During the global pandemic, redeploying staff to other parts of the business became a reality overnight. Already reeling from remote work shifts, business disruptions and scattered service areas, difficult conversations about the demands of dynamic talent management must have taken place. Pressed to make decisions quickly, HR and learning leaders needed to reduce friction while ensuring that redeployment could be productive for talent teams, managers and employees.
Almost 60% of organizations have redeployed staff to other parts of the business during COVID-19 and the ensuing economic crisis, according to Gartner researchers. Talent management suddenly went from acquisition mode to survival mode. The increased discussions on reorganizations, succession planning and internal mobility turned into action plans.
The redeployment of talent is neither unusual nor new; however, nurturing a culture of redeployment that can change gears very quickly in response to a catastrophic event is exceptional. Realistically, it will be some time before we know what employers did right or should have done differently during the pandemic. Nevertheless, there are likely indicators of success:
- Adaptability: Companies that were willing to take a closer look at their organizational models, revisit existing assumptions, and act on required changes likely fared better than others who were unwilling to do so.
- Flexibility: Traditional policies and procedures may have prevented employees from being productive in the new environment, making agility and flexibility crucial in defining new ways of working.
- Humanity: Being a humanist has helped organizations get through these difficult, sometimes heartbreaking, conversations about redeployment. Employers need to understand what employees are going through so they know how to best support them. Doing this well could have significant short- and long-term benefits for the employer. Compassion, understanding, and most importantly, taking a strategic approach to supporting workers so they can thrive can protect the organization from shocks and the future.
Redeployment, especially under stressful and uncertain circumstances, isn’t as simple as moving Joe from sales to customer support or pursuing the auditor into operations. From a logistics and support standpoint, it can be very complex.
One of the most important aspects of the redeployment process is knowing your people. If you know who your employees are, what skills and knowledge they possess, what their potential is and what motivates them, then you have the knowledge to redeploy the right people into the right roles at the right time. This is where Industrial / Organizational (I / O) Psychology can provide tremendous value, especially when applied at scale in an organization. Assessing employees’ innate abilities, such as personality, cognitive abilities, and social intelligence, will help predict how they might perform in their next job, even when a person does not have the skills traditionally expected for a role. . By providing a more complete and accurate picture of the employee – beyond the skills and knowledge traditionally captured – data can help predict the success of redeployment.
The remodeling job is not easy. Entrenched mindsets take time to change, and the widespread impact of the global pandemic has accelerated some things while holding back others. Traditional methods of employee appraisal, such as relying strictly on credentials or lists of desirable college degrees, mean you may never fully realize the skills you have in your business today. and the potential you have for tomorrow. Without insight into innate capabilities, such as the ability to solve problems or innovate, organizational reach is limited. Psychological assessments tap into a unique piece of employee makeup: transferable skills. This is what recognizes that a good call center communicator can use the same skills as a project manager in a matrix environment.
Information on natural strengths and areas of employee development will be useful before and after redeployment. Once a data-driven competency profile is established, mentors, managers and employees can begin to develop development plans and career mapping. This shared awareness of the employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities allows employees to be part of the redeployment conversation and to have a sense of control over their own careers. With this new awareness, they can better indicate their interest in movement opportunities and assess where they may be able to contribute best if they are redeployed. After deployment, this information can help employees navigate new tasks and challenges in their new role.
In conclusion, redeployment does not have to be painful when employers can easily see the potential they have among the members of their organization. This basic work begins with knowing your employees, allowing them to know themselves and give them a voice.