Talent Edge Weekly - Issue #278

2025 goal-setting template, keeping job candidates engaged before their start date, sourcing projects for an internal talent marketplace, AI in HR, and working parents.

Author

Brian Heger
January 05, 2025

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Happy New Year, and welcome to this issue of Talent Edge Weekly!

First, a shout-out to Mini Bhondwe, Talent Lead, ASEAN MCaps Core at Microsoft, for referring new subscribers to Talent Edge Weekly. Thank you, Mini, for your support of this newsletter!

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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 template to help teams establish goals and track metrics, with sections for both what will be accomplished and what won’t be prioritized.

Many HR teams are finalizing or refining their goals and objectives for 2025. To support this effort, here is my template to help set goals and track progress throughout the year. It is divided into two sections: 1) HR Goals and Objectives—focusing on what will be achieved, and 2) What HR Won't Do—outlining work that may have been a priority in the previous year(s) but is no longer relevant for 2025. In my view, being clear about what won’t be done is invaluable, as lingering tasks or outdated priorities can unintentionally carry over into the new year, distracting teams from focusing on what matters most. For example, an HR organization’s new operating model might eliminate investing time and resources in individual leadership development programs by business units/functions, shifting instead to company-wide programs. Metrics to ensure alignment with this shift could include no new local programs added and a 10% increase in company-wide program utilization. By monitoring both what will and won’t be done, HR teams can better position themselves to execute the most important initiatives and priorities. Evaluate whether the “what won’t be done” section adds meaningful value for your team. Lastly, while this template is tailored for HR, it can be easily adapted by any function, business unit, or team to drive 2025 objectives.

TALENT ACQUISITION

Provides tactics on keeping candidates engaged during the waiting between offer acceptance and start date.

Engaging candidates after they accept a job offer is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of the hiring process. According to Gartner, the average time between a candidate’s offer acceptance and start date is 28 days, leaving a window during which candidates may remain open to other opportunities. In fact, Gartner research reveals that in the past year, one-third of surveyed candidates backed out of an accepted offer. Without proper engagement during this period, organizations risk losing top talent. This article outlines tactics for keeping candidates engaged between offer acceptance and the start date. One notable practice highlighted is a “calendar of connections” strategy, where targeted touchpoints—such as providing role information, sharing informal career insights, and connecting candidates to their onboarding manager—are delivered weekly leading up to the start date. Organizations that use the postoffer period to reinforce candidate commitment and enthusiasm can significantly reduce dropouts, helping new hires build stronger connections to the organization and make a faster impact in their roles. How can your organization enhance its postoffer engagement strategy to ensure candidates remain committed and excited about joining your team?

INTERNAL TALENT MARKETPLACE

My one-page worksheet to generate ideas on sources of projects to supply an organization’s internal marketplace.

Kicking off 2025, many organizations are shifting their focus from simply setting goals to identifying the strategies and resources needed to achieve them. Critical to this effort is bridging talent gaps that impede the successful execution of key objectives. Rather than defaulting to adding new roles or more people to meet talent needs, another approach is leveraging an organization’s internal talent marketplace—particularly for matching employees to short-term projects that tap into their skills, expertise, and interests. This strategy unlocks capacity within the existing workforce by quickly allocating talent where and when it’s needed most. To help organizations identify project opportunities for their internal talent marketplace, I’ve developed a one-page template with eight sample questions, such as: “What upcoming initiatives align with our strategic goals but lack dedicated resources?” and “Are there recurring pain points or inefficiencies that could be addressed through short-term projects?” By considering these and similar questions, organizations can tap the full potential of their existing talent while accelerating the achievement of 2025 priorities and objectives.

AI IN HR

A one-page reference with AI use cases across eight HR areas. Includes my bonus template for evaluating which use cases an HR team might pursue.

AI continues to demonstrate significant potential to enhance HR capacity. According to a BCG analysis, AI could boost HR productivity across the value chain by up to 30%. As HR leaders determine which AI initiatives might unlock the most value for organizational stakeholders, this one-page reference by i4cp outlines use cases across eight HR domains, from talent acquisition to talent development. I recommend starting by identifying the business problems you’re addressing and using the cheat sheet to explore how AI can help solve them. To assist further, I’m resharing my editable template to help you think through AI in HR areas you might want to pursue based on various factors. Based on your assessment of these factors (the color coding should help to interpret your assessment across the use cases), there is space to generate ideas on potential next steps. If you missed it, check out i4cp’s 2025 Priorities and Predictions report, which provides strategic guidance drawn from the expertise of CHROs and senior leaders representing HR, talent, DEI, total rewards, and people analytics. i4cp has made this report ungated for Talent Edge Weekly readers!

WORKING PARENTS

Covers research on the strategies working parents use to balance family and work commitments.

Balancing work and caregiving responsibilities is a significant challenge for many working parents. To manage their time effectively, parents often adopt strategies like declining lunch invites, skipping team social hours, or steering conversations away from non-work topics. While these tactics help them meet both professional and personal obligations, they can also lead to unintended consequences, such as weaker workplace relationships and a diminished sense of belonging. With more organizations implementing return-to-office mandates, this balancing act is likely to become even more challenging. This article offers suggestions for both parents and managers to navigate these dynamics. For instance, one recommendation mentioned for managers is to focus on results rather than hours worked: “Focusing on how well your employees are performing — rather than the hours they put in — will help you to reward parents instead of dinging them for making time for their kids.” In my view, managers and leaders can also help by addressing ineffective ways of working in the organization, such as excessive or inefficient meetings. With this in mind, I am resharing my template to help organizations identify and address these ineffective ways of working, which can not only ease the pressures on working parents but also enhance overall organizational effectiveness.

MOST POPULAR FROM LAST WEEK

WORKFORCE PLANNING

My template outlining six common SWP challenges, a potential solution, and immediate next step to implement.

One common challenge to SWP is that HR practitioners and stakeholders often struggle with where to begin or how to prioritize actions to advance SWP efforts. In such cases, starting small—focusing on one area for improvement—can be the most effective way to gain momentum. Here’s my one-page template to help determine the next step you might take. If you find value in tools like this, stay tuned for my new, exclusive community for internal HR practitioners, Talent Edge Circle, launching in early 2025.

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:

  • CVS Health (NYSE: CVS). The health services and pharmacy company disclosed that it is laying off 164 employees in February 2025 as part of a mass layoff at its Hartford, Connecticut, facility.

  • Lilium. The Advanced Air Mobility pioneer has ceased operations and laid off almost all of its more than 1,000 employees after failing to raise the capital it needed to continue.

  • Ring Therapeutics. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based gene therapy startup disclosed that it has laid off just under 50% of its workforce, leaving approximately 40 employees. The company stated the layoffs support its focus on its Anellobricks genetic medicine platform.

 Click here to access all listed announcements.

CHIEF HR OFFICER MOVE OF THE WEEK

This past week, 8 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:

  • Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (DALLAS, TEXAS) [NASDAQ: TCBI]—the parent company of Texas Capital—announced the appointment of Aimee Williams-Ramey as Chief Human Resources Officer. Williams-Ramey joined the company in May 2024 as Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary. Prior to Texas Capital, she held executive roles at Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and Sabre Corporation. ​

Aimee Williams-Ramey

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FROM ME ON LINKEDIN

Catch up on what you may have missed from me on LinkedIn:

THE BEST OF DECEMBER 2024

Did you miss the “Best of December ” issue of Talent Edge Weekly? If so, check out issue #277, which includes 17 of the most popular resources from the month.

And make sure you check out my announcement about my new invitation-only community for internal HR practitioners launching in a few weeks—Talent Edge Circle!

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RESOURCE LINEUP

​brianheger.com provides free access to +1,500 curated articles, research reports, podcasts, and more that help practitioners drive better business results through strategic human resources and talent management.

CHROS on the Go is a subscription that provides the easiest and most convenient way to stay informed about Chief Human Resources Officer hires, promotions, and resignations in organizations of all sizes and industries.

​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.

Talent Edge Circle. A new, exclusive, vetted, invitation-only digital community for internal HR practitioners to be launched in early 2025. If you are an internal HR practitioner interested in this paid community, indicate your interest here.

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