individuals are encouraged to develop, employers enrich the lives of their workers and widen the lens on potential talent for the future. This will allow employers to attract and retain a motivated, skilled, and empowered workforce, whilst maximising the performance of their organisation.
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When the growing season is done, the farmer leaves some fields fallow; allowing the land to settle and the earth to find its equilibrium.
Once an employer has been supported to plan and implement their training programmes, there is time to allow the learning to set in, investments to take shape, and a developing workforce to employ their new skills.
Tuckman would describe this as the Norming stage of workforce growth; an exciting time for an organisation to turn new ideas into a reality. Failures at this stage are simply another lesson learned along the pathway to success
A farming employer embraces patience and understands their investment will take time to come to fruition.
Organisations can continue to analyse the effectiveness of their development strategies in order to adjust systems and programmes to meet the needs of the business. Ensuring strategies, systems and processes are compatible will allow employers to maximise their success. But how can you be sure you are fully equipped for growing your talent?
Maintaining Your Tools
The farmer is a perpetual student, with excellent problem-solving skills; able to adapt and learn from changes in their environment that may impact their harvest.
A farming employer is willing and able to learn and adapt to new technologies, studies, and outside impacts. They are always asking questions, planning for (and solving) problems, soaking up new information that can benefit their workforce.
Any great grower knows your tools can determine your success. An employer must have the correct systems, processes, and procedures in place to develop their workers. But to do this, they will need the relevant knowledge to navigate education and training policies, implement workforce development plans, manage the delivery of training, analyse the effectiveness of programmes, and evolve them once they are in place. Making use of specialists providers like THINK, ensures that everyone, at every level, in an organisation is equipped to manage the demands of their roles.
We work alongside leaders to sow the seeds for future talent, collaborating with employers to find the right route for their workforce development.
We provide the tools and expertise to build programmes that support the growth of their workforce skills.
We create strategies that allow employers to implement innovative change for their learning environment.
We celebrate their success and support them to keep evolving their programmes through robust, up-to-date evidence and analysis.
We dig, hoe, rake, plow, and mow, right alongside you, ensuring your workers are developing in the right climate; with the right support and tools to really flourish.