Talent Edge Weekly - Issue #272

Performance calibration discussions, CIsco case study on skills-based hiring practices, AI in the workplace, talent management questions, and CEO succession practices.

Author

Brian Heger
December 01, 2024

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Welcome to this issue of Talent Edge Weekly!

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THIS WEEK'S CONTENT

Below are links and descriptions of the topics covered in this issue. If you're interested in my deep dive, you can read the full newsletter.

📉 Also, check out my job cuts tracker & Chief HR Officer move of the week.

Let’s dive in! ⬇️

THIS WEEK'S EDGE 

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

My infographic with sample questions to help managers evaluate performance.

As we are in the final month of the year, many organizations are preparing for or conducting performance calibration discussions—critical meetings where managers from across the company collaborate to ensure consistency and objectivity in employee performance evaluations. One aim of these sessions is to promote fairness by addressing discrepancies caused by “tough graders,” who hold employees to exceptionally high standards, and “easy graders,” who provide overly generous evaluations. When done effectively, these discussions result in more accurate performance differentiation. To help managers prepare for these sessions, here’s my infographic featuring 10 example questions. While not exhaustive or tailored to every organization, these questions serve as a starting point and can be adapted to align with an organization’s performance management philosophy and program. Questions range from Goal Achievement: “What were the employee's most significant accomplishments during the performance period?” to Obstacle Navigation: “What were the most significant obstacles this employee faced in achieving their objectives? How did they overcome them?” By reflecting on questions like these, managers can approach evaluations more thoughtfully, leading to more objective performance differentiation. Employees can also use these questions to reflect on their contributions and performance throughout 2024.

SKILLS-BASED PRACTICES

A new 22-page paper examines Cisco's efforts to adopt a skills-first hiring approach.

Many organizations report an increasing focus on skills-based hiring, prioritizing candidates’ skills over traditional credentials such as academic degrees. However, as I've shared previously, recent studies on the impact of removing degree requirements from job descriptions show mixed results. One reason for these outcomes is that simply removing degree requirements is insufficient by itself to bridge the gap between the intent and impact of skills-based hiring. Stated differently, without proper support, managers are likely to rely on degrees as a proxy for skills. This new 22-page paper examines Cisco's efforts to adopt a skills-first hiring approach, highlighting how the organization equips managers to make more effective skills-based hiring decisions. Some of these tactics include: 1) centralizing the budget for the first 100 hires in the skills-based hiring initiative to reduce the risk for managers and build robust evidence of the program's success (see page 7); 2) socializing the program internally through a communication roadshow to engage key stakeholders and identify roles within their units that could be a good fit for skills-based hiring (refer to exhibits 1 and 2 in the appendix); and 3) equipping hiring managers with the necessary resources and mindsets to succeed, such as skills-based job descriptions and interview guidelines (exhibit 3 includes a communication to managers outlining various resources). Other ideas are discussed.

AI IN THE WORKPLACE

A new 35-page report provides insights from more than 20 early adopters of GenAI, four scenarios for its deployment, and an actionable framework to help implement.

This new 35-page report provides insights to help organizations shape their GenAI workforce strategies. One section highlights how GenAI drives job augmentation, partially performing tasks to enhance human capabilities through human-machine collaboration, enabling workers to focus on higher-level work. However, the report notes that most organizations lack precise data on the percentage of their workforce using GenAI, and many do not have clear plans for how workers should utilize the time freed up by automation. These findings have significant implications for strategic workforce planning, influencing the type of work employees will need to deliver and the skills required to do so. To help organizations proactively assess the impact of AI on work tasks, I am resharing another resource from the World Economic Forum, which categorizes GenAI’s impact into four areas, including High potential for automation—tasks that AI will perform instead of humans and 2) High potential for augmentation—tasks where AI enhances human productivity. Organizations can use this four-category framework to help break down work into tasks and then use this information to determine the most optimal way to accomplish those tasks through different tactics.

TALENT MANAGEMENT

My editable worksheet that can be used for thinking through and documenting the answers to any of 24 talent management questions.

HR leaders and their teams are increasingly tasked with articulating aspects of their workforce strategy and talent initiatives. One way to accomplish this is by starting with the talent question(s) one wants to answer. While I recently shared my one-page cheat sheet with 24 example talent questions, here is an editable PDF worksheet that provides a way to stimulate discussions on the topic. Each slide includes three starter questions for eight talent areas. You can use the text box on each page to formulate answers to these questions, add questions, and begin to develop parts of your talent narrative. A few example categories and questions include: Talent Strategy: What are the key components of our talent strategy over the next 2-3 years? Where are we “placing our bets?” Internal Mobility: Which lines of business or managers are the best developers of talent as evidenced by promotions, transfers, etc. out of their departments? Employee Retention: What are the main reasons for employee turnover? How does this vary by business unit or employee segment? Workforce and Talent Risks: Where do we have the most difficulty in finding and attracting workers with the necessary skills? The categories and questions in this PDF are simply examples. Use them as a starting point for determining what is most relevant to your organization.

SUCCESSION PLANNING

A new report offering data on current trends in CEO succession among US public companies, along with best practices for leadership transitions.

This new report explores CEO succession practices in the Russell 3000 and S&P 500, revealing several key insights: 1) Internal Promotions: CEOs are typically promoted rather than hired externally, with the Chief Operating Officer role being the most common path to the top, although companies with declining performance are more likely to hire externally; in 2024, 59% of new Russell 3000 CEOs and 77% of S&P 500 CEOs were promoted from within. 2) Age. Succession rates among CEOs aged 64 and older have steadily dropped in recent years, "likely reflecting boards’ preference for stability amid uncertainty but signaling a potential surge in successions as these CEOs eventually retire.” 3) Gender Diversity: Despite a 70% increase in female CEOs among Russell 3000 companies since 2017, women CEOs still represent just 8% of the index, while in the S&P 500, the figure is slightly higher at 10%, highlighting slower progress compared to the faster rise in female board representation. 4) Interim CEOs: In 2024, interim CEOs in the S&P 500 represented 17.6% of total CEO appointments, while 21.9% represented the same in the Russell 3000. Interim CEO roles typically last two to 10 months and are often filled by board members. The report concludes with a 5-step sample timeline to guide organizations in planning their CEO succession strategies effectively.

MOST POPULAR FROM LAST WEEK

TALENT MANAGEMENT

My infographic with 8 examples of talent segments that might get overlooked and signs that an organization might miss out on these talent sources.

This infographic shows eight talent segments that might get overlooked in the hiring process. In addition to the descriptions, you can hover your mouse pointer over each number to view an example of how organizations might overlook a segment. Organizations can use this infographic as a starting point to identify and discuss strategies for tapping into overlooked talent pools.

JOB CUTS AND LAYOFF TRACKER

Check out my tracker of announcements from a segment of organizations that have conducted job cuts and layoffs since the start of 2023.

Partial view of tracker on brianheger.com

A few job cuts announced this past week:

  • Hearst Magazines. The publisher of Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Esquire, has laid off around 200 employees — most of whom work at the company’s iconic headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.

  • LinkedIn. The professional networking platform reportedly laid off approximately 200 employees, representing about 1% of its global workforce. Most affected positions are within the engineering and customer support departments.

  • Ola Electric. (NSE: OLAELEC) The electric vehicle company is restructuring, resulting in layoffs affecting over 500 employees across multiple departments.

 Click here to access all listed announcements.

CHIEF HR OFFICER MOVE OF THE WEEK

This past week, 10 new Chief HR Officer announcements were posted on CHROs on the Go, my subscription-based platform tracking movement in and out of the CHRO role. This week’s CHRO move of the week is:

  • NIKE, Inc. (BEAVERTON, OREGON) [NYSE: NKE]—the world's leading designer, marketer, and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment—announced the appointment of Treasure Heinle as EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective January 6, 2025. Heinle, who joined NIKE in 2012, has held leadership roles including VP, HR Business Partner for North America, and most recently served as Chief Talent Officer. She succeeds Monique Matheson, who is retiring after a 26-year career with the company. Heinle will report to President and CEO Elliott Hill. ​

Treasure Heinle

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THE BEST OF OCTOBER 2024

Did you miss the “Best of October ” issue of Talent Edge Weekly? If so, check out issue #267, which includes 17 of the most popular resources from the month. Thank you to Perceptyx for sponsoring this Best of October issue!

The Best of November will be published on Tuesday, December 3rd!

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RESOURCE LINEUP

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​Talent Edge Weekly is a free weekly newsletter that brings together the best talent and strategic human resources insights from various sources. It is published every Sunday at 6 PM EST.

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Talent Edge Weekly is written by Brian Heger, a human resources practitioner. You can connect with Brian on Linkedin, X, and brianheger.com