What Works…Talent Review | Future of HR Podcast

One talent practice I continue to receive requests for additional resources is the organizational talent review. While the approach and structure of talent reviews vary across organizations, most include common elements, such as identifying high-potential (HiPo) employees and determining actions to develop HiPos for future opportunities, including those integrated into an organization’s succession planning. Despite being a core talent management practice, organizations often encounter challenges when conducting these reviews, such as deciding on criteria to identify HiPos (e.g., using the “traditional 9-box” of performance potential or other tools). In this recently released 39-minute Future of HR podcast episode, host JP Elliot discusses talent reviews with guests Anne Davis Gotte, VP of Global Talent at General Mills, and Joe Garbus, EVP Global Head of Talent at PVH Corp. Anne and Joe share many practical insights on what makes an effective talent review, including 1) the importance of establishing consistent and shared definitions for evaluating and differentiating talent and 2) how the best talent reviews are described as “action-oriented” and result in tangible plans, outcomes, and progress. This episode includes many actionable insights from respected internal talent management practitioners charged with leading talent reviews for their organizations. To supplement this podcast, I am resharing Marc Effron’s article, Six Steps to Great Talent Reviews, which delves into overcoming common challenges in executing effective talent reviews, including overly complex processes and lack of follow-up.