Identifying business talent

12 Jun

Strategy+Business had an interesting article on they types of talent within an organization.

They split people’s talents into four areas.

People often get lumped in with either the organization they work in, or their job title, so using these categorizations may be more useful for identifying the right talent for the right jobs:

The 4 categories:

1) Creators devise and implement an organization’s distinguishing value proposition or business model. These people appear to be upper management, and strategic thinkers who belong in the next-generation of upper management. They add value through thinking about the business, strategies, and larger market influencers.

2) Ambassadors represent the organization’s public face and are responsible for customer experience. This group, I believe represents marketing and public relations.

3) Craft Masters ensure the quality, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness of an organization. This appears to be more execution minded and day-to-day operators of the company.

4) Drivers keep the business running. They are assembly-line operators, back-office agents, and administrative assistants.

“Certain jobs have a greater value impact on an organization; there is a substantial risk to financial performance or reputation if these tasks are not performed well. In some cases, but not all, these jobs merit higher compensation. Other roles carry a significant cost impact, because they require a good bit of training, development, and skill complexity to be performed adequately. These roles almost always command the highest salaries in the organization.”

Rethinking the Value of Talent