We read an excellent column by Kevin Wheeler called Managing Talent. Kevin articulates three key points that happen to align nicely with our vision of talent management here at Taleo.

1. Become a talent manager, not a recruiter.

Yes, this is becoming important for success. But it requires easy access to relevant information. To be a talent manager, you have to be able to measure and monitor talent management processes.

Towards that goal, Taleo’s talent management dashboard brings reporting and analytics information directly to the desktop. You can track: Time to Fill, Filled positions, Requisition aging, Acceptance rates, Declined Offers, and Source Yield right out of the box.

2. Insist on rigor in job descriptions and hiring manager requirements.

Again, we wholeheartedly agree. Structured data has long been one of our foundations. Our requisition wizard helps recruiters leverage job templates and skills from an existing library to develop a set of talent requirements. Our approach is very structured with specific skills tied to each job requisition.

That front end work pays off on the back end. Once the structured data is completed on the demand side, similar information is captured on the supply side for talent sourcing. Much of the low-value portion of the screening and selection process is automated. For example, Direct Energy reported its hiring cycle time went from 67 to 35 days through precision matching of only best fit candidates.

3. Adopt and start using talent management technology.

We agree and believe that organizations must use technology as a platform for enterprise talent management initiatives. In addition to supporting more than 30% of the Fortune 100, we are very proud that our clients are known for recruiting best practices.

For example, these Taleo clients were recognized by ERE:
• Best Corporate Careers Website: Deloitte
• Best College Recruiting Program: Whirlpool
• Most Strategic Use of Recruiting Technology: Hewlett-Packard

In addition, The 2006 Workforce Magazine Optimas Award recognized these Taleo customers for talent initiatives that directly improve business results:
• General Excellence: Intel
• Global Outlook: Deloitte
• Overall Vision: UnitedHealth Group

When you read the article, notice the subtitle:

It is time to change the way you think about talent.

We couldn’t have said it any better.