BUS603: Managing People

The nature of this interpretive case study was to provide the opportunity to understand the essence of managers' practices in workforce planning and talent management of Avalon's state government. When compared to the overarching themes that emerged in the study, the literature on government activity in workforce planning and talent management suggested that Avalon's state government was not unique in its experience, challenges, or practices in workforce planning and talent management. The findings posed challenges and opportunities for Avalon's state government as it advanced toward an integrated talent management system. 

• In state government where priorities change with administrations and political influence, talent management needs to become an integrated, systemic, and sustainable practice able to endure beyond leadership transitions. This requires a long term vision and strong leadership support for system alignment and capacity building to address the talent needs of Avalon's state government. 
• Employment brands are built upon the structures, policies, and practices that frame the employee experience. While the enterprise HR strategic plan demonstrated movement toward an integrated talent management system, a long term human capital strategy is needed to increase Avalon state government's attractiveness as an employer in order to compete in a competitive talent market. Organizations that invest in their people are those who attract and retain talent. The lack of infrastructure related to essential components of employee engagement such as access to development opportunities, career pathways, and consistent HR policies and practices, indicate Avalon's state government is in the early stages of system changes. 
• Managers' practices in Avalon's state government reflected the culture, leadership, and systems that define and support talent management, and need to be considered in the context of the entire state. A clear picture of the vision, philosophy, goals, and strategies that include managerial development and accountability is necessary to cultivate talent leadership in practice. 
• Incoming generations to state government have different attitudes towards and expectations about work and require different management than previous generations of employees. The opportunity remains to structure and align classification, compensation, and career development systems that will attract, develop, and retain employees with the talent needed in Avalon's state government. 
• The barriers to workforce planning and talent management define opportunities to engage HR as a critical link between organization strategy and the HR systems, structures, and policies necessary to ensure business units are able to hire, develop, and retain Avalon state government's workforce. HR and managers need a common understanding of and joint efforts in addressing agencies' employee recruitment, development, and deployment needs. Managers are looking to HR for the structure and guidance in finding talent solutions. 

A long term vision for the state's position as an employer is essential to secure the support for continued progress toward an integrated system of talent management. An employment brand evolves from the ways in which an organization practices recruitment, development, and retention activities. The approach an organization takes to implement and invest in the systems and structures which support those activities reflect the organization's philosophy of and regard for its most valuable resource: talent.