Unlocking Potential: The Power of Investing in Existing Talent

🔄 34% of small businesses cannot fill open positions, but the solution might be right under your nose. While everyone is fighting over external talent, smart companies are building their talent pipeline internally. The data is compelling: businesses that invest in “rising talent" (employees without college degrees stuck in low-paying roles) create more resilient, loyal, and skilled workforces. Consider this approach: • Identify high-potential employees in entry-level or underutilized positions • Partner with L&D consultants to develop targeted upskilling programs • Create advancement pathways that keep talent engaged and growing Organizations that focus on workforce development see significantly higher retention and promotion rates, proving that internal investment can be just as impactful as external hiring. At SkillWell Strategies, we help SMBs identify hidden potential in their existing workforce and design development programs that turn retention challenges into competitive advantages. 💡 Leaders: Have you identified employees who could grow into bigger roles with the right development? What is holding you back from investing in their potential? #TalentDevelopment #EmployeeRetention #Upskilling #WorkforceDevelopment #SkillWell #BusinessGrowth

💡 Skill-Based Hiring: The Shift Growing Organizations Can’t Ignore In today’s evolving talent landscape, hiring for skills rather than titles is proving transformative. Many developing organizations still prioritize experience over capability — but skill-based hiring opens doors to agility, innovation, and long-term retention. From my experience, organizations that map roles to skill clusters, encourage internal mobility, and invest in continuous learning see measurable growth in both performance and engagement. My recommendation: Start small. Redefine roles by core competencies, integrate learning into the hiring journey, and let development drive your talent strategy. Building a workforce for tomorrow starts with recognizing skills today. #SkillBasedHiring #TalentStrategy #PeopleDevelopment #FutureOfWork #OrganizationalGrowth #HRInnovation

I went to The Executives' Club of Chicago annual Talent Outlook at the University Club of Chicago last week. We heard from talent leaders in manufacturing, tech, economics, and investment banking. There were many interesting takeaways from the panel discussion and audience questions. A few things stuck with me: ⁃ Rick Sherwood noted that given today’s geopolitical climate, corporations are being cautious in their hiring and making fewer bold talent decisions. ⁃ Kory Kantenga, Ph.D. echoed that the job market is slow. Fewer jobs are being created, fewer companies are backfilling roles when employees leave, and as a result, fewer people are quitting. People don’t quit to stay at home. They quit for other jobs. If hiring is slow, it makes sense quitting would also slow. ⁃ Shelly Green and Amber Kennelly remind us that entry level jobs are not going away in the age of AI; they might just look a little different. As Amber said, AI can replace the grunt work tasks, but can’t replace the job entirely (yet). As a leadership practitioner, I have seen these dynamics in action. Anecdotally, we are hearing hiring teams holding a higher bar, taking fewer risks, leaving roles open longer, and bringing candidates for more interviews before making a hire. When red flags are uncovered in the final stages of an important hire and it’s back to the drawing board. But playing it safe in hiring can have a real impact on your long term business strategy and future capabilities. It may feel like the prudent decision today, but in reality, you’re just kicking problems down the road, and likely snowballing them while you’re at it. Are you making #criticalhires and questioning your #hiringeffectiveness? Vantage Leadership Consulting can help. We’re committed to helping you create a Talent Rich Workforce, where you know with certainty that you have the capabilities to achieve your company’s future vision. https://lnkd.in/gvq4Xj52

The best companies I've advised don't just manage employee turnover. They architect entry and exit as a competitive moat. Here's the playbook: CONTROLLING ENTRY: The Talent Firewall Elite operators design systems that compound quality: 1. "Hire Slower, Fire Faster" → 45-60 days from req to offer → 4-6 interview stages including paid trials → Cultural fit interviews with teams → Deep reference checks Added 20 days to hiring but reduced 90-day attrition by 65%. ROI: ₦30M+ saved. 2. The "Talent Density" Filter Every hire should raise the bar. → Hired exceptional? New standard. → Hired mediocre? Just lowered your bar. Rule: 2 "strong yes" votes from top performers required. A-players attract A-players. 3. Onboarding as Audition First 90 days = evaluation, not just orientation. → Clear deliverables, weekly check-ins → 30-60-90 day gates → Mutual opt-out if not working Reduced year-one attrition by 40%. CONTROLLING EXIT: Strategic Off-Ramps 1. Performance-Based Exits → Bottom 5-10% annually → Clear improvement plans → Dignified exits when needed Kind to individual (faster course-correction) and team (protecting culture). 2. Growth-Based Exits → Top performers outgrow roles? Help them leave well. → Celebrate departures publicly Message: "We build careers, not prisons." A-players stayed longer knowing this. 3. The Alumni Advantage → Boomerang policy: Welcome back anytime → Project returns: 3-6 month contracts → Advisory roles: Consult on specialized areas One alumni saved us ₦10M+ in consulting fees. The insight: Entry and exit are quality control mechanisms of your talent system. Control them with precision = compounding talent density. Ignore them = entropy. For C-suite operators: How much rigor do you apply to talent processes versus product launches? Should be equal. Talent quality determines execution velocity on everything else. Emmanuel Esanoluwa | Chief People Operations Officer | I help C-suite leaders scale through people strategy, process optimization, and HR technology. #Leadership #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategy #RecruitmentROI

We recently sat down with our Head of Resourcing,Scott Constable to talk about how talent strategies are evolving in the SaaS & IT Services sectors, from navigating rapid digital transformation to building teams ready for the future of tech. In this insightful conversation, Scott shares his perspective on: 💡 The changing landscape of resourcing 🤝 The trends he sees shaping the future of resourcing in the next 3–5 years. 🌍 How technology has changed how we manage and deploy resources Whether you’re a hiring manager, a tech professional, or someone passionate about the future of work, this interview offers valuable takeaways on what it takes to build high-performing teams in today’s fast-moving digital world. 🔗 Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/eEvJWKgJ #SaaS #TechTalent #Resourcing #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #TalentStrategy #Recruitment #TechCareers #EmployerBranding #HRLeadership #InnovationInHiring

💡 Adopting a skills-based hiring approach doesn’t require a full process overhaul – but it does demand shifts in mindset, behavior, and how organizations approach talent. A recent study shows: 37% of organizations have fully implemented skills-based hiring 45% made changes in name only 18% have regressed For many, the journey can feel more complex than expected. Some of the most common challenges include: 1️⃣ Changing mindsets – Moving from credentials and experience to capabilities requires a cultural shift. 2️⃣ Mitigating risk & subjective measurement – Ensuring assessments are fair, valid, and reliable. 3️⃣ Prioritizing the right skills – Identifying which skills truly drive success in each role. 4️⃣ Gaining internal buy-in – Getting leaders, hiring managers, and teams aligned on new approaches. 5️⃣ Measuring effectiveness – Tracking whether skills-based hiring improves performance, engagement, and retention. Understanding these challenges is the first step toward building a more effective, fair, and future-ready hiring process. #SkillsBasedHiring #TalentStrategy #itstartswithtalogy #Talogy #WorkforcePlanning #HiringInsights

𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗤𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 A hiring pipeline is like cash flow: small leaks compound into major losses. Too often, leadership teams are caught off guard in January when talent pipelines run dry. Too few qualified candidates at the start, too many drop out mid‑process, and by Q1 momentum stalls. The question for Talent Acquisition Leaders and hiring executives is simple: are you managing talent as a strategic asset? Three questions to close the year with clarity: • Are your networks mapped to anticipated Q1/Q2 talent needs? • Where exactly do candidates disengage — early or later in the process? • Are your tools delivering measurable value or are they an operational expenditure without measurable return? 𝗔 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿‑𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘄‑𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. The organisations that calibrate now will be engaging serious candidates in January while others play catch‑up. If this resonates, DM me. I will share a proven framework executive teams use to audit and fortify their talent pipeline before year‑end. #Management #HumanResources #Innovation

𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗤𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 A hiring pipeline is like cash flow: small leaks compound into major losses. Too often, leadership teams are caught off guard in January when talent pipelines run dry. Too few qualified candidates at the start, too many drop out mid‑process, and by Q1 momentum stalls. The question for Talent Acquisition Leaders and hiring executives is simple: are you managing talent as a strategic asset? Three questions to close the year with clarity: • Are your networks mapped to anticipated Q1/Q2 talent needs? • Where exactly do candidates disengage — early or later in the process? • Are your tools delivering measurable value or are they an operational expenditure without measurable return? 𝗔 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿‑𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘄‑𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. The organisations that calibrate now will be engaging serious candidates in January while others play catch‑up. If this resonates, DM me. I will share a proven framework executive teams use to audit and fortify their talent pipeline before year‑end. #Management #HumanResources #Innovation

#Cracking the Code of #Talent #Acquisition: What #Organisations Often Miss Most organisations today #recognise that #hiring the right #talent is no longer just about filling a #vacancy—it’s about ensuring #culturalfit, long-term #scalability, and #alignment with #business #goals. Yet, even with advanced #tools and large #hiring budgets, many miss one #critical step: building a #strategy that reflects the organisation’s #unique #DNA rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. I once worked with a mid-sized technology company that was struggling with #attrition in #leadership roles. They had a strong #employer #brand and attracted #qualified #candidates, but most hires did not stay beyond the first year. Instead of suggesting more sourcing channels, we examined how their business strategy translated into #expectations from #leaders. It turned out the gap was not in the CVs but in the conversations—they weren’t mapping #potential leaders against the company’s “future state,” only the current need. We restructured the approach by: #Redefining role descriptions in terms of #impact rather than activities. Designing a selection process that tested adaptability and business alignment. Creating a post-hire #integration plan that extended into the first 120 days. Within 10 months, retention rates for critical roles #improved by 40%, and leadership #stability directly reflected in faster decision-making across functions. What this experience taught me—and continues to guide our work at iEase—is that success in talent acquisition is less about speed and volume, and more about #precision and #foresight. Organisations that take the time to design strategies aligned with business #aspirations inevitably create a #talentpipeline that strengthens not just today’s #workforce, but tomorrow’s leaders. Talent strategy, when done thoughtfully, becomes less of a transactional function and more of a growth lever. That’s where the real differentiation lies. #TalentStrategy #FutureOfWork #LeadershipHiring #BusinessGrowth #WorkforceExcellence #HiringWithImpact #TalentAcquisition #OrganisationalSuccess #StrategicHR #iEaseInsights #PrecisionHiring #PeopleAndCulture #SustainableGrowth #SmartHiring #BeyondRecruitment