Using Talent Management to Weather the Downturn – Part 2

I recently told you about a webinar we were hosting about managing talent through the current economic downturn. Our customer, Convenience Food Systems, has been using their online talent management system to help ease them through these difficult times, with a focus on goal management and ongoing performance feedback.

Scott Mottern, Regional HR Manager at CFS, led a great discussion about the lessons he learned in implementing an employee performance management system to mend a broken process and reduce HR headaches. Scott shared the important and significant benefits that this has had during the downturn – improved employee engagement, stronger corporate unity, and tools that lend security to employees in times of uncertainty.

Engagement: Scott had some great perspective on how prior to having an online performance management system, his employees didn’t really understand expectations and as such, appraisal completions were poor. They also craved developmental opportunities and a better view into overall organizational goals. He cited a scary stat from Towers Perrin Global Workforce Study – Global Report 2007-08:

“Only one out of every five workers today is giving full discretionary effort on the job, and this ‘engagement gap’ poses serious risks for employers because of the strong connection between employee engagement and company financial performance.”

Scott was able to use their talent management system to automate CFS’ performance appraisal process and add value to employees by establishing and tracking consistent and clearly defined operational targets, providing pay-for-performance transparency, and collecting a single source of information/data for HR and the executive team. This has boosted engagement and employees now better understand their impact and their rewards, especially in how their personal performance and development are linked to the overall goals of the company.

Unity: CFS has 2100 employees scattered over 40 countries, 7 manufacturing sites and 4 sales regions. The magnitude of that corporate landscape requires the ability to remotely manage, empower, reward and communicate effectively with their talent. They now have the tools to do this effectively, unifying their company around high performance.

Security: During a downturn, especially, Scott noted some unique benefits from using an automated talent management system. Using tools like a performance journal and multi-rater reviews, employees can avoid lay-off panic because they know on an ongoing basis how they are doing, bringing a sense of security during a time of uncertainty. Managers can regularly review their teams’ progress on development plans and give feedback, and executives can evaluate succession plans on the fly.

Thanks Scott for your great presentation. Anyone out there have similar experiences during these interesting times – let us know what you think…