Expert interview: 10 questions about sustainable HR development

Rosemarie Clarner, Senior Partner Human Resources (Copyright: R. Clarner)

Saarbrücken (ptp019/26.11.2012/12:00) Rosemarie Clarner, Senior Partner Human Resources at Scheer Management GmbH, talks about sustainable HR development and the war for talent in an interview with Tamara Hausmann, PR manager at IMC AG.

IMC: Which topics are currently particularly important for human resources development?

In the context of the current 'war for talent', one of the major challenges is having the right employees with the right qualifications in the company at the right time. Closely associated with this is the topic of talent management. It is not a question of simply finding employees, but rather of keeping them at the company. Key players who could contribute to shaping the future must be identified and offered targeted support. This is the only way to tie talent to the company in the long term.

IMC: In your view, why is talent management such a priority?

Talent management is a reaction to the changing conditions of the global employment market, where competition for talent is becoming increasingly fierce. Examples of this include demographic change, the increasing importance of innovative capability as a decisive factor affecting ability to compete and the particular need for innovative employees which this entails.

In addition, reduced employee loyalty towards employers is a crucial point, together with increasing market transparency. Globalisation has given rise to a greater supply of qualified employees on the one hand, but with an increased risk of migration on the other: in this respect, talent management is one of the key topics in the 'war for talent'. Companies must come up with some way of identifying, promoting and retaining talent, as well as a way of locating the right talent on the market.

IMC: Are there differences here between medium-sized companies and the so-called 'big players'?

I don't see a major difference here. Big players are more likely to have institutionalised talent management than medium-sized companies, but the companies are competing for business and must take certain framework conditions into account. As a result, it is first and foremost vital that the management team shows commitment to the question of talent management. Managers play a vital role in this process and must be committed to the importance of talent management for the company's success.

IMC: What other requirements are needed?

The culture must be suitable - in other words, talent must be the central focus of thinking and actions. The high status which is afforded to customers should also be given to talent.

Organisational structures should be properly prepared. Clear responsibilities are important here, as are a coordinating body - usually HR - and ensuring the required skills are present.

The main role of talent management is to fill company positions for the long term and with the right talent. This is vital for a company's economic efficiency! As a result, it is essential to create the framework conditions needed to develop the full potential of talent in accordance with the company's goals.

However, this requires a large amount of planning, precise alignment of available and required resources and continuous controlling. Fundamentally, this can only be achieved in a professional way using suitable technology!

IMC: Which properties does a suitable technological solution require?

It must support the talent management process as a whole. For example, I need a constant and up-to-date overview of my talent landscape. I have to know what potentials the company currently has with which qualifications and skills, and how the current employee profile matches up to the target profile for the future. I would hope that a talent management system (http://www.im-c.de/germany/en/solutions/talent-management ) would offer me support here. Something like this does not lend itself to being illustrated in Excel spreadsheets.

Another consideration is of course usability requirements such as intuitive operation, implementation and system security ensuring regulatory compliance, technical adaptability to the company's individual requirements and so on. A talent management tool should make the company's work easier, and the technical key data must be accurate.

IMC: The next step in the process is further training. What opportunities for technology do you see here?

The topic of learning technologies is a topic of the future. I can see that classroom events are declining. In the future, companies will attach even greater importance to learning technologies, combined with individual coaching.

In addition, there is a trend towards mobile and informal learning: employees have less and less time, so further training measures must be flexible - in other words, not restricted to a particular time or location - and must also offer learning in individual bitesized chunks if required.

IMC: Would you say that demographic change and the resulting challenges for the employment market are actually an opportunity for companies?

I see this as an opportunity to make use of target groups in the future which we would have neglected in the past. For example, I am thinking of candidates with immigrant backgrounds, women or older employees. These are target groups which we must focus on in the future and for which we must also develop corresponding models and opportunities. This will provide companies with the opportunity to create a real competitive advantage.

IMC: How then should companies adapt to the various target groups?

It is a question of understanding the specific needs of these target groups and thus isolating how they can be motivated and how their performance can be improved.

With the 50+ generation, for example, this involves increasing their willingness to continue learning and to acquire new technologies. This means that I need to offer learning technologies and opportunities which they enjoy and which are also suitable for them.

The so-called digital natives require a rather different approach. Young people make use of social networks, and these can be used to reach them. This is the case from recruitment onwards: I do not believe that it is possible nowadays to fire young people's enthusiasm with a printed advertisement. A company must have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Xing or similar networks to be considered an attractive employer.

If the right measures are successfully developed and such people can be brought on board and retained, this constitutes a crucial competitive advantage.

IMC: Would you say that the increasing proliferation of smart phones and tablet computers will change human resources work in the future?

These are instruments which everyone must deal with. HR staff also have smart phones and tablet computers. I would say that this has a particular effect in terms of permanent availability. You no longer simply have fixed working hours during which you are reachable and available - instead, you remain reachable to all intents and purposes throughout the weekend and at times when you would not normally be working.

IMC: Can we also expect changes for employees prompted by the combination of HR and mobile technologies?

These devices can offer greater flexibility in the use of learning technologies, for example. In other words, employees no longer have to be in the company itself and undertake learning or attend seminars there - instead, they can make flexible use of appropriate further training materials wherever they are. This means that optimal use can be made of waiting time at airports or similar. It is important that the learning materials are adapted accordingly and are split into small units. This also has a particularly motivating effect: small successes are quickly achieved and the learning workload is easily manageable.

Aussender:	imc information multimedia communication AG
Ansprechpartner:	Mag. Tamara Hausmann
Tel.:	+49 681 9476 302
E-Mail:	tamara.hausmann@im-c.de
Website:	www.im-c.de