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6.5 Selection Criteria for the TM in BB

The data in section 6.3 showed that the organisation follows a differentiated TM architecture by involving three different layers with different approaches. The inclusive approach is implemented for the platinum layer, while the exclusive approach is implemented for the gold and silver layers. This may also suggest that there are different selection criteria for these three different layers.

The management group indicates that there are no selection criteria for the platinum layer in that all the members of the top management are included unless they are due to retires within three years, in which case they will not be considered

Employee:

Feedback

Top management:

Approve

HR:

Support&

Facilitate Line manager:

Design&

Assess

Implementation of TM Framework

for the TM. The managers in this study indicate that the importance of involving all the top management in the TM programmes is to strengthen their knowledge in terms of the importance of TM. This can be understood from the example below:

“Normally what happens the age criteria are not fixed criteria, they are criteria depending on when we try to shortlist. Suppose that we put the age criterion of 30 years and we found only five people, so won’t consider that criterion but what we are trying to do that the young high potential people, that is the silver layer of development, should be up to 35 years of age and then gold level, that is middle management up to 45 years, and senior management there is no age limit – of course the person should not be retiring next year two or three years” (TM advisor, BB)

In the above quote, the TM advisor (BB) identifies age as one of the selection criteria to be considered in terms of access to the gold and silver layers. However, the TM advisor states that age may not always be fixed; it depends on the number of people in these two layers. In addition, the participant justifies that the age criterion is used to create a shortlist if there are a lot of people in the golden and silver layers. The interview data indicate that the silver and gold layers are designed for young people aged between 30 and 45; this is illustrated by the participant’s view of “Young High Potential”, which reflects the meaning of talent in these two layers. Within BB, the participants report that age is related to experience.

Furthermore, the Strategic Director indicates that the main criterion considered in the selection for the TM system in the gold and silver layers is the performance ranking:

“We consider the performance ranking history of that person and also talent management plays a role in retaining people, so we want to take care of all those people who are performing well and those who really achieve higher performance”

“… the young high-potential people, typically 30-45 years of age and only Omani of course, and their performance appraisal has been about (a) certain level because this (is) a big army of people here, so we have to shortlist the people based on their performance appraisal as well. They go through the assessment centre which consists of ability testing and group discussions, interview etc. and based on that, we decide on (the) cut-off mark and select 25 people and then send them to the development processes. So all these assessment and development centres give us a pool of the people who are ready to take up the next position, leadership position…” (TM advisor 1, BB).

The managers also explain that the performance criteria depend on the employee and the line manager. However, this may create subjectivity in the selection process because sometimes the line manager may not be sufficiently competent to assess the employee, or the employee may not have a good relationship with the line manager. This will result in misjudgments in defining the right talent.

A further criterion considered by managers, as shown in the above examples, is that of nationality. Managers highlight that the gold and silver layers of the TM system are sensitive to nationality, whereas the platinum layer is not. The gold and silver layers are designed for Omanis only due to the institutional pressures discussed in Section 5.3. Again, the above quotes show that there are different assessment practices to select the right talent for the leadership positions, suggesting that these different selection criteria in the gold and silver layers have led to the exclusive approach. Applying the performance as a main criterion for talent identification might suggest that the organisation attempts to mimetic the best practice in managing and developing talent in order to achieve the best results.

Therefore, Interviews with the management group show that the organisation has adopted a dual approach in terms of managing and developing these three layers:

the inclusive approach is adopted for the platinum layer while the exclusive approach is adopted for the other two levels (gold and silver).

Figure 6.3 below shows the criteria that are considered for TM selection including age, experience and nationality. However, performance remains the main criterion in the process.

Figure 6.3: The Selection Criteria for the Gold and Silver Layers in TM

The selection criteria shown in Figure 6.3 are considered by the managers as eligibility requirements for the talent pool. The managers explain that, once the candidate meets the above criteria, he/she will be sent to the assessment centre for further assessments, such as psychometric tests, in order that his/her competency gaps might be identified and his/her potential assessed. Accordingly, different development programmes will be designed. Although the managers state that the organisation follows a structured approach to selection, there is still a need to review the role of the line manager as the main assessor identifying the talent. This may suggest the need for multiple assessors to identify the right talent for the organisation. This might also need further evaluation, with a large number of participants who have been and are in the TM system, regarding the influence of line managers on TM assessment.

Selection criteria in

the TM Performance

Experiance&

qualification

Age Nationality

6.6 Obstacles that Limit the Effectiveness of TM

This section analyses the obstacles that may limit the effectiveness of the TM system in BB. The managers who were interviewed for this study believe that there are no serious obstacles negatively impacting the effectiveness of the TM system in BB; however, the management group indicates that certain internal and external challenges may occur in the future that may negatively impact the effectiveness of TM in the organisation, as indicated by the HR manager in BB:

“...yes you might have obstacles in the future, if people start struggling with you they are part of the talent pool that might be an obstacle you know there are a lot of people have left the bank, but so far we do not have that issue that face this challenges. That is good (laugh), for example, if tomorrow the market condition will change, regulators become very strict and the banks will stop growing then the whole investment in the talent management needs to be how much but (Alhhmdualih: thanks god) so far has been nothing which has come out as major obstacle whatever small concerns we have senior management is always there to remove any obstacles, they have done it and the CEOs are really helpful…”

From the HR manager’s view, it seems that the organisation is not currently facing any major challenges to the TM, yet there might be some external obstacles, such as government regulation and changes in market conditions, which might stop or limit the TM effectiveness. However, the participant emphasises on the importance of top management in supporting the TM and removing any obstacles or difficulties that may have a negative impact on TM effectiveness in BB. The Strategic Director also highlights that the talent management system may be wasted if the organisation does not have the right leadership: “leadership…yeh, definitely this is the main obstacle; your talent management can go to waste if you do not have the right leadership in place… The leadership plays (an) important role even in creating knowledge, all these courses and other, it does not work if you do not have the right leadership. That is why we focus at the top and including the top management in the TM...” (Strategic Director, BB) The participants believe that the leadership of an organisation can have either a positive or a negative influence on TM effectiveness. Therefore, they related the practice of involving top management as the first layer in the TM programme.

Moreover, the managers feel that the TM system may encounter resistance from some employees because it is a new system that evaluates the employees based on specific criteria in terms of their performance. This can be understood from the example below:

“…no wasta (laughs), no subjectivity, you want to be clear, you want to be performance-based… so this is the way we are trying hard and I hope that people will realise the importance of that in come up with comfort zone if I may say and once it becomes clear, then of course, they will look (at) it as normal things; initially, there is a lot of shooting, a lot of, you know, people gravening about the system because they… (are) not used to it, I meant they do not like to be assessed especially those who used to be close to the management...” (TM advisor, BB)

Thus, the management group believes that TM can be related to the performance culture, which may take time for people to accept and receive positively. People understand that moving to critical or leadership positions is based on subjectivity (wasta), as is well-known in Middle Eastern culture; hence they may view TM as being based on preference. Therefore, some people might not accept the TM system. Furthermore, the TM advisor also indicates that one of the internal challenges that might happen in the future to an effective TM is employee expectations:

"...Sometime the staff who are part of (the) development center, they want to progress to (the) next level very fast. But (the) next level may not be available; a position can be available for someone either when the existing position holder is promoted higher or retires or leaves… Sometimes the person who feels that, in four years, he should take up (a) leadership role, but he does not… move up, he may become frustrated, then he will look for other options...”

The above example suggests that this type of expectation among those who are considered talented might have a negative impact on TM because, once the organisation does not meet their expectations, they can leave the organsiation if they have better opportunities with other competitors.

Interviews with managers in BB indicate that the organisation has not yet experienced any major obstacles to the effectiveness of the TM system; this may be because the TM system is new to the organisation and has been implemented

initially at the top level where the concern is not with potential but with closing the competences gap in the top management who will remain in their positions.

However, the interview data imply that the real challenges to the effectiveness of TM may come from the other employees in terms of their acceptance of the changes which rely on assessment and performance in the TM system, or from managing the expectations of talented employees who are in the gold and silver layers. Nevertheless, the participants believe that the organisation might manage these internal challenges by ensuring clear communication among all employees in the organisation in terms of the TM system, as well as transparency, which will help to reduce any internal conflicts in the future.

Figure 6.4 summarises the main obstacles that may limit the effectiveness of the TM in BB.

Figure 6. 4: The Obstacles that May Limit the Effectiveness of TM

Effectivness of TM Changing in

Market conditions Leadership

Government's Regulation

Employees' Expectations

People's Culture

6.7 Outcome of TM

This section examines the organisational outcomes of the TM as perceived by each of the participants who were involved in this study. The interview data suggest that the organisation uses multiple tools to attract and retain its employees, especially those who are high achievers. The management group feels that the brand of the organisation plays a positive role in attracting talent as it was the first bank to be established in the country and has a good reputation in the banking industry. This can be understood from the quote below:

“...see the brand of the …bank and its history…this bank is ancient and strong, 41 years of performance, has graduated a lot of talented people and today you see them, they are leaders and CEOs in organisations and some of them, they have their own businesses and being very successful, …So, this actually automatically I think attract people okay… the CSR and this is actually what consultant, John, said the role of human resources is not internally but also can play externally and by this way you can attract talent…”

(Strategic Director, BB)

It can be inferred from the above example that the participant believes in the importance of CSR in attracting talent through offering many benefits and services to society. For instance, these services include the recruitment and development of young local people. In addition, the manager highlights that the establishment of a centre within the organisation that specialises in developing people might be considered as a further tool for attracting talent. In terms of retaining high performers, the HR manager also indicates that the organisation launched an employee of the month award with a monthly newsletter recognising the star performers and their rewards in the organisation. This is deduced from the example below:

“We look at in fact workforce engaged and getting their loyalty and talent management is one of the arms, obviously there is at the end of the every year the high performers star are rewarding in the certain way plus every year we have this promotion cycles where by the high perform and high potential staff are given promotions okay! Plus every unit has got their own employee, the employee of the month, newsletters which you generated a lot of feasibility of high performing employees when every month there is newsletter says this person has done fantastic job and so on, all the details are there…” (HR manager, BB)

The managers believe in the importance of engaging employees; hence, they state that the organisation has introduced employee engagement in order to connect employees to the top management and to encourage discussions on improvement and development, thus giving employees a sense of their importance to the organisation. Moreover, the management group reports that the implementation of the TM system has also played a role in retaining employees, especially since it is related to their career path and progression.

The success of these tools can be measured by the experiences of those employees who are in the TM programmes. The two talented employees indicate that the main reasons for joining this organisation are its brand, its policy of developing local employees and career progression. This is deduced from the story below:

“One of the best banks in the country, good organisation and plan, in fact trying to push the Omanis… a lot of good training, a lot of management training, a lot of professional training and that was the benefit and that was the thing that make me to stay in this organisation (knocks on the table)”

(TE1, BB)

The quotation above shows that the participant believes the main attraction for employees is development and the promise of career progression. This implies that the TM in the organisation might be as a main tool for developing and retaining the high performers as it is still new to the bank. Although the TM system in the organisation is still new, there has been an initial positive outcome for the organisation and the employees, which is reported by the managers and employees interviewed for this study. According to the Strategic Director, the results of the TM system have had a positive impact on the organisation’s

performance in the two years since its implementation. For instance, he states that there are some improvements in terms of profitability and revenue per staff member: “definitely, the results speak for themselves, the profitability per staff has gone up and the revenue per staff is going up”. From this quote, it could be inferred that the TM system has initially positive results on improving the productivity of the employees, which has then had a positive impact on the organisation’s performance. Additionally, the Strategic Director anticipates that the TM system will enhance the organisation ethically as it calls for cultural change based on performance and values: “I think this organisation will be in place as glory to be position in the glory that is our perspective and through this talent management because talent management is something calling for change…”

The two talented employees in this study express their delight at being selected for the TM system and describe it as “a gift” from the organisation. This can be understood from the following quote:

“Of course yes, and we are happy because this is a real gift from the organisation to me, it is really a big gift the bank has offered to me” (TE1, BB)

From the above example, the TM system seems to have a positive impact on the talented employees, as seen through their use of the words “happy” and “gift”.

This expression can be related to the psychology of the employees toward their organisations, as the talented employees believe that the organisation has taken care of them in a very valuable way through TM. Furthermore, this positive expression toward TM may have a positive impact on the employees’

commitment, especially when they recognise that their employer is offering them a lot in terms of development and career progression. The talented employees in this study indicate that attending the TM programmes has also changed their way of performing and managing the work in very positive ways:

“now the coordination is more important plus the structure of the division, it was really very big department, now it is squeezed into three major departments that and they are working close… Become more and also my brain has been a lit bit sees outside the box because you always see inside, yeh I think we can do better based on the programme, a lot of management keeps giving to us.” (TE1, BB)

Although all staff members who were interviewed for this study indicate that TM

Although all staff members who were interviewed for this study indicate that TM