Retaining and Developing High Potential Talent

Promising Practices in Onboarding, Employee Mentoring & Succession Planning

Welcome and some introductions

Rachel Lustig Sr. Vice President of Mission and Ministry

Karen Key Vice President for Programs

Our panelists
Carolyn Altemus - Boy Scouts of America

Director, Employment and Diversity

Terri Dorsey - Boys and Girls Clubs of America Director, Organizational Development Elma Jeyasekar - NHSA HR Professional, former HR intern & toolkit co-author Ann Walling -National Industries for the Blind Human Resources Manager

Building a Talent Management Plan with a Diversity & Inclusion Focus

Despite unemployment, war for top talent continues, and its not just about recruitment Talent diversity is a competitive advantage
Diverse perspectives, creativity, agility, innovation Knowledge of diverse markets / constituents

Key to getting results from Diversity & Inclusion efforts: integrating the work into organizational culture

Building a Talent Management Plan with a Diversity & Inclusion Focus

NHSA-Wagner School baseline research on Diversity & Inclusion efforts among our members in the nonprofit human services sector (2011) Good news: is significant executive commitment to increasing the ethnic and racial diversity of staff, including at senior executive level 3 key areas of practice where we could make a big difference by doing more:
Onboarding Employee Mentoring Programs Succession Planning

Onboarding
Perhaps the best single opportunity to set a course for retention and to communicate commitment to diversity & inclusion New hires need tools and resources to help them assimilate, build relationships and become a part of the organizational culture

Its not just about paperwork its about a successful first 100 days, and a successful first year

Onboarding
Case Study: NIBs Mission Possible Passport
Goal: help new employees effectively transition Process:

Starts with 2 half-day training sessions, followed by Mission Possible Passport Simulates getting your passport stamped when new hire visits organizational leaders 8 weeks to meet department and division heads Helps employees learn about activities, programs, roles, NIB culture Culminates in recognition at organization-wide Town Hall meeting

Onboarding
Outcomes
o Extensive and very positive feedback from participants o Provides new hires with the big picture and a smooth and quick transition o Involves many employees in the onboarding process o Brings together employees from different backgrounds and helps overcome misconceptions about working with people with disabilities o Builds employee engagement

Employee Mentoring
Many successful executives attribute their ability to grow and advance to a relationship with a mentor For new hires, connecting with a mentor can be a key to success for hires from diverse backgrounds, mentoring can be especially valuable
Harder to find one So important to aid in learning the culture

Employee Mentoring
Some best practices to consider:
Know the purpose mentoring as a retention strategy Carefully match mentor and mentee

Provide formal guidance and training

Consider peer-to-peer, reciprocal and cross-silo mentoring matches

Employee Mentoring
Case Study: Boy Scouts of Americas Scouting Ambassador Program
Started with a focus on workforce diversity open to all employees Every new hire is assigned an Ambassador Ambassadors are employees in good standing who are trained on how to develop a strong mentoring relationship to develop, nurture and retain mentees Matches are based on mentees developmental needs if a cultural match is requested, it will be provided

Employee Mentoring
Boy Scouts of Americas Scouting Ambassador Program
Encouraged to go to lunch, spend time together developing the mentor-mentee relationship 60 days post-onboarding, the Ambasssador-mentee progress is evaluated, and then quarterly. Annual celebration of the Ambassadors contributions Outcomes: employees feel more of a sense of belonging, their development is enhanced, and they feel more engaged.

Succession Planning
Attracting, onboarding, retaining and developing diverse high potential talent are crucial elements of a talent plan with a Diversity & Inclusion focus To be a truly inclusive organization, you must ensure that your workforce is diverse at all levels, including senior management Movement into the executive ranks shouldnt and doesnt happen by accident if you want change, you must be intentional

Succession Planning
Succession and replacement strategies for critical positions need to be aligned with diversity strategies and top management needs to be bought in and involved Develop high potentials not just those in line to succeed a senior executive - and emphasize promotion from within Recognition and reward performance evaluation should assess contribution toward a diverse succession plan This integration is a long term effort, not a short-term fix

Succession Planning
Case Study: Boys and Girls Clubs of Americas Succession Planning Process
Started with a comprehensive, two year leadership development program for 15 high potentials to prepare them for advanced leadership positions Since 2003, 48 high potentials have completed the program, increasing bench strength for leadership roles

Succession Planning
Boys and Girls Clubs of Americas Succession Planning Process
Next phase of the process: 2007 expansion
Creation of candidate pools for specific leadership positions Each candidates strengths and weaknesses, along with developmental opportunities, are identified Senior leaders are responsible for ensuring developmental needs of possible successors are met

Succession Planning
Boys and Girls Clubs of Americas Succession Planning Process
Progress is tracked, evaluated through performance review process Board holds the CEO accountable for the succession plan; CEO holds the Senior VPs accountable Outcomes:
5 year retention rate for participants in the leadership development program: 77% Participants also achieved higher performance ratings post-participation Promotion rate of participants is almost triple that of the rest of the employee population

Questions?