Situation
Digital and Communication Strategists possess a broad and unique skill set that is difficult to develop and even harder to find. I led a company that relied heavily on strategists but lacked a systematic way to recruit and hire top strategy talent. The organization faced several key challenges:
Key Challenges
- Accessing Candidates: Ensuring the most appropriate fit for candidates with diverse backgrounds. A specific background wasn’t an independent predictor of success, making the skills match process challenging.
- Developing Strategists: There was no formal training in place, relying on on-the-job learning through trial and error.
- Engaging Strategists: Strategists were sometimes given projects that did not challenge them, limiting their ability to fully apply their creative and critical thinking abilities.
- Role Ambiguity: Strategists lacked clear expectations, and others within the organization had varied expectations for their responsibilities.
Actions
To address these challenges, I designed and deployed an organizational development system that established clear talent management practices for the Strategy team and reimagined the department structure:
Organizational Development System
- Created a systematic approach to recruiting, hiring, and developing strategists.
- Defined clear roles and responsibilities, adding new roles to the department.
Talent Management Practices
- Streamlined the recruiting and hiring process.
- Implemented formal training programs to develop strategists in-house.
- Provided engaging and challenging projects to keep strategists motivated and satisfied.
Results
The implementation of these actions led to significant improvements:
- Streamlined Recruiting and Hiring Process:
- The Strategy team increased by 266% within three years.
- Achieved increased consistency in hiring practices.
- Increased Employee Engagement:
- Strategists took leadership in areas they were passionate about.
- Built confidence and competence in their development areas, leading to visible growth in employees.
This systematic approach to developing and managing strategy talent not only streamlined processes but also fostered a more engaged and capable team, ready to tackle the company’s strategic challenges.