A decade ago, female employees of Caltex Australia were twice as likely to quit their jobs as their male counterparts, but in 2011, as a result of focused efforts, the tables turned.
Performance and potential are both important when identifying talent, but employers that assume the two are causally related risk promoting workers who aren't actually ambitious, while those who are go elsewhere, says Psylutions consulting psychologist Nicole Russom.
When leaders fail it can cost a business in many ways, but HR professionals can play a more strategic role in minimising the risk of attrition and poor results, says business psychologist Dee Fitzgerald.
The employees who are most able to help a business achieve its core objectives are not necessarily the ones considered its highest performers, says SHL managing director Stephanie Christopher.
Despite Australian managers recognising the importance of talent mobility in driving organisational growth, most do not have the authority nor systems in place to facilitate it, according to new research.
A New Zealand employer, whose management team consists entirely of employees who were internally promoted, says a long-standing practice of developing talent from within has been "integral" to its success.
Employers seeking to fill critical leadership gaps must avoid taking applicants at face value, and "push harder" to obtain solid evidence of claimed competencies, says leadership consultant Gerry Davis.
The ASX guidelines on gender diversity reporting are likely to spark a new war for talent, necessitating a critical focus on engaging and retaining senior women, even in private organisations, says diversity expert Dr Karen Morley.
Employers that want their graduate employees to become young leaders should start teaching them the necessary skills from year one - even if this means spending less time on "the basics", says Development Beyond Learning managing director Josh Mackenzie.
