Have you heard of talent mapping? It’s very likely that you have, and there’s a clear reason for it: more and more organizations are using it as a method of management and business development that provides important information about employee performance and potential while facilitating decision-making.

If you’re interested in implementing it in your company, pay attention to the following lines where we will detail what it is, its characteristics, typologies, advantages, and how to create one.

What is talent mapping?

Talent mapping is a human resources map that serves as a method of strategic management and business development focused on structuring a company’s workforce, taking into account the necessary roles, employee competencies, and organizational goals.

This involves not only finding the right talent for a company but also placing them in specific positions.

What is talent mapping?

The term talent mapping refers precisely to finding the suitable and necessary talent for the organization and placing them in the corresponding role. But it also involves retaining them by taking care of their professional trajectory.

Talent mapping involves three main actions to consider:

1. Proactively identifying the roles that the organization will need to drive the current business strategy or adapt it according to future projections.
2. Updating existing job descriptions and positions to more accurately reflect the organization’s needs and effectively execute the business strategy.
3. Creating internal promotion processes to ensure the retention of top talent. This can be achieved through attractive plans and new growth opportunities that focus on retaining desired employees on the payroll.

Types of talent maps

In broad terms, there are two types of talent maps:

1. Talent gap mapping: It aims to identify gaps and the potential future performance of employees. It is useful for internal promotion, and it focuses on employee experience.
2. Succession mapping: It is oriented towards monitoring and predicting internal movements, employee turnover, and business succession, for example. It also allows for the detection of potential talent gaps (competency gaps and differences between actual and expected performance) in key roles within the company and ensures a balanced assessment of employee performance.

What is the purpose of creating a talent map?

A talent map is primarily created for the following purposes:

1. Fostering employee engagement: By keeping a detailed record of employees’ skills and performance, talent management programs can be implemented. In this scenario, employees receive feedback, perceive that the organization cares about them, and know that the organization offers them opportunities for professional growth, thus increasing their level of commitment.
2. Increasing team productivity: With a talent map, it becomes easier to identify areas of the company that require improvement. Additionally, this resource allows for visualizing who is more committed, enabling support for employee motivation so that they continue to progress.
3. Simplifying evaluation timelines: All the data collected and filtered through talent mapping serves to recognize performance trends. Whether the performance evaluation has improved or worsened for certain employees, it is a useful way to simplify measurements. Surveys can also be implemented.
4. Contributing to decision-making: The talent map helps the organization determine what to do with its employees based on company guidelines. It also helps plan the recruitment process.
5. Reducing hiring time: Regarding the previous point, the talent map is useful when hiring new talent for an organization since the collected data is particularly valuable for recruiters and optimizes the process.
6. Strengthening the brand: When an organization functions well internally and projects its image appropriately, candidates are aware of it and value it. Therefore, candidates approach the company without the need for the company to actively pursue them. This becomes crucial in a competitive market to stand out.

What are the advantages of creating a talent map?

There are several advantages associated with implementing a talent map in an organization. Here are some of them:

1. Increased productivity
2. Talent appreciation
3. Employee retention
4. Prevention of demotivation and stagnation

How to create a talent map?

To create a talent map, you need to follow a series of steps. Take note:

1. Define your goals and the desired talent: This step is crucial as it determines the subsequent ones, especially the selection and recruitment processes. It is necessary to know the professional profile that the organization currently has in its workforce and the talent needed in each department or area.
2. Identify the potential within the organization: Sometimes, it is not necessary to search for talent outside the organization; it may already exist within. Therefore, it is important to have personalized career plans to make the most of each employee’s skills and foster a sense of belonging.
3. Analyze job-person fit: Determine the fit between the organization’s job positions and the individuals occupying them. This allows for aligning personnel with positions that are most favorable to them, but it requires an analysis to understand how a specific employee could adapt to a new role.
4. Develop talent management and development strategies: It is time to develop a strategy to foster the existing skills within the organization and cultivate those that are lacking.
5. Evaluate theperformance and potential of employees: Assess the performance and potential of each employee through evaluations, feedback, and performance metrics. This helps in identifying high-potential employees and areas for improvement.
6. Create a visual representation: Map out the talent within the organization using a visual representation, such as an organizational chart or talent matrix. This allows for a clear overview of the talent distribution and potential gaps.
7. Implement talent development programs: Based on the talent map, design and implement talent development programs, including training, mentoring, and career advancement opportunities. These programs help in nurturing and retaining top talent.
8. Continuously update and refine the talent map: Talent mapping is an ongoing process. Regularly update and refine the talent map as employees progress in their careers, new talent is hired, and business needs evolve.

Remember, talent mapping is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process that requires regular review and updates. By investing in talent mapping, organizations can effectively manage their workforce, identify and develop high-potential employees, and align talent with strategic goals, leading to improved overall performance and success.