What techniques have you used to grow talent within your teams?

I give each team member more responsibilities overtime, periodically assign projects/taks that are above their skill set to get them out of their comfort zone and build their confidence. I am providing guidance and resource (training, videos etc) but I trust that they can do the job without micromanagement.
I often give encouragement, sometimes just telling someone that you trust/beleive that they have what it takes to accomplish something is the biggest booster.

More often then not, empowering employee yeald great results.
As far as the job position allows I try to identify areas they are passionate about and will try to grow them in those specialities even more.

When I read “Grow talent” 2 things come to mind:

1.     Hiring to Grow the team: Network is your best bet but sometimes you may have to go the traditional route of getting a resume in and that’s when I seek to get blind reference on my potential final hire. Generally, there ends up at least one common connection that you can dig out. As a leader your gut is your guide so don’t hesitate to act on it and refine it as you learn more.

Bird in hand is worth 2 in a bush: If you have someone good in the role- start on retention preparation once they enter the door. It’s easier and more cost + time effective to save good talent than replace.

2.  Grow as in nurture existing talent: In today’s remote world people want to feel connected to the company, peers etc. and at the same time feel that they are learning and contributing. I generally have all level team meetings that are not focused on only project status but are sometimes joint learning sessions or then invite other company/industry leaders to talk to the team so they learn about trends. Also, encourage my team to use the learning Dollars benefit to get external coaching or give their certifications etc.  Genuine understanding of their goals and a plan for them to get there. Being a champion for my team – Everyone likes a leader that has their back when it matters.

 

2.     Grow as in nurture existing talent: In today’s remote world people want to feel connected to the company, peers etc. and at the same time feel that they are learning and contributing. I generally have all level team meetings that are not focused on only project status but are sometimes joint learning sessions or then invite other company/industry leaders to talk to the team so they learn about trends. Also, encourage my team to use the learning Dollars benefit to get external coaching or give their certifications etc.  Genuine understanding of their goals and a plan for them to get there. Being a champion for my team – Everyone likes a leader that has their back when it matters.

We are trying to attract talent by offering professional development opportunities as well as flexibility. My talent acquisition is completely based on referrals and network because I've been burnt too many times to trust otherwise. I'll hire people outside of referrals if I can talk to tons of people who have worked with that individual directly. I rarely rely on talent acquisitions, especially for leaders. 

Getting top talent usually starts with your network: You hire good people and then they hire from their network, etc. That somewhat shortcuts the vetting process because we all view back channels. If I see that you're connected to this person on LinkedIn, then off the record I can have a phone conversation with you. When there's someone that you or someone that you directly hired can vouch for, it goes a long way.

And I always tell folks that while I hope they stay at the company as long as they can, I know that not everyone will be a lifer, including myself. I let them know that we're developing their skills so that they can become a more talented, productive human. It has more impact than just saying, “I just need you to focus on CPQ,” or other things that are business-focused. Holding onto talent means giving them impactful projects, but it’s also about letting them know that there's an open line of communication. I understand they're not going to be here forever, so let's set them up for whatever that next gig will be. Ironically, knowing that I'm giving them autonomy and freedom rather than trying to pigeonhole them has bred a lot of loyalty. In today's world, choice is very powerful and when you breed that loyalty, they tend to choose to stay with you.