Tim Verhoeven uses a number of examples to show that it is not necessarily advantageous to simply collect data. For example, the question "How did you hear about us?", which is often used in application workflows, can also be misleading. Studies of German data show that when tracking sources, there can be deviations of up to 50% between the actual source and the candidate's answer. Not only because people cannot remember all their decisions exactly, but also because response behavior is often shaped by social norms, not all data is the same. With this in mind, companies should always ask themselves first: What is the goal we are pursuing with the data we collect? After all, it only really makes sense if it can be classified as meaningful. An important criterion for this classification is the question of specific success criteria. According to Tim Verhoeven, 

data is particularly useful if it can be used to make decisions and influence actions. 

Tim Verhoeven emphasizes: "However, data should not replace the gut feeling that your team has acquired over years of professional experience. Rather, data and gut feelings should form a unity and be supported by each other.

, you can always ask yourself:       

According to Tim Verhoeven, you should never forget that "

". In other words, just because there is a recruiting analytics trend doesn't mean you suddenly have to collect data without a plan.  Nevertheless, data should play an important role in any new project from the outset - even if it is up to you to define what "good data" means in your decision-making context. Our team at talessio can only agree with Tim Verhoeven and are happy to support you in the development process.

"Data alone does not make us happy." - Many will probably either agree with this sentence without hesitation or ask in amazement - data makes us happy? Recruiting expert, author and blogger Tim Verhoeven would probably answer with a resounding "Yes!". At least when data is used effectively. But what exactly does that mean? In his presentation at the TALENTpro Online Conference 2024, Tim Verhoeven focuses on the 

Accuracy, consistency, validity, completeness and correctness - who doesn't know the criteria for "good data"? But when does data really help us? And how do we use it correctly?

"Data alone does not make us happy." - Many will probably either agree with this sentence without hesitation or ask in amazement - data makes us happy? Recruiting expert, author and blogger Tim Verhoeven would probably answer with a resounding "Yes!". At least when data is used effectively. But what exactly does that mean? In his presentation at the TALENTpro Online Conference 2024, Tim Verhoeven focuses on the \nrecruiting analytics hype\n. \n\n\nAccuracy, consistency, validity, completeness and correctness - who doesn't know the criteria for "good data"? But when does data really help us? And how do we use it correctly?

A path to better decisions: The power of meaningful data in recruiting

The advantages of planning for succession are evident. By fostering internal talent development and promoting from within, 

organizations can reduce recruitment costs and minimize knowledge loss

. Furthermore, succession planning contributes to long-term growth and development, nurturing a culture of internal mobility and providing employees with opportunities to thrive in new roles.

One popular approach to succession planning is continuous planning, as demonstrated by Spotify's reflection on their own practices. Depending on the industry and turnover rates, annual planning may not be sufficient. In such cases, quarterly or even monthly succession planning tasks can ensure a proactive approach. 

It is essential to keep the process short, simple, and lean to allow managers to handle it regularly.

To identify potential successors quickly, organizations can utilize 

—a comprehensive overview of employees' skills, competencies, and potential. This tool facilitates efficient decision-making by enabling managers to identify suitable candidates for future leadership positions. 

 are another useful method for tracking high-potential individuals. However, it is crucial to keep these pools dynamic and adjust criteria based on organizational needs.

Critical positions that are challenging to fill can be managed effectively by utilizing tasks. By keeping track of these positions and allocating appropriate resources, organizations can 

streamline the succession planning process and minimize disruptions

While planning for succession, organizations must 

prioritize the growth and development of potential successors

. Offering easy access to training programs, on-the-job experiences, and shadowing opportunities with senior management allows individuals to acquire the necessary skills and experience to step into new responsibilities. Hands-on experience is invaluable in preparing future leaders for the challenges they may face.

Involving managers is vital to successful succession planning. Regular feedback sessions and open conversations with HR business partners, recruitment teams, and managers foster alignment and understanding. Collaboration between these stakeholders ensures that everyone is on the same page, working towards the common goal of identifying and developing future leaders.

While the 9-box grid is a popular tool for assessing employees' potential and performance, it is important to be aware of its limitations. The grid can inadvertently label employees and promote bias if not used correctly. To mitigate bias, clear evaluation criteria and position descriptions should guide the assessment process. 

Relying on a framework rather than gut instincts helps establish a fair benchmark for evaluating employees

have action steps ready for each placement on the grid

. Following up with individuals and conducting discussions on development plans with employees and leadership are essential components of effective succession planning. It is also important to think outside the box, challenge biases, and ensure cooperation with employees on an equal footing.

Research has shown that unconscious bias can significantly impact succession planning, and organizations must be proactive in addressing this issue. By embracing diversity, providing equal opportunities, and implementing fair evaluation processes, 

organizations can minimize bias and create a more inclusive environment

Remember, the 9-box grid is a tool that provides an overview, but it alone cannot solve all succession planning challenges. It serves as a guide for leadership and HR, highlighting areas that require action. To fully leverage the benefits of succession planning, organizations must actively address the placements and take appropriate measures. This involves bringing together relevant stakeholders, discussing development plans with employees, and collaborating with leadership and talent acquisition teams.

In conclusion, effective succession planning is a continuous process that starts as soon as a position is filled, especially for critical roles. By embracing the newest trends, gaining valuable insights, and implementing best practices, 

organizations can nurture talent, reduce costs, and drive long-term growth

. Mitigating bias, fostering collaboration, and focusing on employee development are crucial elements of successful succession planning. By adopting these strategies, organizations can build a robust pipeline of future leaders who will steer the company towards continued success.

Adina Heupel and Dominik Klink in conversation

So much is at stake when employees leave – they take valuable knowledge with them. An example of this occurred in a recent client project, where a key team member left the client’s company midway through implementation. This resulted in a substantial knowledge loss, particularly so-called “tribal knowledge” – intricate information not commonly known by others and often undocumented – is easily lost.

Successful Succession Planning: Trends, Insights, and Best Practices

All well and good, but how can you efficiently create good content job postings without needing too many internal resources? In addition to many providers who specialize in generating, designing, or improving content, you can also use new tools yourself. Have you ever used ChatGPT to generate job postings? TALENTpro shows this will also be a trend of the future.

How can companies acquire new personnel? This was one of the main topics at the TALENTpro Expo Festival in Munich 2023, where the importance of good job advertising was emphasized so that applicants get a good impression of the company right from the start. But what does a good job advertisement consist of? talessio recruiting expert Anna Grüneberg compiled the most important points:\n


What makes a good job posting?

How do applicants become aware of companies?

Job boards are still in first place. Not only multi-posting interfaces can help companies advertise their jobs, but also their own career site and job ads. According to the speakers at TALENTpro, the job advertisement is particularly important, because 44% of applicants do not actively look around on a career site but are only interested in the jobs themselves. All the important information should therefore be directly visible, and applicants should be prevented from jumping to other pages as far as possible. 

How do candidates find the job postings? Of course, postings on major job boards are important, but Tristan Niewöhner from persomatch also emphasizes that up to 72% of job seekers use Google for their search. With apprentices the number almost reaches 85%! Companies should therefore 

pay attention to their Google performance, via Google Ads, Jobs or SEO.

In addition to job boards, TALENTpro also highlights the need for another method: 

. Company members themselves provide an important source of new employees. The easier recommendations are and the better the associated benefits, the more likely this source can be tapped.

At this point, a third resource should be mentioned, namely 

. Not all applicants are suitable for the exact position they are applying for, or there is too much competition, especially among high performers. These prospects should not be lost, and companies should approach them directly about joining the talent pool. In times like these, it is important to keep an eye on every suitable person.

By the way: The relevance of career changers, as an important source of new employees, are also highlighted at TALENTpro.

How do candidates feel about the application workflow?

Frightening figures are quoted at TALENTpro: 50-80% of applicants drop out during the application process! The reasons? Too many or complicated questions in the application process, lack of mobile optimization, and too little transparency.

Everything indicates that applicant information gathering and application processes need to become more and more streamlined, intuitive and transparent. HR departments should always put on the applicant's glasses and ask themselves: 	

What would make me want to apply to this particular company? What makes it easier to join our company compared to others?

Under no circumstances should hurdles be placed in the way. For this reason, applications via social media channels such as WhatsApp or TikTok are also becoming more and more prominent. But don't worry, even if your company is not yet ready for this, you can still make it as

Unemployment rates are falling, vacancy rates are rising, and many companies are asking themselves: how can I attract new talent? 	\nThe TALENTpro Expofestival in Munich from June 28-29, 2023, provided many strategies, tips and food for thought. Anna Grüneberg, the talessio recruiting expert, summarized the findings here:

Successful recruiting in times of staff shortage?

talessio took the time to understand our needs and requirements. The open and honest communication made it possible to ask questions and address concerns. This created a trusting working relationship that supported the success of the project. Additionally, the German language support provided by talessio made communication faster and easier.

Long-term empowerment of the Max Bögl team

Due to the structured way of working, we had a clear overview of the project progress at any time and could ensure that all steps were traceable. talessio carefully documented all decisions and processes for us. The well-developed project plan and the efficient project management contributed significantly to the successful implementation. From the beginning, independent implementation and trial and error in the system were encouraged. We were able to work out many things ourselves with guidance, which now facilitates independent problem solving in our everyday work. We experienced an enormous reduction in workload and time savings through "division of labor" in communication with the software provider Cornerstone and the development team - especially before and during the critical go live phase.

Can't do, can't do - a solution for every problem 

talessio scrutinized existing processes and found solutions that were tailored to our exact requirements. talessio's wealth of experience and their ability to adapt best-practice processes helped us overcome individual challenges (for example, the process flow of external seminars or mapping qualifications in the system with expiration dates). Through talessio's support, we were able to successfully implement specific processes that we originally did not envision in the Cornerstone platform. We experienced extensive research on talessio’s side until a solution was found.

Thanks to talessio's excellent communication, effective project organization and responsiveness to specific customer needs, mbakademie was able to get off to a successful start. In addition, Max Bögl has chosen talessio to accompany and support the mbakademie because it is growing and constantly being expanded with new functions where talessio can provide optimal support and advice. The communication on eye level makes this cooperation very pleasant.

Man shows digital learning platform on a cell phone

Max Bögl is one of the largest construction companies in the German construction industry. Since its founding in 1929, the company's history has been characterized by innovative strength in research and technology - from customized individual solutions to overall solutions that are sustainable in terms of construction technology and ecology.
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⁠When it comes to corporate learning, Max Bögl also relies on innovative ideas and a viable overall solution that can map all company-specific processes well. Max Bögl chose talessio as its partner for the implementation of the Cornerstone Learning solution. There are three key success factors that contributed to the successful implementation and characterize the long-term cooperation Max Bögl experiences with talessio: open and honest communication, structured project organization and the problem-solving attitude. Max Bögl benefits from the wealth of experience of the entire talessio team and is thus able to continuously develop mbakademie. The personnel development team at Max Bögl describes the cooperation like this:

Under Construction: A digital learning platform for a construction company

Recruiting in the flow of work involves embedding recruitment processes, tools, and strategies directly into the day-to-day operations of an organization. It recognizes that hiring talent is an ongoing process that should be an integral part of the organizational workflow, rather than a separate function. This approach enables faster and more effective hiring, improves collaboration among stakeholders, and enhances the candidate experience.


⁠Don‘t Underestimate Internal Mobility

In the context of recruiting in the flow of work, internal mobility plays a vital role. Internal mobility refers to the practice of facilitating career growth and advancement opportunities for existing employees within an organization. Emphasizing internal mobility aligns with the philosophy of recruiting in the flow of work by recognizing the value of internal talent and fostering a culture of development and retention. By prioritizing internal mobility, organizations can benefit in several ways. It enhances employee engagement and satisfaction, as employees feel valued and motivated by the prospect of growth within the company. It also promotes knowledge sharing, as employees bring their institutional knowledge and experience to new roles, fostering innovation and collaboration. Furthermore, internal mobility reduces recruitment costs and time-to-fill positions by leveraging existing talent pools and minimizing the learning curve associated with external hires. Did you know that the average vacancy period in Germany over the last year (May 2022-April 2023) was 164 days¹ for Professionals? A robust internal mobility program complements recruiting in the flow of work by cultivating a talent ecosystem that fuels organizational growth and success.

Employees crave career development – read this 

Empowering Women Through Internal Career Development – listen to a podcast 

Recruiting in the flow of work has emerged as a progressive approach to talent acquisition, transforming the traditional recruitment paradigm. By seamlessly integrating recruitment activities into the existing workflow, organizations can enhance efficiency, collaboration, and the overall candidate experience. Let’s explore the concept of recruiting in the flow of work, provides examples of its implementation in various industries, and offers practical steps to adopt this approach.

Recruiting in the Flow of Work: Seamlessly Integrating Talent Acquisition into Organizational Processes

Change management is critical for companies of all sizes, but SMEs have a unique advantage. Their smaller size, flatter hierarchies and natural willingness to change enable them to respond quickly and effectively to change. But for change management to be successfully implemented, it also requires a change in mindset. According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR) article "Change Management Requires a Change Mindset"¹, a critical factor in the success of change management is the attitude towards change of the executives.
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Managers in SMEs must be prepared to accept and lead change themselves. It is important that they are aware that change management is not only a task of the management, but that every employee can and should contribute to it. An open and positive mindset towards change creates a corporate culture in which innovation is encouraged and new ideas are welcomed.
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Open communication with employees facilitates the change process

The HBR article also emphasizes the importance of clear communication during the change process. Managers in SMEs should explain to employees exactly why changes are necessary and what benefits they can bring. Transparency, authenticity and the exchange of information help employees to better understand the change process and to actively participate.

It is also important that SMEs provide the necessary resources and support for the change process. This includes training and education for employees to provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully manage change.

Overall, SMEs can further strengthen their agility advantage by not only relying on their flat hierarchies and readiness for change, but also by developing a changed mindset in terms of change management.

Are you facing change processes in your team or company? Are you looking for support with an upcoming change? Feel free to contact us. We will support you in your project and help you to fully exploit the agility of your company as well as to effectively manage change. We look forward to helping you increase your company's success through effective change management implementation.
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In today's dynamic business world, change has become inevitable. Companies must adapt and evolve to remain competitive. While large corporations often struggle with bureaucratic structures and sluggish decision-making processes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can have an advantage. Thanks to their smaller size, flatter hierarchies and natural willingness to change, they can adapt more quickly to new circumstances.

Change management in small and medium-sized enterprises: The advantage of agility

The LMS implementation was supported and accompanied by talessio. talessio enabled the team at Deutsche Glasfaser to implement as much as possible themselves as quickly as possible. Thus the implementation was uncomplicated and quick on the technical as well as functional side. The short feedback cycles between Deutsche Glasfaser and talessio were particularly valuable. This ensured the transfer of knowledge during the implementation.

Deutsche Glasfaser particularly benefited from talessio's experience. They always experienced the cooperation at eye level: topics were communicated in an easily understandable way. The pro-active approach contributed to a quick implementation, even when there was a "fire".

The full potential has not yet been exhausted: Deutsche Glasfaser plans to introduce further modules to advance the digital transformation - for its customers as well as for its employees.

Man shows learning process on a flipchart

As a digital provider, Deutsche Glasfaser is striving for nationwide fiber-optic expansion and is thus making a major contribution to Germany's digital progress. With innovative planning and construction methods, Deutsche Glasfaser is the technology leader for fast and cost-efficient FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) expansion.
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⁠Deutsche Glasfaser needed a new Learning Management System (LMS) within a very short time. The goal was to introduce a blended learning platform for proactive learning for all employees in order to strengthen the employees' personal responsibility for their development. In doing so, the digital provider has taken another big step towards a "new learning culture" in the company.

A path to better decisions: The power of meaningful data in recruiting

A path to better decisions: The power of meaningful data in recruiting

Successful Succession Planning: Trends, Insights, and Best Practices

What makes a good job posting?

Successful recruiting in times of staff shortage?

Under Construction: A digital learning platform for a construction company

Recruiting in the Flow of Work: Seamlessly Integrating Talent Acquisition into Organizational Processes

Change management in small and medium-sized enterprises: The advantage of agility

New LMS within two months?