Whether an organization is looking to attract new talent, assess/manage developing talent or retain existing talent, “leadership” is a key skill set being sought and nurtured by many employers in the area. The role that leadership skills play in each of those areas is outlined below.
Recruiting for Leadership
Some local organizations use leadership assessments or competencies to measure the leadership skills of job candidates as part of the hiring and selection process. Identifying potential employees with strong leadership skills allows employers to begin developing these individuals early on if they are hired.
Given that well over half of organizations report using “leadership competencies” as an ongoing key performance criterion, establishing a good baseline understanding of the employee’s leadership skills up front can help track the employee’s development at the organization over time.
Identifying Top Talent
As the figure below illustrates, “leadership” is the competency/characteristic most commonly measured by organizations as they look to identify their top talent. In general, manufacturers appear to be less focused on leadership and employee development skills and more focused on overall performance than non-manufacturers and non-profits.
For example, leadership is used as an identifier by only 27% of manufacturers, but by 50% and 40% of non-manufacturers and non-profits, respectively.
What competencies/characteristics are used to identify top/key talent at your organization?
Ongoing Skill Development
Developing leadership skills can take many different forms depending on the organization.
At some, this means simply attending leadership training courses. Our research throughout the years tell us that more than half of organizations report offering training opportunities focused around leadership and that number is climbing.
At others, leadership development incorporates additional aspects such as mentoring or coaching from those already in more senior leadership positions.
Leadership Development Training Courses
ERC offers a variety of leadership development training programs at all levels of the organization.
