Healthy Business

Talent management, the Steve Jobs way

From groundbreaking desktop computers through to the mega-success of the iPod, it’s fair to say that Apple’s machines changed the world – but as well as being the figurehead of these iconic designs, Steve Jobs was a passionate leader dedicated to nurturing talent. By bringing a skilled team together into one cohesive unit, Jobs was able to create some of the world’s finest technology.

A recent article in HR Zone on Steve Jobs notes the importance of Apple having ‘the right talent management strategy’ – by making sure they employed people who could ‘mirror the innovation and passion that Jobs brought to the organisation’. And the results were impressive enough for President Obama to say that ‘Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it’.

So what actually is talent management, and how can other businesses put the Steve Jobs effect to good use?

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) describes talent management as “the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention and deployment of those individuals who are of particular value to an organisation” – people with “high potential for the future” and those “fulfilling business/operation-critical roles”. Talent management, then, isn’t simply about getting talented people into your organisation – it’s about retention and development within a “planned strategy”

Of course, not all companies are at the forefront of technology like Apple – but there are still things that we can all do to help make sure talent is managed in a progressive and effective way within an organisation. The CIPD’s talent management factsheet centres on aligning the talent strategy with the corporate strategy, approaching talent development with ‘fairness and consistency’, plus tracking and evaluation of the process. The simple things we can learn from Steve Jobs in addition to this are the importance of passion for staff skills, and the need for an inspiring company culture.

As the need to attract talented staff continues to be important, do you feel that talent management could play an increasing part in recruitment and retention in the future?