SPONSORED BY

Welcome to this issue of Talent Edge Weekly!

A shout-out to Cheryl Doggett, VP of Global Talent Management at Intuitive, for referring new subscribers to Talent Edge Weekly. Thank you, Cheryl, for your support of this newsletter!

Not subscribed to Talent Edge Weekly? Subscribe here for free!  

PRESENTED BY SelectSoftware Reviews (SSR)

Find the Right HR Software Without the Guesswork

Stop wasting time on endless research and confusing options. Let SSR's HR software experts provide you with tailored HR software recommendations from their database of 1,000+ vendors across HRIS, ATS, Payroll, and HCM.

Best part: Their service is 100% free and is rated 4.9/5 by HR teams.

Join over 15,000 companies who have found the right HR software with SSR!

Want to get your brand, product, or service in front of our active 47,000+ Talent Edge Weekly subscribers? Learn how to become a potential sponsor.

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.

• Identifying Opportunities for Improving and Measuring Internal Mobility (IM): Two Resources | Brian Heger | Two of my templates to help an organization assess its current IM practices and metrics.

• Does Returning to the Office Support Your Company’s Strategy? | Harvard Business Review | Shares a framework for making return-to-office decisions that support an organization’s unique business needs.

• Retain, Integrate, Thrive: A Strategy for Managing Talent During M&A Transactions | McKinsey | Identifies four key employee segments to target retention strategies for during M&A transactions.

• How HR Can Respond to Rising CEO and C-Suite Turnover | Newsweek | Explores rising executive turnover risks and the growing importance of succession planning. I reshare one of my succession planning templates.

• 6 Signs that Performance Goals May be Off Track | Brian Heger | My one-page cheat sheet helps managers proactively identify 6 factors that may detract from a team's performance goals, enabling them to get back on track.

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

Brian

THIS WEEK'S EDGE 

INTERNAL MOBILITY

Identifying Opportunities for Improving and Measuring Internal Mobility (IM): Two Resources | Brian Heger

Two of my templates to help an organization assess its current IM practices and metrics.

As I continue to receive requests for internal mobility (IM) resources, here are two of my templates on aspects of IM. The first is an IM Diagnostic, which includes 20 statements across 10 key IM areas. For example, in the Transparency and Communication category, statements include "Internal job opportunities are widely and proactively communicated to all employees" and "Jobs are advertised internally before external recruitment." Practitioners can review each of the 20 statements and insert a check mark where the statement accurately reflects their organization; unchecked boxes indicate potential improvement areas. The second resource is a one-pager with nine example metrics on IM. Each metric provides a definition, highlights its importance, and offers a sample practice. For example, the "Time-to-Fill for Internals" metric measures the average time to fill a position with an internal candidate compared to external hiring. This metric is important because faster internal hiring processes reduce productivity gaps, minimize disruption, and demonstrate an organization's ability to mobilize talent quickly. A recommended practice to enable this area is streamlining the internal application process by reducing approval requirements and shortening interview stages without compromising quality. While there are many other aspects to IM, these two resources provide useful insights into driving aspects of internal mobility.

Access templates

RETURN TO OFFICE

Does Returning to the Office Support Your Company’s Strategy? | Harvard Business Review

Shares a framework for making return-to-office decisions that support an organization’s unique business needs.

Organizations are increasingly mandating a full return to the office (RTO). While this decision might be the right one for specific organizations, simply following this trend without careful consideration could be a strategic misstep for some organizations. As this new article points out, “instead of playing follow the leader” on RTO, organizations should be much more intentional and strategic about RTO decisions. This article provides a five-component framework for making RTO decisions: 1) Market and Innovation Goals examine how flexible work strategies can support business expansion and collaboration; 2) Governance considers how flexible work aligns with organizational values and ESG commitments; 3) Internal Data and Analytics focuses on using data to understand which jobs can be performed remotely and how teams coordinate; 4) Recruitment and Retention analyzes how workplace flexibility affects talent acquisition in competitive markets; and 5) Manager Training ensures leaders can effectively manage remote and hybrid teams. This approach can help leaders develop RTO strategies that serve their unique business needs rather than following trends. Also, I am resharing a Microsoft Work Lab article on setting "in-person" office expectations based on "moments that matter"—where in-person connections offer distinct advantages—instead of enforcing a minimum number of office days.

Read article

TALENT MANAGEMENT DURING M&A

Retain, Integrate, Thrive: A Strategy for Managing Talent During M&A Transactions | McKinsey

Identifies four key employee segments to target retention strategies for during M&A transactions.

Managing talent retention during mergers and acquisitions (M&A) requires intentional planning to maximize value from deal transactions. This is particularly critical as departures of key talent can raise operational risks, weaken morale, and impair M&A integration. The article identifies four crucial employee groups that exist in both acquiring and target organizations: High Potentials (approximately 2% of employees who are future leaders, though in my experience this number is closer to 10%), Value Creators (those who own important business initiatives and deliver deal synergies), Influencers (employees with deep social capital who can drive change), and Mission-Critical Contributors (those who keep core operations running effectively, such as top salespeople or key technical managers). The article emphasizes that these talent segments can be found at all organizational levels and that titles or reporting relationships don't always indicate actual organizational value. Early identification and categorization of talent in both acquiring and target organizations is essential for developing targeted retention strategies. Whether you agree with these initial categories or not, you can use them as a starting point to develop a framework that better matches your philosophy and talent segments. The important thing is to ensure proactive talent management for critical employee segments.

Read article

SUCCESSION PLANNING

How HR Can Respond to Rising CEO and C-Suite Turnover | Newsweek

Explores rising executive turnover risks and the growing importance of succession planning. I reshare one of my succession planning templates.

Managing executive retention and turnover has always been an important aspect of talent management. However, some recent data points indicate a growing concern around retention at the executive level. An October 2024 Gartner survey of 200 CxOs (defined as C-suite leaders reporting to the CEO, excluding CHROs) revealed that 27% reported they are likely or extremely likely to leave in the next six months and 56% within two years. These exit intentions appear linked to increasing pressures, with Gartner finding that 67% of executives report expanded responsibilities in their roles, and 44% agree they are more stressed by their work responsibilities. Research from executive search firm Spencer Stuart shows the average tenure of executives in the Fortune 500 varies by function—ranging from around three to six years in the C-suite and seven years for CEOs. Roles with particularly short tenures include inclusion and diversity officers (2.9 years), chief operating officers (3.1 years), and chief marketing officers (4.2 years). While the article provides several ideas for managing executive retention, it emphasizes that succession planning must be an ongoing priority. With this in mind, I am resharing one of my templates to help assess aspects of roles targeted for succession. It helps think through retention risks, emergency succession plans, how the role may change due to AI, industry trends, and the implications of each of these aspects on succession plans.

Read article

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

6 Signs that Performance Goals May be Off Track | Brian Heger

My one-page cheat sheet helps managers proactively identify 6 factors that may detract from a team's performance goals, enabling them to get back on track.

I recently shared my infographic with 24 sample questions managers can use during 1:1 discussions with their direct reports throughout the year. With two months of the new year almost completed, some goals will be on track, while others are not. Here is my cheat sheet to help managers and leaders identify six risk factors that may jeopardize those goals. By recognizing these risks, leaders can make faster course adjustments and set their teams up for success. For each risk, I've included two questions managers can ask and two indicators suggesting the presence of risks. For example, for goal misalignment, managers can ask: Are team members frequently asking for clarification on priorities or objectives? Are there inconsistencies between individual actions and stated organizational priorities? Two risk indicators are employees working on tasks unrelated to key objectives and confusion or disagreement about project priorities. If any risk factors exist for your team, you can click the box on the PDF to insert a checkmark and take action. Even if you're not a manager, these six factors can help you identify opportunities for getting performance goals back on track.

Access PDF

MOST POPULAR FROM LAST WEEK

STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLANNING

Four Resources on Strategic Workforce Planning | Brian Heger

I share four of my templates designed to support different aspects of SWP.

My templates include: 1) Six common SWP challenges, potential solutions, and immediate next steps to implement them. 2) 22 questions to better align SWP with business strategy. 3) A 10-statement diagnostic to evaluate SWP effectiveness. 4) A one-page worksheet to assess the SWP implications of different business scenarios

Access templates

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.

A few job cuts announced this past week:

• Redfin Corp. (NASDAQ: RDFN). The real estate platform disclosed that it will lay off approximately 450 employees as part of a restructuring of its rentals segment in connection with a partnership agreement with Zillow.

• Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV). The airline announced that it will cut about 1,750 leadership jobs - 15% of their corporate positions - reducing expenses to become a more agile company.

• Sunnova Energy (NYSE: NOVA). The solar services company announced it would cut 300 jobs—15% of its workforce—to reduce costs and streamline operations.

 Click here to access all listed announcements.

CHIEF HR OFFICER MOVE OF THE WEEK

This past week, 12 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:

• Levi Strauss & Co. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA) [NYSE: LEVI]—one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear—announced that Bernard Bedon has been appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective March 3. Bedon will report to Michelle Gass, President and CEO, and join the company's executive leadership team. He joins from Nike, where he most recently served as lead human resources business partner, supporting more than 81,000 employees across the enterprise and serving as lead HRBP for Nike's Consumer & Marketplace team, the Global Sales team, and the Jordan and Converse brands. ​

CHROs on the Go has over 4,000 archived announcements in its database, with new announcements added daily!

If you are already a subscriber to CHROs on the Go, log in here.

FROM ME ON LINKEDIN

THE BEST OF JANUARY 2025

Did you miss the “Best of January” issue of Talent Edge Weekly? If so, check out issue #282, which includes 20 of the most popular resources from the month.

Read the Best of January

Thank you to Produgie for sponsoring this Best of January issue! ***Check out Produgie’s upcoming Growth Leader Team Discovery Virtual Certification Program to help empower team effectiveness and leadership. Feb 27-28, 1:00-5:00PM CST.

If you are not already signed up to receive Talent Edge Weekly,  subscribe here to receive future issues. It’s FREE!

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. My new, exclusive, vetted, invitation-only digital community for internal HR practitioners will launch on March 12, 2025. If you are an internal HR practitioner interested in this paid community, indicate your interest here.