HR

An area where we believe narrative in its various forms can add a lot of value is recruitment.  To illustrate: In a recent engagement with a global consultancy around their internal talent management issues and processes, a key theme emerged around finding more appropriate ways to recruit the right type of person.  This company (and from past experience all large consulting houses) has a strong culture of having to "fake it till you make it", new recruits typically had to fend for themselves and find work for themselves, otherwise they'd end up spending many frustrating hours on the bench.  When they do manage to get themselves on a project, they typically have very little guidance - they're thrown into the deep end, having to gain the necessary skills as they go along. ...

One of our focus areas is retention, specifically a complex approach to retaining key staff.  Many organisations refer to this as "talent management".  This is a very hot topic currently, especially in light of great skills shortages here in SA and elsewhere.  Although I see the necessity for a retention strategy, but there is a part of me that believes that the whole idea of managing 'talent' creates more problems than it solves.