Talent Intelligence: What You Need to Know to Identify and Measure Talent

The challenge with most companies' talent intelligence is that it is just not that intelligent.

Having good talent intelligence―an accurate understanding of the skills, expertise, and qualities of people―is essential for the people decisions that all businesses make. Yet despite its vital importance, most organizations appear to be failing at this critical task. The reason lies in talent measurement: how companies produce their talent intelligence and then use it.

Written by Nik Kinley and Shlomo Ben-Hur―two experts in the field―this book draws on the latest research to show how businesses can transform the value and impact of their talent intelligence to make sure they get the right people in the right roles. When that happens, all their talent management and development activities are built on an accurate understanding of the talent available to them.

Filled with illustrative examples, the book shows how to overcome the stumbling blocks that stand in the way of successful talent intelligence and reveals step-by-step what organizations need to measure, how they can best do so, and how they can successfully implement measurement and use the results.

As the authors explain, knowing what methods and tools to use is just part of the challenge: the bigger issue for many firms is ensuring they know how to use them and make the best use of the intelligence they provide.

Nik Kinley is a London-based independent consultant who has specialized in talent measurement and behavior change for over twenty years. He was formerly the global head of assessment for the BP Group, head of learning for Barclays GRBF, and a senior consultant with YSC, the leading European assessment firm.

Shlomo Ben-Hur is an organizational psychologist and professor of leadership and organizational behavior at the IMD business school in Switzerland. He has over twenty years’ experience in senior executive positions, including vice president of leadership development and learning for the BP Group and chief learning officer for DaimlerChrysler Services.