Crafting a Unique Talent Strategy in the HR Space

Selena Yuan, Global Head of Talent Development, Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Selena Yuan, Global Head of Talent Development, Jazz Pharmaceuticals

What recent advancements in HR space do you believe will pose significant challenges in meeting your business requirements?
The magnitude and speed of change is a big challenge. Jazz Pharmaceuticals went through a significant business transformation in the past few years and this combined with external trends such as the gig economy, employees having much more agency and the epidemic of burnout has created an environment where change continues to rise. Change agility is becoming an important individual skill as well as organizational capability that todays companies need to become very good at quickly. Another challenge is the focus on skills over titles. Experience and skill development are becoming more important than job titles. This impacts how we look at careers, how we assess and place employees in the right role, so that their skills and knowledge can be effectively leveraged, which in turn will result in them feeling that they are making a meaningful impact. HR needs robust systems to assess and value diverse skill sets, in addition to leadership experience.

“Change agility is becoming an important individual skill as well as organizational capability that today’s companies needs to quickly become very good at.”

If your company can give consent for this, can you share your experiences from one of the projects that you were recently involved in?

What we are driving is a truly differentiated talent strategy to align with our business needs. What that specifically means is looking at talent from multiple angles. For instance, we are looking to continue to strengthen our high-performing culture and make intentional efforts and investments to tackle any barriers that may get in the way of our teams and our employees performing at a high level. This may include things such as ensuring that our employees are clear about what is expected of them through effective goal setting and priority alignment. At the end of the day we strive to make sure employees know where they stand in terms of their performance. We are also looking at the macro level to have ongoing company-wide meetings and communications about where we are in terms of company performance, what we need to address, how to address it, and what we need each of the employees to do. Through these efforts, we are fostering a strong collective ownership of company and individual performance.

The Dos and Donts for Talent Strategy Professionals:
Embrace a growth mindset and continuously learn about new trends in talent management. Specifically, be willing to challenge our thinking and way of doing things, and courageously ask the why question. Given how much the talent marketplace and landscape have shifted, we need to be willing to question some of the old assumptions that potentially can get in the way of us fully tapping into our workforce and fostering an environment where people can come in and feel good about their work, find meaning in their output, and continue to have a high level of productivity with a clear purpose. Dont rely solely on traditional promotion metrics. Explore alternative pathways for career advancement that value skills development and diverse experiences. This is where I think in the past it was a common pitfall that many business leaders and/or HR practitioners may not be fully aware of. This is also where our talent strategy can provide a thought-provoking view to shape and influence things such as promotions, career advancement, etc.

Truly listen and understand the business. I always think a strong and strategic HR Talent Strategist is first a strong business leader. Take the time to read and learn more about the business, the operating model, the finance and go-to market strategy, etc. This will help talent professionals to develop a much more holistic view which will fuel the talent strategy. Even more importantly, a solid understanding of the business is the foundation of a truly differentiated talent strategy that will have credibility with the business and drive wide adoption. Do not assume what is deemed as best practice will work for your company as well. Plus, if everyone adopts the best practices, your talent strategy is not differentiated. The magic and power we have as Talent Strategy professionals is to bring all the ingredients, but add your flavor to it, and make it a special dish that is uniquely tailored to your guests.