Hitler: Planner or an Opportunist?

Hitler: Planner or an Opportunist? In order to reasonably construct an argument, it is first necessary to elucidate the question slightly. Specifically, it would seem that the question infers planning and opportunism to be mutually exclusive by asking if Hitler was a planner or an opportunist in his foreign policy. To adapt ones actions in order to achieve wider predefined goals contains elements of both planning and opportunism, so it should be borne in mind that one does not necessarily exclude the other; he may have been both. Since Taylors controversial The Origins of the Second World War (Taylor, 1961) was first published, intense debate has raged in the historical world as to whether Hitler was simply an opportunist, a view propounded by Taylor (1961), or if his actions were well planned and strategised, as suggested by Hillgrubers Stufenplan (Hillgruber, 1965) and others. This essay addresses the question by considering key events in German foreign policy from 1933-1941, analysing each in terms of opportunism and planning. Particular attention shall be given to events prior to the German invasion of Poland and the resulting declarations of war upon Germany by France, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. After these declarations were made, Hitlers foreign policy would need to be more opportunistic and fluid if it was to be successful; in any war victory requires constant reappraisal of the situation at hand. It shall also be suggested that Hitlers actions in the period 1940-1941 were, though forced to adapt due to circumstance, ultimately motivated by a greater plan built on strong ideological beliefs, a view shared by Hillgruber (1965) in Hitlers Strategie. The question of the existence of a Stufenplan, as proposed by Hillgruber (1965), is somewhat harder to answer. Certainly such a plan may be constructed from analysis of Mein Kampf. However, it is difficult to say if such a plan genuinely existed, or if it is merely a construct built upon a foundation of selected statements from the book. Such a plan is also suggested in Nazism 1919-1945, A Documentary Reader (Noakes Pridham, 1988, p. 617): â€Å"from the comments and arguments contained in Mein Kampf one can construct a foreign policy programme which essentially consisted of five stages † However, this is somewhat within the realm of conjecture and with the benefit of hindsight. Mein Kampf is by no means a step-by-step work, but there are key principles embedded within the text which may be extracted and compared to Hitlers actual foreign policy actions. Through this it shall be argued that at least some level of planning, some attempt to achieve pre-defined goals, did in fact exist. In the broadest sense, the foreign policy advocated by Hitler in Mein Kampf is quite clear, namely to expand Germany to become a world power through the acquisition of territory or ‘living space. In Mein Kampf Hitler (1926, p. 557) states: â€Å" without consideration of ‘traditions and prejudices, it (Germany) must find the courage to gather our people and their strength for an advance along the road that will lead this people from its present restricted living space to new land and soil † Furthermore, it should be noted in the above quote that Hitler not only expresses his desire for lebensraum, but goes further in suggesting that it is reasonable to acquire territory without â€Å"consideration of ‘traditions and prejudices†. From this it may be inferred that Hitler is largely unconcerned by any ethical argument that might counteract the expansion of Germany. This view is compounded by Hitlers (1926) further statement â€Å"Germany will either be a world power or there will be no Germany†. Although A.J.P. Taylor (1961) argued that Hitler did not have any real blueprint for his foreign policy, which consisted of nothing more than taking opportunities as they offered themselves, that Hitler was nothing more than â€Å"a traditional European statesman† (Taylor, 1961), the above comments from Mein Kampf seem to suggest a higher motivation, the desire to expand Germanys borders and present Germany as a world power by non-traditional means, without, as Hitler (1926) states, â€Å"consideration of ‘traditions or prejudices†. In order to expand Germany and gain lebensraum it would first be necessary to somehow remove the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty. It is already apparent that in 1926 Hitler saw no use in any future delegations regarding the removal of the sanctions imposed by Versailles, dismissing the treaty as an act of â€Å"highway robbery against our people† (Hitler, 1926). He further stated in Mein Kampf: â€Å"One must have the simple mind of a child to believe that the revision of the Versailles Treaty can be obtained by indirect means and by beseeching the clemency of the victors The sword is the only means whereby a nation can thrust that clutch from its throat† (Hitler, 1926, p. 554). Taylor (1961) would have us believe Mein Kampf to be nothing more than the ramblings of an imprisoned man, yet already we see an element of forward planning; what was outlined here would be realised by Hitler years later. In March 1935, Hitler introduced compulsory military conscription, openly flaunting the Treaty of Versailles, although his army had already been growing in secret since 1933, when Hitler ordered his Generals to treble the size of Germanys army to 300,000. This was the ‘sword with which Hitler intended to vanquish the ‘clutch of Versailles. A year later, on March 7, 1936, German troops remilitarised the Rhineland, again flagrantly violating the Versailles Treaty. Were these actions merely opportunistic, lacking any real planning? Had Hitler simply, to paraphrase Taylor (1961), leaned on the door of the Rhineland hoping to gain entrance? One could argue that, due to the poor British economy following the Depression, Hitler was opportunistic in his timing of these treaty violations, perhaps sensing that military retaliation was unlikely. However, he had undoubtedly expressed his intentions to violate Versailles by forceful means almost ten years earlier, as evidenced above in Mein Kampf. Rather than simple opportunism, it would seem that Hitler was shrugging away the shackles of Versailles at a prudent juncture, just as he had intended. Furthermore, this may be seen as the first step in his wider quest for lebensraum. To acquire territory, to become a world power, required military strength prohibited by Versailles. In March 1938, German troops annexed Austria. This was at least in part opportunistic. Hitler knew very well that the Nazis enjoyed strong support in Austria; four years earlier Dolfuss had been assassinated by pro-Nazi sympathisers within Austria who actively desired Austro-German unification. Such was the influence of the Austrian pro-Nazis that Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg was ultimately forced to resign, due to pressure from within Austria and from Hitler himself. Following Schuschniggs resignation, German troops were able to enter Austria without resistance. In the case of Austria, perhaps it is reasonable to entertain the idea of Hitler simply acting as a statesman rather than following any great plan. Since such strong support for the Nazis existed within Austria, it could be argued that any prudent statesman in a similar position would take advantage of such a situation. However, there is also evidence in Mein Kampf that this event was planned: â€Å"German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland. And not indeed on any grounds of economic calculation whatsoever. No, no. Even if the union were a matter of economic indifference, and even if it were to be disadvantageous from the economic standpoint, still it ought to take place. People of the same blood should be in the same Reich† (Hitler, 1926, p. 11). Hitler appears to hold the union of Austria and Germany in particular regard, a matter of principle and genetic unity rather than merely a stepping-stone in Germanys expansion. Taylor (1961) would have us believe that Hitler merely took advantage of the situation in Austria and that this situation was â€Å"produced by Schuschnigg not Hitler† (Taylor, 1961). This view seems somewhat myopic. Hitler may have been acting opportunistically to restore or strengthen Germany through alliance with Austria, but his primary motivation would appear to be something more esoteric, the unification of blood or race. To counteract the above argument, one might say that there were many far-right individuals with similar beliefs, that Hitler was not unique and thus the annexing of Austria was still simply an opportunist act. Opportunist in timing, perhaps, but it cannot be denied that as early as 1925, when the first volume of Mein Kampf was published, Hitler already intended to unite the two countries. How and when he did so may be a matter of opportunism, but the fact that he intended to do for ideological reasons remains. In view of this it seems difficult to renounce the unification of Germany and Austria as purely opportunistic. The evidence presented so far in support of the view that Hitlers foreign policy was not entirely opportunistic is largely rooted in Mein Kampf. However, when considering the Sudetenland and Czech Republic there is further evidence of possible planning on Hitlers part in the form of the Hossbach Memorandum, minutes of a meeting that took place on November 5, 1937 between the Fuehrer and several highranking Nazis (of these the majority were military officials rather than politicians). It is interesting that Hitler chose not to hold a full cabinet meeting, given the gravity of the topics discussed. Hitler himself attributed this to the importance of the matter, but one might also infer that he was reluctant to include too many politicians in the meeting in order to minimise the abstraction of military planning from himself and thus maintain more precise military control. This in itself may be said to evidence a certain level of planning on Hitlers part; discussing such matters within a full cabinet would seem to be the logical course of action for the typical statesman. What is especially interesting about the meeting is that the subject of Czechoslovakia as a tactical foothold is specifically addressed. Hossbach (1937) specifically notes: â€Å"If the Czechs were overthrown and a common German-Hungarian frontier achieved, a neutral attitude on the part of Poland could be the more certainly counted on in the event of a Franco-German conflict. Our agreements with Poland only retained their force as long as Germanys strength remained unshaken. In the event of German setbacks a Polish action against East Prussia, and possibly against Pomerania and Silesia as well, had to be reckoned with† (Hossbach, 1937). Almost a year later, German troops occupied the Sudetenland, with the blessing of both Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier. In fact Lord Runciman, sent by Chamberlain to attempt reconciliation between the Germans and Czechs prior to the cession of the Sudetenland seemed to positively endorse the action as ‘natural: â€Å" the feeling among the Sudeten Germans until about three or four years ago was one of hopelessness. But the rise of Nazi Germany gave them new hope. I regard their turning for help towards their kinsmen and their eventual desire to join the Reich as a natural development in the circumstances† (Runciman, 1938). Reading Lord Runcimans comments above, one might consider it reasonable to view the acquisition of the Sudetenland as opportunistic; after all the British and French were willing to appease Hitler with the Munich Agreement. However, a year earlier, Hitler and those present at the meeting documented by Hossbach had realised the advantages occupying Czechoslovakia would present; Hitlers desire to take Czechoslovakia was already evident in 1937. Shortly after signing the agreement Hitler complained â€Å"That fellow Chamberlain spoiled my entrance into Prague†. Three weeks later, Hitler told generals to prepare for the â€Å"liquidation of the remainder of Czechoslovakia†. Undoubtedly Hitler was opportunistic in signing the Munich Agreement, though it is clear that both before and after signing his ultimate goal was to take Czechoslovakia. It is also apparent that two years before finally annexing Czechoslovakia in March 1939, Hitler saw an advantage in Czechoslovakia beyond immediate opportunistic gain; namely the improved position of Germany with regard to possible aggression on the part of Poland in the event of Franco-German conflict. Taylor (1961, p. 152) dismisses all this, saying â€Å"Even more than in the case of Austria, Hitler did not need to act The crisis over Czechoslovakia was provided for Hitler† and claims that Anschluss in Austria had led German Czechs to â€Å"ungovernable excitement† (Taylor, 1961, p. 152). However, even if Hitler was taking advantage of the crisis, to dismiss his actions as pure opportunism seems churlish; the plan to take Czechoslovakia existed in 1937, before the annexation of Austria took place. This plan also had a wider strategic purpose, even if the execution may have taken advantage of opportunity, particularly in the form of the Munich Agreement. The Pact of Steel also held a higher tactical purpose than mere opportunistic allegiance. In Nazism 1919-1945 A Documentary Reader, it is heralded as a â€Å"diplomatic success in his (Hitlers) preparation for war with Poland securing at long last an alliance with Italy† (Noakes Pridham, 1988, p. 736). Hitler knew that the French and British would not support the invasion, in fact in his Zwitte Buch he makes it quite clear that France shall always be an enemy of Germany: â€Å"In any conflict, regardless on what grounds, regardless for what reasons, France will always be our adversary† (Hitler, 1928, p128). Thus the Pact was important to Hitler, it levelled the field somewhat regarding the issue of Poland. With France and Britain likely to oppose Hitler in this matter, Italy became an important ally. Taylor (1961) counters this view saying â€Å"The Germans attached less weight to the Pact (than the Italians). They took it almost by accident†. Here it seems hard to logically support Taylors comments. The Pact was proposed by the Germans themselves in 1938, so to suggest that it was taken â€Å"by accident† simply does not make sense. Even if it is argued that the Pact was not direct preparation for war with Poland, it was proposed by Germany in 1938 and became reality in 1939. It did not fall to Hitler by accident, it was an opportunity Germany made for itself. Even if one chooses not to see the Pact as preparation for war with Poland, the invasion of Poland itself was preparation for a greater war in Hitlers view. In May 1939 he stated: â€Å"It is not just the Danzig that is at stake. For us it is a matter of expanding our living space in the East and making food supplies secure and also solving the problem of the Baltic States† (Noakes Pridham, 1988, p. 737). Thus the tactical importance of the Danzig and Poland was paramount to Hitler. Not least it represented preparation for a greater conquest; Russia. Furthermore, this principle of expansion into the East was not a new dream of Hitlers, being laid out quite clearly in Mein Kampf: â€Å"When we speak of new territory in Europe today we must primarily think of Russia. This colossal empire in the East is ripe for dissolution. And the end of Jewish domination in Russia will also be the end of Russia as a state † (Hitler, 1926, p. 557) As evidenced above, in 1926, Hitler was convinced that Russia should be Germanys primary goal in terms of land acquisition. Thirteen years later, he is intent on annexing the Danzig to expedite this goal. It is difficult to deny a certain clarity of vision here. Hitler still seems to be following his original wider plan of expansion, namely to reach a position where it becomes feasible to attack Russia. On 23 August 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is signed, facilitating Hitlers invasion of Poland with help from the Soviets. This could be argued as an opportunistic Pact, simply expediting the attack on Poland, expanding German territory and presenting a stronger united enemy to the French and British, allowing Hitler to fight a stronger war in the West if need be. Conversely it could be argued that Hitlers conviction that Germany must expand into living space in the East remained. In this case the non-aggression pact with the Soviets and the subsequent invasion of Poland can be seen as opportunism with a further goal, the invasion of Russia itself. Since Hitler had maintained this attitude towards Russia since 1926 and reiterated it only months before signing the Molotov- Ribbentrop Pact, it would seem that, opportunistic or not, Hitler had signed the Pact with Russia ultimately to facilitate action against Russia herself. Operation Barbarossa further supports the view that action against Russia was always intended, with Hitler invading the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. If anything it could be argued that a more opportunistic leader would have sought to maintain the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and concentrate on what was available in Western Europe, rather than risking a war on two fronts. However, Hitler was not only opportunistic but idealistic, seemingly determined to end â€Å"Jewish domination in Russia†. From a purely opportunistic point of view, starting a war with Russia would not seem the most prudent course of military action given the current conflict in the West, so one can only assume that Hitler did so due to anti-Semitic ideals and his ongoing belief that Russia should ultimately provide lebensraum. To summarise, it is difficult to label Hitler or his foreign policy as either purely planned or purely opportunistic. Taylor (1961) seems to do the latter at the expense of evidence to the contrary, yet equally it cannot be doubted that Hitler often took advantage of fortuitous situations such as the Austrian Crisis, whilst also creating his own, one example being the Pact of Steel. Ultimately it would seem that Hitler had several definite goals in mind as set out in Mein Kampf; to breach Versailles, to build military strength, to unite Germany and Austria, to invade Russia and ultimately to establish Germany as a world power. Whether or not these goals were intended to be accomplished step-by-step, a Stufenplan, or were simply tackled on a more ad-hoc basis, the key aims established in Mein Kampf do seem to persist in later German foreign policy and many of them were achieved. Rather than simply a planner or an opportunist, it would seem that Hitler was both; taking advantage of opportunity to bring him closer to his planned objectives. Henigs (1985) interpretation of Bullocks argument articulates this view extremely well, and it is with this that the discussion shall be drawn to close: â€Å"He combined consistency of aim with opportunism in method and tactic† (Henig, 1985, p. 39). Are Metropolis and 1984 Cautionary Tales? Are Metropolis and 1984 Cautionary Tales? Both Metropolis and 1984 can be viewed as cautionary tales. The concerns communicated within the texts directly align with the concerns of their respective authors and their contexts. Discuss this statement. Texts are fundamentally expressions of the composers contextual concerns, where differing perspectives upon similar issues provide insight into the values prevalent in the composers time. Fritz Langs expressionist film Metropolis (1927) and George Orwells dystopian satire novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) (1949) are linked by their shared exploration of technological advances and social structures that restrict individual autonomy. Lang is optimistic about societal reform whereas Orwell completely rejects the possibility of a cohesive world, revealing the shift in context from Weimar optimism to post-war nihilism. Therefore, a thorough study of the conceptual connections between these texts ultimately allows us to attain an enhanced appreciation of their composers intertextual perspectives on universal concerns. Despite their differing contexts, both composers highlight the dehumanising nature of totalitarian regimes within society. Langs depiction of German expressionism in Metropolis displays the extensive disparities of class that occurs due to the existence of autocratic power. Set in a dystopian future world, Master Joh Fredersons complete control of the capitalistic Metropolis is exemplified through the juxtaposition of the underclass labourers in the Depths, a subterranean workers city while the aristocratic, wealthy industrialists high in the heavens rule over them tyrannically, symbolically representing the oppression of the inferior lower class. This notion parallels the social inequality in 1920s Germany where hyperinflation induced by the Weimar Republics poor economic management led to immense social disparity. Furthermore, the hedonistic behaviour of the upper class in the Golden 20s is epitomised in the privileged life of Freder, depicted by the extreme long shot of the Eterna l Gardens. In contrast, the mise-en-scene coupled with the slow, uninspiring body language of the workers during shift change illustrates the lack of individuality within the working class. Thus, Lang skilfully allows the audience to empathise with the workers by highlighting this perspective, allowing for insight into how totalitarian regimes necessitate conformity as shaped by the context. Orwell mirrors the ramifications of harsh political regimes on the individual and echoes the qualities of the prevalent communist ideology as he examines the psychological impacts of politically enforced conformity on the individual, emphasised by his personal experiences with fascism and his socialist agenda. The totalitarian rule of Oceania, governed by the omnipotent and omniscient Party employs the use of propaganda such as Big Brother and Newspeak to manipulate people, leading to a society in which the people unquestioningly obey their government and mindlessly accept propaganda as reality, similarly represented during Stalins arbitrary governance in Soviet Russia. The complete suppression of independent thought is described through anaphora in Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime IS death provides parallels to the contextual deprivation of freedom of speech as facilitated by Soviet governance. Orwell employs the protagonist, Winston Smith, to rebel against the Party s doctrine, paralleling the mass uprising in Metropolis, through his blow struck against the Party political act as his subversion culminates in a sexual relationship with Julia which challenges how the Party, and similar dictatorships in Orwells context, suppress human sexuality and relationships. However, Winstons attempt is rendered futile as the psychological and physical torture instigated by the Party in the novels poignant culmination results in Winston succumbing to the totalitarian rule when he states with an accepting tone of voice that He loved Big Brother. Talent Management and Acquisition: Human Resource Management Talent Management and Acquisition: Human Resource Management Before going into the discussion on Talent Management, it would be apt to understand the word Talent. Talent in general terms refers to the capabilities, skills or the art, a person possess in a particular field. It also refers to those people who have high potential, scarce knowledge and skill or who can successfully bring about transformation and change in the organization. Talent management refers to the process of developing and integrating new workers, developing and retaining current workers, and attracting highly skilled workers to work for a company. Coming to the word Talent Management in an Organisation, it refers to those special steps an organization adopts to recruit, develop and retain its pool of top talent. The steps adopted should normally be creative and should not project bureaucracy. Talent Management also denotes a deliberate approach taken up by an organization to attract, develop and retain people with the aptitude and abilities to meet not only the current requirements but also future organizational needs. In todays talent-hungry market scenario, one of the greatest challenges that organizations are facing is to successfully attract, assess, train and retain talented employees. Talent Management encompasses in itself the entire process of Planning, Recruiting, Developing, Managing, and Compensating employees throughout the organization. Organizations have realized the need for talent management and are now focusing to develop and retain the existing talent in their organization rather than trying to acquire a new talent because the cost of identifying, developing and retaining the talent internally is more cost effective instead of replacing the talent which is lost from external market. Though it may appear initially that in the process of retaining talent, we are spending more in terms of increased wages, rewards and recognition, when we practically analyse, the cost of acquiring a new talent is higher. Apart from higher cost of acquiring the new talent it has to additionally face the initial hiccups of this new employee getting along with the organizational goals and strategies. Every business unit is making sure that they can respond and withstand the challenges of talent crisis by developing an effective talent management strategy like identifying the key talented people in the organization, cultivating and developing the skill of their present workforce and retaining highly talented employees by protecting them from competitors. HISTORY OF TALENT MANAGEMENT The origins of Talent Management can be traced to the 1990s with the realization of the immense value of the Human Asset for organizational success surpassing every other resource. Today it is a very widely used terminology with Google returning about 26,300,000 results. Many companies commit the mistake of putting a herculean effort in attracting the best employees but fritter away this valuable resource by not making any effort to develop or retain them. Companies have initially thought of talent management as a means to solve high employee turnover. In course of time it has become part and parcel of the corporate strategy itself with a key responsibility placed on the line managers. One cannot wish away the fact that these managers have to play a pivotal role in nurturing the talents and skills of those reporting to them. In other words, it is a case of joint trusteeship between the line and staff functions. However, in Indian Companies, talent management is of fairly recent origi n. Talent Management Process Organizations are made up of people: people creating value through proven business processes, innovation, customer service, sales, and many other important activities. As an organization strives to meet its business goals, it must make sure that it has a continuous and integrated process for recruiting, training, managing, supporting, and compensating these people. The following chart shows the complete process: Creative ways to innovate Talent Acquisition There are seven creative ways to innovate Talent Acquisition which is mention here:- Talent Acquisition Strategy Outsource Internally: A clever way is to get someone else to do your job. Its a clever way of finding the right person for a position while adding to the insurance of a successful hire. Involve the hiring manager, the superiors, the subordinates this persons work will affect. Collect their ideas for increasing productivity, satisfaction and success. What skills are required? What personal traits will be helpful? What strengths are already on the team? Which might be missing? Translate this input into the skills and personality attributes that tell you exactly what to look for in a candidate. Market your openings in ways you may not have tried before, and build relationships to reach people youve never reached before. Set up an employment interest station in your lobby, at tradeshows, or conferences. Give your business cards to salespeople, or anyone who can evangelize employment, or who may come across colleagues, or even customers, interested in employment with your company. Think like a talent scout, and open your recruiting efforts up to extend beyond the familiar grounds for sourcing talent. Create a widespread referral network that works continuously. Recent hires, association colleagues, retirees and high performers who have left your company are all excellent points of reference. Consider putting up wanted posters, describing your ideal candidate, complete with a cash reward. The reward gets split among all referrers in a line that lead to a successful hire. There can also be other incentive referral programs, like points awarded for referrals, with redemption for prizes, travel, or paid vacation days. However its implemented, the key ingredient is people reaching out to other people. Really interact with people who show interest in joining your company. Job seekers, both active and passive, are a fountain of information about your business, your industry, your competition and your customers. If you develop the approach of treating your interested job seekers like you would treat prospective customers, this can become second nature. Forget about auto-responders on email, or generic postcards. These can actually confirm an applicants suspicion of being a number rather than a valued prospective employee. Create an easy, non-intimidating talent collector that makes it easy for people to explore your company, what its about, what its like to work for. The best place to do this is your company website, with its global reach, and endless possibilities for communication and relationship building around the clock. Move the Careers area to a prominent position on your site. Turn around your application process, reduce your workload and find the right people for open positions fast by having interested job seekers create a profile of themselves. You can collect more information specific to your companys hiring objectives, and also begin to turn the workload in your favour by not having to respond to each individual application. This way, you can build your talent pool exponentially to always have a ready source to search for current and coming position openings. REVIEW OF LITERATURE OF TALENT MANGEMENT AND TALENT ACQUISITION While study of talent management and talent acquisition. I have been read some articles; Review of literature some mentioning her Business Editors High Tech Writers,Dec4,1998 We are a marketing and communications company with Internet and interactive businesses at our core, said Werner Haase, co-chairman and chief executive officer of Exceed, Inc. Whether our clients are looking for ecommerce solutions, or communication strategy and execution for mergers, acquisitions, corporate branding, Web development, human resources or consulting services, weve got the talent to deliver. Ian Cunningham,2007 This paper explores ways in which organizations can take a systemic stance on talent management. The article is based on work done in a variety of organizations plus research in HR functions. The need is for a systemic approach to talent management. Just focusing on talent acquisition is misguided and unhelpful. The article has real practical implications for leaders/managers and learning and development professionals in setting up a functional strategy for talent management. The article will be of value to managers and learning specialists who are involved in talent management strategy. Business Finance Week, Atlanta, Feb 18, 2008 In the paper, McCoy says that in both good economies and in times of economic uncertainty, it is incumbent upon senior management and human resource (HR) leaders to be smart about the resources they hire and ensure their organizations workforce is structured for flexibility and maximum productivity. PR Newswire, New York, Mar 5, 2008 A January 15, 2008 Wall Street Journal article (Demand Rises for Talent Management Software) identifies one of many issues that shine a spotlight on the looming talent crisis: a labour shortage in industries across the board caused by the aging of the Baby Boomer generation and a decline in worker satisfaction. The Banker, London, Jul 2008 Outsourcing requires the same commitment to understanding organisational goals, due diligence and governance as a merger, acquisition, or strategic partnership. Before any outsourcing initiative is undertaken, there needs to be a clear vision of how the project enhances stakeholder value. Infosys finds that its most successful clients have a well-thought-out, long-term, strategic sourcing plan that focuses less on cost savings and more on leveraging global talent and industry expertise. This article discusses location strategy while considering global sourcing. Steven Land berg, Jan 2010 Positions on what can a corporate hiring executive learn from sports teams an approach to talent acquisition is answered. When pursuing talent acquisition, executives can observe some interesting analogies and learn some lessons from sports teams. First, talent selection and acquisition is recognized as one of the most critical aspects for success in a sports organization. Sports teams frequently acquire free agents that have moved amongst a number of teams with the understanding that many of those moves are not necessarily the choice of the player. Chris serres,Jan24,2010 Two years of brutal downsizing and consolidation on Wall Street, combined with the disappearance of such storied firms as Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, as well as a slew of regional investment banks, have given Piper the opportunity to play on a bigger stage, according to industry analysts. Piper declined to comment for this article, citing a company policy against discussing its financial performance or other material non-public information in advance of earnings. PR Newswire, New York, Apr 26, 2010 Media Link LLC has launched an Executive Search Practice and hired Christopher Nutile, one of the most respected professionals in the executive search and talent acquisition sector, to run it as Director of Executive Search, it was announced today by Media Link Chairman CEO Michael Kassan and President COO Wenda Harris Millard Business Wire, New York, Apr 28, 2010 In creating i-GRasp 3.0 we incorporated many of the features that customers said were vital to them in terms of increasing recruiter productivity, reducing operating and IT costs through enhancing self-configuration capabilities, and providing a great candidate experience as they step up recruitment activity in the face of economic recovery. Step Stone Solutions on-demand (SaaS) software and services enable organisations to implement efficient processes, including: attraction and hiring, post-hire talent management, performance management, compensation management, skills and competency management, career and succession planning, training and development management. Recent trends in talent management Attracting qualified talent is the critical first step in the talent management cycle. Jobs are plenty, finding the right candidate is the challenge. The need is to sell a job. Having sold the job well, retaining good employees is the next challenge that arises. And the companys brand image makes these tasks easier. Hence the marriage of compulsion arises between HR and marketing principles-employer branding. As we know that we get good customers with a good brand. In the same way companies must develop their image in the society by implementing the best practices in each and every aspect. Employer branding therefore helps a company attract, recruit, and retain employees that if wants and is becoming increasingly important in attracting and retaining star performers in a talent-tight market. Employer branding is not different from (branding a product or service and the payoff are identical. Some of them are product service branding customer acquisition is easier Increased retention possible Loyal customers Less price sensitive customers Employer branding Recruiting people is easier Reduced employee churn Committed employees Less CTC sensitive employees Selecting Talent An effective retention strategy begins at the earlier stages of the recruitment selection process. This is true because most of the employee turnover happens due to poor chemistry or bed fit. The research indicates that most of the people leave organizations due to the mistakes made during the hiring phase. For this reason some smart companies are adopting the strategy of hire for attitude train for skill. They have realized that it is easier to develop the skills capabilities that an employee needs than to attempt to change the employees personality or mind set. For instance, although Infosys receives about twice the number of application as its competitors it is very selective in recruiting employees. In the financial for 2004-2005, it received close to one million resumes which went through rigorous selection process and offers were made to about 1.5% of the applicants. Infosys looks at candidates who display a high degree of learnability. Indian company was selecting a senior marketing manager after the candidate had gone through several rounds of interviews. The company had identified the person they thought was the right one for the job and was on the verge of making an offer. Retaining Talent In present scenario people choose companies which have congenial atmosphere and prefer change if they dont get desirable, as it may hinder the growth and success of the company. Hence retention is vital than recruitment. The attrition rate of employees in organization is alarming. Take any industry, any sector, any organization and you can find more than enough examples of employees joining and leaving their workplace. All this adds to the worry of HR managers who are only left with the option of scratching their heads and singing no mercys all-time hit-where do you go? Thus it is an organizations ability not only to recruit, but also to cultivate and retain, talent that will ultimately determine its longevity. Two major trends point to the growing importance of employee retention as an important HR issue. Cost of Employee Turnover Turnover is important because it costs the organization money in direct expenses to recruit and train new hires and indirect expenses to pay overtime for remaining workers, when necessary, and in opportunity cost of lost production. With a 10 per cent turnover rate per year and on average individual pay level of $40,000 might be expected to spend between $ 4 million and $ 8 million per year on turnover-related costs. Talent management involves in 1. Recruiting- Does the firm have a formal recruitment processes to recruit internally or externally? 2. Career Management- Is there clarity in the career path for the employees? 3. Succession Planning- Are there clear-cut plans for who steps into which position at which time. This involves matching current potentials with future organizational demands. 4. Performance Management- This should be able to tell us how each staff performs in his/her present responsibilities. A very good performance Management should be able to unfold the following; those who need to be rewarded, those who need to be cautioned, those who need additional responsibilities, Staff training and development needs, Promotions, Demotions etc. 5. Reward Management- Talent Management will not succeed without a system that clearly defines performance results. Average, Superior and Outstanding performers in an organization should be rewarded differently otherwise outstanding performers for instance will not be motivated to work harder. Todays Top 10 Talent-Management Chalenges Attracting and retaining enough employees at all levels to meet the needs of organic and inorganic growth All three companies are facing a talent crunch. Essar, for example, has grown from 20 thousand employees to a staggering 60 thousand in the past 3 years. Fifty-five per cent of their employees have less than two years of tenure. Creating a value proposition that appeals to multiple generations With four generations in todays workplace, most companies are struggling to create an employee experience that appeals to individuals with diverse needs, preferences and assumptions. Developing a robust leadership pipeline I believe one of the biggest potential threats to many corporations is a lack of a robust talent pool from which to select future leaders. This is in part a numbers issue. Rounding out the capabilities of hires who lack the breadth of necessary for global leadership Its relatively straightforward to identify and assess experts in specific functional or technical arenas, but much more difficult to determine whether those individuals have the people skills, leadership capabilities, business breadth, and global diversity sensibilities required for the nature of leadership today. Transferring key knowledge and relationships The looming retirement of a significant portion of the workforce challenges all companies, but particularly those who are dependent on the strength of tacit knowledge, such as that embedded in customer relationships, a key to Mercers business success. Stemming the exodus of Gen Xers from corporate life A big threat in many firms today is the exodus of mid-career talent-people in whom the organization has invested heavily and in whom it has pinned its hopes for future leadership. Redesigning talent management practices to attract and retain Gen Ys The challenge of calibrating talent management practices and programs to attract and engage our young entrants is critically important to all firms. Creating a workplace that is open to Boomers in their second careers. Age prejudice still exists, but smart companies are looking for ways to incorporate the talents of Boomers and even older workers in the workforce. In many cases, this requires rethinking roles and work relationships. Overcoming a norm of short tenure and frequent movement Some industries, such as specialty retail, are known for having a very disposable view of talent. Companies intent on changing that norm, such as The Gap, must address both external influences in the marketplace and an internal mind set. Enlisting executives who dont appreciate the challenge Many talent executives complain that business leaders still believe that people are lined up outside the door because of the power of the companys brand. The challenge of enlisting the support of all executives for the transition from a talent culture that has traditionally operated with a buy strategy to one that places more emphasis on build is widely shared. CRITICAL APPRAISAL Firstly I want to discuss about Critical appraisal. It is the process of carefully and systematically examining research to judge its trustworthiness, and its value and relevance in a particular context. When I study some the articles of talent management and talent acquisition then I find something which is helpful in company to solve the problem related to talent management and talent actuation issue. 1. Costs The costs of having to replace someone with scarce skills are considerable. Firstly, the Recruitment costs are substantial. Qualified staffs, especially Blacks and Women, are not freely available in the market place. This means that agencies or search consultants are required to find such talent and they are expensive. Further costs are incurred during the first 3 6 months of employment during which new staff are seldom fully functional 2. Risk Despite every attempt to follow effective selection practices, there is always a risk that new staff will not perform as expected. It is often said that while organisations select people on their competence and experience, they fire or lose them due to lack of cultural fit. A highly competent professional who is unable to fit the organisational culture is unlikely to be effective or remain for long. This is particularly true in respect of HDIs entering a firm which has been historically white and or male dominated. Client Service and Opportunity Costs In a service organisation service excellence relies largely on personal relationships. It demands that clients feel confident in the people providing the service and that service providers have a memory of client needs and issues. If that relationship is broken as a result of key talent leaving the organisation, the capacity of the firm to provide sustainable service is severely compromised. This has the potential to compromise future business with the associated opportunity costs Lack of Capacity Lack of people with suitable skills and talent is a key restraint in terms of service capacity. This manifests itself at 2 levels. Firstly, firms soon reach a state of overload. Deadlines are missed, standards and quality of work drop and a vicious cycle emerges and feeds on itself. This is a very common phenomenon with small and medium sized professional firms. They do not have the capacity to manage their growth or the peaks and valleys associated with the modern business world. Secondly, the firm is so consumed with meeting operational deadlines that it loses its ability to keep up to date with latest best practice, legislation or other issues demanding new skills. In this case clients will soon recognise that mistakes are made due to lack of currency of skills. These are some of the more visible risks to firms who do not pay attention to the attraction, growth and retention of key talent. Beyond the visible, other manifestations of the problem arise. Staff morale declines because leadership talent is absent and this energy drop is transferred to the client. Internal politics and protection of territory or unwillingness to share information and surface problems affect the functioning of the firm. All of these things affect the ability of the organisation to offer great service and take advantage of opportunities to grow Conclusion When I study then I decided that the attraction, growth and retention of talent are a key success factor for modern service based knowledge organisations. To be known as an employer of choice is considered a key organisational goal with direct benefits. Whether is a small accounting firm or a large consulting organisation there are certain processes that need to be applied for effective talent management. However, research has shown consistently that the most important factor that influences a persons decision to stay or leave an organisation is the relationship with their boss. Other key factors are opportunities for personal growth and career development, the culture of the organisation in terms of facilitating innovation and the nature of the work itself South African organisations, large or small, have an obligation to the country and to themselves to grow the professional skills required for economic growth and competitive advantage.