The Choice Is Yours

Oracle-Taleo Acquisition Highlights Stark Choices Facing HR Buyer

Few people who follow the HR software industry were surprised by last week’s announcement by Oracle that they intend to acquire recruiting and talent management vendor Taleo.  In the wake of December’s acquisition of SuccessFactors by SAP and the preceding two years of increasingly frantic market consolidation, the news was greeted with little surprise.

There’s not much point in rehashing the analysis of some very smart HR practitioners and industry analysts here. The discussion taking place on Bill Kutik’s HR Tech Conference LinkedIn group is clearly a fine place to review the reaction.

From Cornerstone’s perspective, naturally, we have clear ideas about what the Taleo and SuccessFactors acquisitions mean for buyers of talent management software and services.

Public Sector Talent Management

Tough Times Make Talent Management Essential

Fiscal and political realities are causing havoc for federal, state and municipal entities. Budgets have never been tighter, spending cuts are inevitable, and many reductions will come in the areas of talent and training.

With those buffeting winds, public sector employers must gauge the impact  these cuts will have on talent in light of generational shifts, impending retirements, and the need to fill leadership positions and skill gaps. It’s clear that investing in talent is essential to maximize employee productivity and maintain the highest possible levels of service for constituents. It’s been proven that talent management solutions can help public sector employers deliver better training at a lower cost, develop and engage their people, and plan for the leadership and talent needs of the next generation.

In fact, talent management technology has become, you could say, table stakes for the public sector because of the pressure to streamline talent processes in ways to improve efficiency, reduce risk and lower costs.

Talent Management for Healthcare

When it comes to talent management technology, healthcare is playing catch-up. But the times they are a-changing.

In the last few years, our old pals at Bersin & Associates argued that healthcare has lagged behind other industries in adoption and implementation of talent management automation and processes and that many healthcare organizations are working to make up for lost time. (Bersin & Associates 2009 Talent Management Factbook)

Any healthcare organization looking to jump-start a talent initiative should keep a few things front of mind:

Readiness in the Face of a Talent Crisis

Talent Management and Succession Planning in Higher Education

America’s higher learning institutions educate and develop society’s future thinkers and leaders. It’s ironic, then, that it seems many don’t develop their own administrative staff or leadership talent.

Administrator Talent Crisis

Research shows talent and succession planning is lacking at America’s colleges and universities. The American Council on Education (ACE), for example, reports in a survey that the talent pipeline of potential administrative leaders in academia is getting short shrift, as ACE reports that less than a third of all sitting chief academic officers are aspiring to presidencies or chancellorships.

That’s not good, but it gets worse. Research also shows that many tenure-track faculty members also are deciding to stay in the classroom, reluctant to pursue new challenges as administrators.

Here are some startling statistics that fortify the notion that academia’s talent pipeline needs serious tending. For example:

Credit Unions: Preparing People Resources for Growth in 2012

Efficient processes for training and performance management are essential for supporting long-term financial growth within this highly regulated industry

Bank Transfer Day had a significant impact on credit unions. Not only did the movement generate more public awareness of CUs, it also resulted in new member gains. According to the Credit Union Times, the one month spike of 210,000 new members was “incredible” compared to recent years. In fact, membership growth in September and October 2011 represented 75 percent of CU’s 2010 growth. 

Experts estimate that this growth opportunity for CUs will extend into 2012, and those who have the right resources in place to take advantage of it will be rewarded with increased memberships and loans.

Honor Volunteers on MLK Day of Service

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the Martin Luther King Holiday (January 16, 2012) to serve their neighbors and communities. The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, President Obama's national call to service initiative. In addition to honoring the legacy of Dr. King, it calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.

Skilled Workers Shortage in the U.S.: Who’s to Blame?

Investing in employee development and encouraging talent mobility are two ways employers can address what some suggest is a “false skills shortage” in America

Peter Cappelli’s Wall Street Journal piece about “Why Companies Aren’t Getting the Employees They Need” drummed up a lot of fervent replies to the author and exposed the frustration associated with the chronic under-employment in the U.S. economy.

In the article (and a couple of follow-ups, including one in Human Resource Executive), Cappelli argues that the perception of a shortage of skilled workers in the U.S. is mere illusion. It’s not the fault of the national education system, but instead of employers and their hiring practices and failure to invest properly in employee skills and alignment.