Press Release

For Immediate Release
13 July 2007

An interview with Ian Till

-- Talent is the arguably the most precious asset among companies and economies. But what exactly is talent and how does one measure it? Ian Till, a leading authority on talent and leadership will address ACTE’s Asia-Pacific Education Conference on 23 August 2007 on the question of how talent is defined and shares his views of differences between Asian and Western perspectives of this much sought after quality. Ian Till spoke with Kenneth Phua of ACTE

KP: What talent is in greatest demand given the current business environment in the region?

IT: Our research has shown that the skills which are in highest demand are leadership skills. Top Companies for Leaders research conducted in multiple markets has shown that this is of greatest concern to organizations, ahead of skill shortages such as sales skills and technical skills. As such strong leaders who have a firm grasp of the technical side of the business but are also able to engage (and thereby retain) their employees are in high demand.

Another specific area where there is an increasing need for skills is global awareness. Due to rapid globalization, there is a need for talent and their managers to be aware of cultural differences and the nuances of doing business in different markets. In some organizations it is an expectation that an individual must have had multi-country experience prior to rising to a senior management posting.

KP: Can talent be categorized into parts that correspond with main business functions?

IT: Generally organizations categorize talent by level within the organization rather than by business function. As such they have programmes such as young potential; management development; and top potential programmes. Developmental interventions for these groups are quite different, however many adopt the use of assessment and/or development centres, as well as action learning projects to ensure learning is both optimised and internalized.

KP: If talent is nothing more than potential until it is translated into an asset, how does one recognize its worth?

IT: Good question. Talent is more than simply potential. It is fundamentally about performance, and demonstrating results. We also need to be clear about what is 'talent' since the term is sometimes used to describe any level of employee with an acceptable level of performance, while for others it is used to describe only those employees who are key talent (i.e. high potential and high performers).

An individual with the potential to move to a higher level in an organization and who does their job to an acceptable level, but decides for whatever reason (e.g. to spend more time at home with the children) not to strive to go the extra mile would be recognised more as a solid contributor than 'talent'. That said, such employees are critical as they form the backbone of the organization.

To answer the question more directly, the reality is that this potential will remain an unrealised asset until such a time as the individual decides to demonstrate this through their performance. The role of the manager and organization at large is to help identify the levers that will enable this to happen and increase the number of people with this desire. They would become a key talent for the organization.

KP: In your opinion are there new competencies that companies need which have yet developed (talent gaps)?

IT: Due to changing demographics, there is a global shortage of talent. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 10 million more jobs than workers in the USA alone by 2010. The competencies that are required to attract and retain top talent have not changed dramatically. Our research with some of the Fortune 500 companies showed that top talent want to have strong career advancement opportunities. This has been substantiated by our recently concluded Best Employers study where Career Opportunities clearly had the most impact on an employees engagement level. The long term perspective is less attractive than clarity about what is coming up in the next year or so. Organizations need to have clear career development, job rotation and manpower planning processes in place to enable this to happen.

Not surprisingly, compensation matters for high potentials. Specifically they need to see the alignment between their efforts and how they are rewarded. High potentials are willing to work hard, but also want to be recognised for this. At the same time, the willingness of high potential employees to sacrifice themselves and their families in pursuit of the next rung on the ladder has decreased. High potentials increasingly value a stronger work-life balance.

To meet these expectations, companies need to be clear about the expectations they are setting for employees, and be clear about what meeting or exceeding those expectations means. Employers, who are aware of this, may restructure their practices to adopt more employee- friendly practices. Managers are a key lynchpin in this, and may need education to enable this to happen effectively.

For more information, contact:
Kenneth Phua
ACTE Regional Director, Asia-Pacific
t/f: +65-6440-9169
e: [email protected]

Julia Jufri
ACTE Regional Manager, Asia-Pacific
t/f: +65-6764-4579
e: [email protected]


For more information, contact:
Jack Riepe
Communications/PR
Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE)
t: 610-719-8396
c: 610-256-0124
e: [email protected]