We are rethinking our internal talent management process. Do any of you use any specific framework to assess and develop individuals in your organization? Do you use a 9-box based on performance and potential? Or any other framework?
Sort by:
We use the 9 box and focus on potential (lower, medium, highest) based on learning agility. Our philosophy is that everybody deserves a plan so our 9 box includes development recommendations to cover during a talent review. We match that with performance over time (sustained performance), not only last year's. The reason we changed this is that your high performers can be medium performers when put in a stretched role in another country and that does not mean they are not good performers, so we encourage managers to look at performance over time.
We use a 5-box, similar to the categories concept mentioned already. It was designed in partnership with the business to get their support. Conversations are still part art, part science, but helps us focus on outcomes and next steps vs. simply the label.
Hey Katherine, I would love to learn a little bit more about how you help drive the behaviors focused on outcome and next steps versus labels in your managers
When you are rethinking any process it helps to answer a few questions about the purpose of the process first. Here are some questions that might help.
What talent development decisions do we need to make?
Who should make the decisions?
What information do you need to make the decisions?
How can the data we have guide them to make the best decisions?
What are the consequences of the decisions we make?
Who will allocate the resources required?
Who will be accountable for executing the decisions?
What HR processes need to be “activated” as a result of the decisions made?
It's a lot to explain in this post, but I've unpacked them here: https://bit.ly/4e8USnt
The reason it requires an entire blog post to unpack is that most companies stop after the first question: What decision do we need to make? with the answer "We put the person in the box".
The main point I would like to make is that the 9 block, when used correctly, is actually a very useful framework if it is data-driven rather than opinion-driven. It's not about putting someone in a box, it's ultimately about selecting an investment strategy that gives you the best return and maximises the value of your talent.
To illustrate how simple it can be, run through this series of questions a couple of times to see the different outcomes. There are 12 different paths to get to an answer. https://bit.ly/4ej5aSe
We utilise a 9-box and succession planning framework for all mid-senior level roles and critical positions. This is an ongoing process with an annual company-side calibration which supports our L&D strategy as well as identifying gaps or actions that are needed.
We value 1:1's rather than a formal performance review process and expect leaders to be having ongoing conversations about career and performance in order to ensure the talent review is meaningful. In years gone by we found a formal, annual process lessened the feedback culture we were striving for which in turn meant our understanding of talent and individuals satisfaction factors were missing. To give an example, we used to find we would plan potential and succession around the businesses aspirations for an individual when in fact they may not be mobile or have the desire for a particular career path.
Thank you for your reply, without a formal performance review, what do you use as base for merit?
Our merit increases are based on a range of factors including performance (without an attached rating), equity in pay band, pay equity more broadly and potential/risk of leaving. We don't attach specific pay increases to this and allow managers to use a budget to distribute across their teams which is then calibrated before approval
It's great that you are rethinking the talent management process, and it starts with understanding the underlying intent of performance management? I don't know the specific tools, but highly adaptable organizations are focusing their performance management processes on helping individuals to grow into more effective versions of themselves. It's a lot more guided by the individual than the manager.