By Richard Perrin *
Local Government organisations are faced with a multitude of pressing community demands. Critical to our endeavours is the ability to identify and retain great people. Sometimes, identifying our best people is difficult, and the process may lack transparency.
One way of resolving this is through a formal ‘Talent Review’. This enables Local Government organisations to review an individual’s performance and leadership capability, and assess overall potential.
The process also enables Councils to identify a person’s ‘area of distinctiveness’; identify where they need to develop; and map out suitable roles and actions that need to be taken in the shorter term. The rationale is that exceptional leaders will not need to wait years to get ahead.
A Talent Review is also a good way of getting management and the executive to think seriously about learning and development at all levels. Any Talent Review process should involve the following six key steps.
- Development and adoption of a ‘people leader’ profile or leadership standard.
- Identifying those who will be reviewed.
- Collecting information, including performance appraisals, 360 degree feedback, background information, interviews and formal skills assessment.
- A Talent Review meeting with each director.
- A roll up meeting with all executives and managers present.
- A Formal Feedback meeting.
In this way, the Talent Review process is a way of holding every leader accountable for the building of talent within their area. The outcomes of the review may include, but are obviously not limited to, providing coaching or skills training, promotions, and in some cases it may even result in an individual being moved out of their current role.
As part of a Talent Review, learning and development staff will also play a key role in identifying skills gaps; providing, sourcing and evaluating solutions; and promoting the process.
* Richard Perrin is the Learning and Development Officer at Campbelltown City Council.
