1. Speak the language of business
You have to have the knowledge that you are speaking from a position of strength and credibility. This means having insight into your own functional domain, backed up by data, analytics and being able to relate those ideas to a business context and your organisation’s challenges.
2. Operate in a less siloed way
Other functions have profound skills we could be applying to our own function – marketing, for example, has deep analytics skills around customers and we should be applying some of that stuff to employees. We have to get better at working with other functions and drawing ideas together so we’re all speaking the same language.
3. Get consistent about data & metrics
Not everything that is counted counts and not everything that counts is
counted. For example, what’s more important – reducing cost or recruiting the right people? If recruiting the right people means I will be spending more time understanding behaviour and culture alignment, then surely that’s what we should be measuring rather than the cost of recruitment.
4. Formalise your skills
It’s the accepted norm that if you work in finance or accounting, you are professionally qualified. This is where we should be going – we need to treat ourselves as professionals.
5. Stand up and be counted
It’s not just about knocking on the door and hoping someone is listening – the door is opening so we have to go through it and make sure we stay through it to help businesses be what they should be.
To find out more about the Future Talent Conference 2016 and how to get your ticket, click here.