Choosing the right Talent Management System for your organisation

The term Talent Management System can be quite confusing as encompasses a range of functions involved in workforce management and the term is often used interchangeably with performance management system. Fundamentally, we can expect a talent management platform to support us in managing people across the employee lifecycle with the intention of positively impacting employee experience. Research shows that talent management solutions can be a key tool for HR professionals to increase employee engagement and talent retention helping them with workforce planning enabling better career progression and retaining top talent.

Key features to expect from the best Talent Management Systems

1. Performance Management

As you may imagine , the features of a talent management platform can be many and varied and it is common for them to be modular so you can start with your biggest priority and then add to it in line with your business goals. As outlined above, the term talent management software is synonymous with a performance management system which means that you would expect it to encompass performance reviews as well as helping to agree individual goals, development and training plans. Increasingly businesses prioritise systems that provide a complete view of performance across the business and encourage a culture of continuous feedback.

Compensation management may be a desirable feature for some businesses enabling greater hr efficiency if they are trying to allocate reward in line with performance. Finally document management could also be a desirable feature or tool within such a system.

2. Learning Management Systems

Learning and development system functionality is probably the next priority for most managers and Hr teams who are looking at talent management platforms. They may want an integrated learning management system that helps to manage personalised learning and development plans for top talent defining the career path for those in key roles. This may include skill gap analysis, customised learning solutions and could focus on and track current and future needs. The purpose is to extend the employee lifecycle and reduce turnover, therefore including functionality to enable internal mobility like succession planning for future leaders. Equally valuable is the the ability to create talent pools that can identify growth opportunities and spot specific skills gaps that may be filled by strategic planning or succession management.

3. Talent Acquisition functionality

Talent management systems that can ease the pain of the hiring process while supporting new starters are increasingly popular. Ultimately, recruiting new hires can be a really challenging process for HR professionals. It can bring a high administrative burden. Talent management software that can offer an add on module or integration to an applicant tracking system can greatly reduce the stress and increase the job satisfaction of the HR Team. Talent acquisition functionality may range from interview scheduling and applicant tracking to employee onboarding. This is the point at which the system should become part of a joined process supporting business goals. By identifying the skills and talent needed for key roles and enabling the recruitment of it. Evidence shows that a positive employee experience during the recruitment process has a positive impact on existing employees. A positive onboarding experience reduces that likelihood of new employee turnover.

4. Other features to look for in the best Talent Management Software

Most organisations we spoke to were moving from paper to online for the first time. In many cases, the usage of their paper-based performance or talent management system were not high. Going from low completion of paper-based processes to all singing and dancing online in one annual cycle is unrealistic. Choose a software provider that can evolve with you (and can easily switch on additional features and functionality for you!)

Too many performance management systems are prescriptive and expect appraisals to be completed within a specific window of time. They lock down objectives at the start of the year with no room for reviews or comments. This outdated approach only really supports the ‘tickbox’ mentality. Choose a system that is flexible enough to allow managers and staff to comment on objectives or update their development plan when it is relevant as opposed to once a year in a prescribed time frame. This makes the system more empowering, encouraging a culture of ownership and engagement. Ultimately, of course the intention is to retain employees and encourage them to deliver their best.

Performance management should feed into the talent management functionality. Identifying and developing top talent and future leaders and enabling effective succession management. In terms of employee onboarding, it should provide a positive end to end experience, identifying and supporting a growth mindset and culture.

Actus the Purpose-Built Modular Talent Management System

Learn more about Actus, our purpose-built Talent, Performance and Learning Management Software. Why not arrange a demo below? Not only does our talent and performance management system align with the themes above, but it is also supported by OD experts as opposed to techies and we would be delighted to chat with you. You can also learn more about Talent Management by downloading our White Paper:

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