With innovative new strategies needed to attract, retain and develop top talent today, the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) is launching a short course specifically geared towards helping organisations face their talent management challenges head on and become exceptional employers of choice.

The new course, Growing Organisational Talent, runs from 8 – 9 June and is a timely offering, as new research has revealed that talent management becomes more, not less, important in an economic downturn and that neglecting talent could leave organisations at a major disadvantage in the current economic climate and beyond.

According to a recent study conducted in November 2008 by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), many firms are using the downturn as an opportunity to review current systems, think creatively about doing things differently when resources are tight and prioritise specific aspects of talent management, such as the retention of high-performers. Over half (55%) of the organisations surveyed are developing more talent in-house.

“A positive effect of the wider economic uncertainty is a move by some to place even greater importance on talent management strategies. Many believe this will push them ahead of their competitors when the economy recovers, and are holding on to a long-term view of the benefits a strategic approach can bring to their business,” said the report.

Christof Appel, Director of the Growing Organisational Talent course, said that the findings shows the important need for businesses today to align talent management more closely with core business strategy and to renewed focus on attracting, developing and retaining top talent.

“Talented people are the bedrock of success; by definition they are innovators, natural leaders, results-driven and creative. They are thus critical for adapting during tough times and gaining the competitive edge,” said Appel.

Appel, who has consulted on talent management issues for heavyweights like Google, SABMiller, Toyota, Verizon and Anglo American, said that today’s emerging young talent had different needs, beliefs and desires from previous generations and companies needed new approaches to keep their finest.

“Attracting top young talent into a company is not as simple as placing an advert in the newspaper and hoping the best people will see it and apply. Attraction strategies require that a company recognises and develops its ‘employer brand’ and becomes an employer of choice,” said Appel.

He cited the famous Google recruitment billboard as a perfect example: Google bought advertising space on a highway billboard in Silicon Valley and simply placed an equation on it.

Those inquisitive and intelligent enough to solve the equation discovered a website address which housed more equations. Upon completing these they were then notified they had secured an interview with Google should they wish to use it.

With this simple example of talent attraction Google also established their employer brand as a fun, inquisitive, intelligent and innovative place to work.

Appel added that development and retention are equally as important elements of talent management and also in need of new approaches. Breakthrough strategies for retention include rotational programmes between different companies – where talented employees are allowed to leave on one to two year ‘sabbaticals’ to join partner companies with a view to meeting their unique career development needs.

These approaches and more will be examined in Growing Organisational Talent – which is being offered by the Executive Education unit at the UCT GSB.

The course is aimed at HR managers, practitioners and consultants, senior, middle line and junior managers, marketing and PR executives responsible for brand communication and those responsible for transformation and change management.

Contact Mario Pearce on 021 406 1268 or SMS ‘Talent’ to 31497 for more information.