Hourglass issue 25: putting HR at the centre of your people strategy

In this edition we focus our attention on the search for talent. The results of our 15th Annual CEO Survey were released in January of this year and it’s clear that talent is a topic which is at the forefront of CEO’s minds. A quarter of those surveyed said that they’d postponed or abandoned a strategic plan because they couldn’t find the right people to complete the project. That’s a significant trend, particularly at a point where unemployment in many countries is so high and the talent pool is so wide. So, how do you go about finding the right talent to meet your strategic goals?

New ways for finding talent

The more traditional ways of finding talent are not always suitable for every scenario. When looking for a new chief executive, do you focus purely on charisma and energy, or do you look at the candidates’ deeper experience and practical knowledge? On page 12, Beth Holmes looks at alternative solutions for finding the right talent. Taking a risk on someone with a CV that looks to be flawed and inconsistent can give the individual a chance to flourish and display skills that weren’t immediately apparent on paper.

Making the most of technology

HR, as a function, has done a lot to embrace technology. But the increasing use of software systems to source suitable job candidates and the emergence of social media tools to research potential employees have brought fresh challenges for employers. On page 24, Lesley Meall looks at the benefits, and potential pitfalls, of embracing new technology in your hunt for talent.

Adapting to globalisation

With globalisation expanding year-on-year, there are plenty of challenges for HR to overcome when dealing with a worldwide workforce, all of whom have their own regional and cultural differences. As Nick Martindale explains on page 4, what’s needed is a centralised model that works effectively at a local level and which takes the cultural differences of each region into account.
 

You can read two extracts from this issue below:

HR in a global marketplace

Increasing globalisation means that HR needs to find a centralised model that works effectively at local level and can withstand diverse cultural differences.

Read the preview

Talent and software

Technology is changing the way in which HR professionals find talent – and not always in the ways you might expect.

Read the preview

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