Many Australian businesses have wrong people in key roles

Poor data, inadequate systems hamper worker analytics: Survey

Most Australian businesses are limiting their own growth by having the wrong people in key roles, according to research by Taleo, provider of talent management solutions.

In a survey of more than 100 HR decision makers, one-half expect their workforce to expand in the next 12 months. But managers at 60 per cent of those companies don't believe they have the right people in the right jobs to drive growth.

"Poor talent mobility is a burning issue that has put the brakes on growth in Australian companies," said Jason Blessing, executive vice-president of products and technology at Taleo. "As Australian businesses look to navigate through the economic uncertainty found in the U.S. and Europe, having the right people in the right jobs is critical. Talent mobility is the most efficient and cost-effective way to staff key initiatives and functions as business needs change, and it should be a key component of an organization's talent management strategy."

Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of companies regard good employee analytics as essential for developing a strong talent mobility strategy but most companies are hampered by poor data or inadequate systems, found Australia Talent Mobility 2011.

And while organizations are culturally supportive of better talent mobility, most battle technological and systematic shortcomings that hamper efforts to mobilize talent, including:
•a lack of visibility into talent gaps and opportunities
•inadequate quality and reliability of employee talent data
•a lack of systems and technology to support talent mobility initiatives.

One-third of organizations have no talent mobility technology at all, with some relying on email or other workarounds as a stop-gap, found Taleo.

"Taking an ad hoc approach to talent mobility will not give companies the edge they need in a competitive marketplace," said Blessing. "It takes a comprehensive talent management infrastructure to give decision-makers the talent intelligence they need to understand where the top performers are in their organization and who has the expertise to drive strategic growth initiatives."

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