War On Talent

So we have a War on Drugs & a War on Terror. I love declaring armed conflict on the general (I can't decide between a War on Flowers & a War on Nervousness as my targets next week). There is also the War for Talent. Malcolm Gladwell rips into it here back in 2002. And Bob Sutton has a more recent go here.

Historically wars have often been about access to scarce resources. In the agricultural age, that meant land & the people to maintain it. In our present age, we face conflicts around oil & the other raw materials of production. We also apparently face a war for talent. There isn't much talent about so we must fight each other to possess it. And when we get it, we must keep it safe behind a wall of large bonuses.

The thing is, I don't think talent is that scarce. Has the world suddenly got more stupid? I do not believe this to be so, despite evidence to contrary. Is the workforce contracting? Many baby boomers are just starting to retire - N.B. Retire, not die. Those pension funds will buy a lot of health care - these people will be around for a while. And there's only so many games of golf you can play without wanting to indulge in some a bit more substantial.

If something isn't actually that scarce, then what is the point of fighting a war over it?

Calling for a Talent Ceasefire

• McKinsey's "up or out" policy means they have a network of advocates now working for potential clients. IBM is starting to get its head around this with "Greater IBM". CIO Update & HCI have some info about corporate alumni programs.
  
• Buying talent is expensive. Growing people in your organisation is probably a lot cheaper. Do you know what your people are good at to begin with?
  
• Are you getting the best out of your employees? If you know what your employees are good at, do you have them doing that? Or something else just to fill the boxes?
  
• Are the systems & processes you have in place working properly? Or have you set your talented, expensive employees up to fail?
  
• Are you using the talents of your customers, suppliers & partners? Or is collaborative innovation just something a guy from Bain asked you about on the phone at the end of last year?
  

Two footsoldiers in the War on Talent photographed yesterday