Jill Garrett’s presentation focused on the talent imperative – taking talent seriously is critical, especially at a time of great demographic shift.  Jill began by identifying significant corporate considerations:

• What is the evidence that it is commercially worth your while focusing on the people issues?
• Is your organisation doing all it can to create a culture where high-calibre people want to work?
• Are you well positioned and intentional about attracting and retaining the right people?

Using statistics from contemporary research Jill demonstrated that, with the wrong people in place, there can be a huge gap between any investment in customer retention and the return it yields. The right people, on the other hand, are committed to delivering flawless products and services; they act as ambassadors for the brand; they are the ones who make a difference to the bottom line.                                      

If people are to be our greatest asset, they must be the right people. To know this for certain requires smart measurement - but how many of us measure the right things? Poor people practices are easily measured, however, and Jill presented the costs associated with recruitment, replacement and absenteeism.  Managers with poor employee engagement skills can have devastating implications for the workforce, and yet the skills Required for excellent people management are hard, if not impossible, to train in. Jill discussed areas that organisations must consider to ensure their culture maximises the talent within.

• Have you identified the talent required for excellent people management?
• What are managers rewarded for and does this reflect their responsibilities for developing and retaining talent?
• Are you building a culture where human beings are set up to work as they were designed?

Peter Drucker observed, “The most important single influence on the economy over the next twenty years will be demography”.  By 2010, 42% of the working population will be over 45, and the greatest shortages are likely to be in the 35 - 44 age group. With such a significant projected shift in the UK’s demography it is essential that organisations be competitively positioned to attract and retain talent for 2010 and beyond.