Is it Time to Retool Your Talent Management Process?

I was asked if today’s Wednesday Words would have a “4th of July” theme. Truth be told, this wasn’t the blog I was planning to post. But a moment of inspiration hit and hence, this blog is being written with a deadline fast approaching.

Before the question, I’ve actually had several conversations lately about today’s topic; The perpetuation of outdated and just plain bad HR Processes. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, technology isn’t going to solve our problems alone. Just this morning I was discussing the term “customization” and how particularly bad it is in terms of technology. Why? Today’s “customization” freezes a platform in time. Technology doesn’t sit still while organizations continue to hold on to HR Processes that have no place in the current day.

There’s a story I once heard rolling around in my head about a company and how they always ordered irregular sized paper. When finally asked why they had the off size, it was attributed to saving money back during World War II. Ok, so I butchered the story, but my poor attempt to tell it is this, look to the origins of why some processes exist in HR. Is it because someone did something one time a long time ago? How about the CEO or VP that wanted things done a certain way and is no longer around. Or is it from a system that just didn’t have the capability or flexibility?

I can get this quote right from Grace Murray Hopper, a pioneering computer scientist in 1975: “The hardest thing in the world is to change the minds of people who keep saying, ‘But we’ve always done it this way.’ These are days of fast changes and if we don’t change with them, we can get hurt or lost.” 1975 people!

We often perpetuate bad, arduous, wrote processes long after they’ve served their purpose. What’s worse, is these processes tie organizations to the belief that they must find technology that bends to their will, or that they must customize the platform. It’s time to break the cycle!

I’ve argued that 2019 is a make or break year for organizations to retool, or (ahem) Declare their Independence from these outdated Talent Development processes. The first step to consider in making a change is to document or map out as many of the learning and talent processes as possible. Ask “Why” for each step as it is laid out. “Why do we do this?” If the answer isn’t immediately apparent, it’s probably a good candidate for a quick legal check or inquiry internally.

While not necessarily born of a 5 year old (which I know many who do employ this technique), Peter Senge’s “5 Why’s” are a great way to get to the root cause of why a process exists. The premise is by the time you’ve hit the fifth “Why,” you’ve either confirmed or disproved why the process should still exist.

In a time where AI, SaaS, Instant Messaging and Mobile exist, is it really a good thing to say “But, we’ve always done it this way.” In the coming weeks I’ll speak more to how integrating Learning & Talent processes can help protect organizations from the HR Perfect Storm. But in the meantime, Declaring Independence from outdated HR Processes can be just as effective. Wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July!