The unfair advantage: the right talent fit--the most significant business challenge over the next 20 years.(Headline)

The most significant business challenge over the next 20 years will be recruiting, retaining and inspiring talent.--McKinsey and Company study of 77 companies and 6,600 mangers, 1998

I see them every week: talented people in the wrong jobs or in the wrong circumstances. There is the highly compensated young executive, Sam, who is on the hunt for a position in another company. He has lost his drive for his current position--why? Because he is not feeling valued by the company. It isn't a matter of money; it is a matter of pride and what motivates Sam. His CEO could save hundreds of thousands in turnover cost simply by appointing Sam to a prestigious committee or giving him some well-deserved acknowledgment.

There is Nancy, who has been feeling ill for three months. She was a trusted, loyal, reliable receptionist. About four months ago, she was "promoted" to a job that gave her a raise in pay and required her to call customers who were delinquent in their payments. She is doing the job. And every night she goes home with a queasy stomach, feeling tired and with no energy to play with her live-in granddaughter. She really would like her old job back but is afraid to mention it and be seen as unappreciative and a failure. Instead, she is looking at other job opportunities.

This is an example of having a good person in the wrong position. It is important to correct that mistake quickly before the person is demoralized, quits, or is hired away to another company. Look inside the organization for a job that is a better fit. There are sound assessments that will help you do that.

A recipe for failure is to have good people in the wrong circumstances. And these failures are costly: turnover costs range from a minimum of one and a half and up to nine times a person's compensation. What business can afford to make these mistakes?

The evolution of the industrial and service economies to the knowledge economy has posed a significant challenge for today's leader/managers. They have to transition from the job of managing physical assets to the job of managing human assets; this is a challenge particularly for those who were successful in the old service economy paradigm. Having the data and system to know exactly what a job requires, match people to that profile, and create a high leverage development direction gives you the coveted, unfair advantage of having the right people in the right jobs and every job right for the organization.

Recently, I published a book--ENGAGE! Roadmap for Workforce-Driven Change in a Warp-Speed World--which documented an award-winning organizational change process. Included in the major assumptions and conclusions was the most critical alignment allocation is getting the right people in the right jobs. How do you do that? How do you hire, train and retain good talent? How to you re-allocate your staff when you have ...