Talent Planning

Best Practice Guide

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Talent management Is a top priority for leaders

Innovation

77% of CEOs are concerned
that skills shortages could
hinder their organisations
growth
Knowledge
Execution
People
58% of execs say having 41% of execs believe that
better insight into talent difficulty attracting and
could improve profitability retaining talent is the
greatest risk they will face in
the next 12 months

A robust talent management process is a critical component of any human capital strategy. To be
effective, the talent management process needs to be driven and facilitated by business and HR leaders.
Talent review meetings are a key component of the talent management process.
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Why do we conduct talent review

meetings?

Talent review meetings are a key part of

the talent planning process and provide
business and HR leaders with an
opportunity to discuss and make informed
decisions about individuals across the
organisation

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Best practice In talent planning

Be agile and responsive

Focus on talent pipelines

Be data driven

Be transparent and inclusive

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01. Key Skills for

Talent Planning

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What skills are important for talent planning

Understanding the business

Relationship Management

Knowledge of internal processes

Advisory/ Project Management skills

Talent planning mindset

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The following considerations are important when considering talent, complete this
document with your Exco to support your Talent Meeting

Business Outlook & Organisation Issues

Key Business Changes in FY 2022/23
Insert 3 bullets to illustrate most significant features of this years compared to last year
• …
• …
• …

Economic Environment
Key relevant economic indicators/ outlook
• …
• …
• …

Key Business Objectives for FY2022/23

Detail 3-5 objectives which illustrate the current priorities
• …
• …
• …

Changes during FY22

Summarise key people changes to your organisation during FY22. Include Exco hires & leavers
• …
• …
• …
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HR Lead Talent Review Meetings

In Preparation
• Meet with managers to ensure they have prepared their talent
assessments
• Understand the 9 box grid
Remember: Talent
planning is not just an
During the session annual activity. HR
• Challenge 9 box placement have an important role
• Be aware of biases supporting ongoing
• Be the neutral voice in the room
talent development
across the group

Follow Up
• Follow up on agreed actions
• Reflect on any 9 box trends
• Complete Succession Planning template and submit succession
nominations
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Understand The 9 –Box Grid In Advance Of The Session

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9-Box Definitions
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Ask questions to challenge the 9 – box grid placement

During the discussion on each employees positioning, ask questions across the following themes to
ensure there is alignment in the room on their placement grid.

IMPACT Is the employee performing the work and achieving expected results?

EXPECTED Are they meeting expectations?

BEHAVIOURS Are they demonstrating leadership skills?
BUSINESS NEEDS Do they have skills and are they a potential successor for the manager’s
role?
POTENTIAL Can they be successful in the future? (e.g. with promotion, added
responsibility, new role).
MOBILITY Is the employee available to work in another business or geography? Are
they ready for a move beyond their current location?
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Be aware of biases
What you should know ?
• Biases become escalated when were stressed or
in a hurry
• Unconscious bias influences our decisions and
behaviours in ways so subtle that they
completely escape our notice
• Awareness of bias And how it can influence
decisions can help us limit impacts on our own
behaviour
What you should do ?
• Be aware of your biases and those of the people
you work with
• Avoid use of “like me/us” comparisons
• Manage assumptions by checking and reframing
based on specific examples
• Everyone who participates on a talent
discussion in accountable for inclusion of all
people
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Remember, biases come in different forms

Judgement Definition Driving Factor
Errors

Affinity bias The Tendency to ‘warm’ to people who are like yourself. • Similar values
This is also called similarity error or ‘like-me’ effect • Same background, university, skills

Perception bias The tendency to believe one thing about a group of people • Pre-judgment of certain behaviours or styles
based on stereotypes and assumptions, making it
impossible to be objective about individuals

Negative and The tendency to peg individuals higher or lower than their • Provide positive / negative feedback just to get
positive skew performance actually warrants him/her prompted/ not promoted
Halo effect The tendency to seek to think that everything about a • Recalling the one bad/good thing an individual
person is good simply because you like them. does really well

Confirmation bias The tendency to seek to confirm your pre-existing ideas • Past achievements/failures
and assumptions about a group of people • Good/bad things from any other year

Recency effect The tendency for events that have happened recently to • Bad experience in the past
have more influence on the decisions than major events
in the past
Group think The tendency to try too hard to fit into an existing culture, • Generalisation held true about an individual or
mimicking others and holding back thoughts or opinions, group which is not challenged
resulting in loss of identity and lost creativity and
innovation
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Keep in mind common pitfalls of the 9-box grid

Pitfall How to overcome

• Overemphasis on current • Remember the recency effect

performance for 9-box placement • Challenge managers to think
beyond current performance and
consider broader performance
to date as well as future potential

• Overreliance on a single opinion • Ask for feedback beyond the

individual's direct line manager
• During the session, encourage
others to share their comments
• Offer and independent view
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The 9-box placement is important for succession nominations

• Remember, during 9-box placement

discussions that succession nominations
will come from boxes A,B and D
• A represents individuals who are
exceptional and ready for a move
upward
• B represents individuals who
are exceptional and ready for an
expanded role
• D represents individuals who are
solid performers and are ready for a
move upward in 1-2 years
• Individuals who are placed in other
boxes but who appear as a succession
nomination need to be challenged
• Remember that colleagues with less
than six months service are too early
to asses
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Other considerations during the session

Ask Questions Be aware of cues

Open ended Verbal- What you say

Prompt discussion by asking about the Actively participate in the discussion
manager's rational talent assessment? And challenge placements in the grid
Close ended Vocal – How you say it
Close the discussion by asking everyone is Be clear when you are sharing your view,
agreed on next steps? recognise you are the neutral voice
Press for specifics Visual – How you look
Ask questions around what experiences and Use ROLE- Relaxed, Open, Leaning,
Listen effectively Eye contact
competencies
led the manager to make their
talent assessment. Acknowledge
Recognise what is being said
Paraphrase
Re-cap any decisions and reflect back in
your own words for clarity
Listen actively
Give your full attention to the conversation
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Reflection after the meeting

After the session, reflect on outcomes and consider if there were any
trends or anomalies

A group of employees who are located in the same box might indicate
a trend that needs monitoring or the need for additional development
focus

When there’s an employee that is alone in one of the boxes, consider

two things:

• Do they have access to different experience to others?

• Would they benefit from development support e.g. coaching

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Follow up after the meeting

Record and follow up on decisions made:

Record each decision along with the person responsible for that action and date
due

Complete succession planning template:

Complete the templates shared with you on:
1. Progress against previous years succession plan
2. Business outlook & organisation issues
3. Talent discussions and outcomes
4. Talent market
5. Future talent plans
6. Talent Scorecard
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Talent planning is not just an annual activity. You have a role in

broader Talent Management process.
• HR play an important role supporting ongoing talent development across the group and
ensuring continued individual and business growth

• HR also play a role in measuring the effectiveness of succession performance. Once

you have conducted your self-assessment using the talent scorecard, make sure to
identify steps you and the team can take to improve
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Talent Scorecard
Talent Progress Indicators

Critical Positions Filled Internally

Management Positions Filled Internally

Hi Potential Turnover

Critical Positions with 3+ Successors

Average Years until Ready

Individual Improvement
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Any questions?

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