Managing Talent Amidst a Pandemic
This week on FEDtalk, host Jason Briefel was joined by three global talent management officials from both the government and the private sector to discuss evolutions in talent management since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Guests included Nancy Brickwood, Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources at BGRS; Clothilda (Clo) Taylor, Executive Director of the Strategic Learning, Development and Engagement Office and Chief Learning and Engagement Officer in the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and Ghadeer Hasan, Head of Global Mobility at Lockheed Martin.
From BGRS, a company that helps relocate employees and develop talent through relocation programs, Brickwood discussed a few imperatives the company has increasingly focused on due to the pandemic: balancing efficiency with agility; how to coach, mentor, and interview employees electronically; and improving accountability and adaptability in the new, online workspace.
At DHS, where Taylor says there is a healthy mix of frontline and remote workers, converting in-person trainings to virtual trainings has been a critical step toward maintaining a strong workforce in the midst of a pandemic.
Taylor also discussed how DHS has continued recruiting and hiring talent despite the atypical conditions.
“We have done very well in transitioning our hiring. This is more centered around on-boarding any of our new employees. We have gone to a virtual version of what is normally a three-day [on-boarding] process… We have not missed a beat, we have actually picked up our hiring,” Taylor explained. “We have also seen very good turnout for those who want to be a part of our HR academy and [HR] roadshows, so it has been a very good tool and it is 100 percent virtual. Folks can log in anywhere, from any location, and still be a part of that.”
All three panelists agreed on the importance of transferable skills rather than looking for skills that are industry specific.
Brickwood suggested, “Focus on the Gen Z…they might not have a long resume in the traditional sense…but they’ve grown up in a high speed, high tech world.”
More steps these organizations are taking include highlighting leaders that have done exceptionally well in the past six months and expanding their growth, finding a balance between in-person and remote work, using an “employee first” approach, speeding up performance appraisal programs, and supersizing wellness programs and mental health.
When discussing how these changes will impact the future of work, Hasan said, “This new way of working could actually be the blueprint for long term.”
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FEDtalk is a live talk show produced by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993.
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