By George Thompson The “war for talent” is a phrase often used in the context of talent management. The origins can be traced back to the 1990s, a decade when a large chunk of Baby Boomers (those born between 1944-1964) were exiting the workforce. With the workforce losing a number of its members, talent was in short supply, and employers were at war to hire and retain talented members of the workforce.
The ‘90s have gone, but even in the present day, the phrase remains the most potent expression of what many senior HR professionals believe is possibly the biggest managerial challenge they face.
What is talent management?
Dave Ulrich, professor of business at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, says that “Talent management is the systematic process of creating and sustaining individual competencies that will help the business delivery strategy.”
The work of talent management professionals is quite different from the traditional view of what HR does i.e. filling an open job position with a suitable candidate. It looks not just at skills and experience, but also evaluates a candidate on his or her fit with future roles that may be assigned at the company as well as with the corporate culture.
How useful is certification useful for a talent management career?
Choosing a talent management certification program is a great way to boost career prospects. This is applicable for someone entering the field or already working in the field and looking to grow and take on higher roles. A certification is proof of the most up-to-date skills and knowledge in talent management, and a trustworthy indicator that the candidate is serious about a career and willing to invest in continual education.
A certification in talent management, when combined with an HR degree, is a great way to advance an HR career. The following are the most impactful dimensions of talent management certifications as per a TMI study:
The top three factors with the strongest impact were:
- Professional brand improvement: 95%
- Perspective enrichment: 93%
- Higher impact potential: 92%
Which certifications are a good choice in talent management?
For someone beginning an HR career or already working in the HR field, a certification from the Talent Management Institute (TMI) is an excellent choice. A valuable proof of excellence in HR skills and knowhow, TMI certifications are based on standards covering critical knowledge on all positions and roles in HR as well as its interplay with other business functions. And not just this – TMI has also established the TMI-Wharton programs, offering its students a chance to experience quality education from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
TMI offers the following talent management certification programs:
- Talent Management Practitioner (TMP™): a great starter qualification to begin a career as a talent management professional
- Senior Talent Management Practitioner (STMP™): well suited to mid-career, upwardly mobile HR professionals looking for challenging assignments
- Global Talent Management Leader (GTML™): an excellent choice for senior professionals looking for a global HR role; includes learning material from the Wharton School
Why are TMI certifications a great choice for a career in HR?
The TMP™, STMP™, and GTML™ certifications from TMI are the first set of independent professional talent management certification programs in the world founded on a formal knowledge framework of talent management standards. They prove the candidate is a person with high potential to do excellently in talent management roles. Here are the seven top reasons to choose a certification from TMI:
- Puts a person ahead in the search for good roles: According to a TMI/CredForce study, an HR degree combined with a talent management certification makes candidates 30% more attractive for an HR career than their non-certified counterparts.
- Multiple job opportunities opening up in talent management (estimate: one million by 2020), making this a great time to get certified
- Higher earnings than HR professionals not exposed to talent management
- Preference in the search for professionals to handle challenging leadership positions in managing human capital: as per a TMI study, over 40% of CHROs believe a professional in HR with an international credential such as that from TMI is a great choice.
- Recognition and validity across industry verticals and sectors of the economy
- Securing a career in HR even in the face of economic uncertainties and changes in business models
- Automatic prequalification for TMI-Wharton programs
- Associate Fellow Program in Talent Management: for global leaders in HR and other functions looking for higher roles; includes a MasterClass at the Wharton School
- Global Fellow Program in Talent Management: for highly accomplished senior professionals, consultants, researchers, and others in HR looking for wider leadership experience; includes two exclusive MasterClasses at the Wharton School
Can an existing HR qualification help in getting a TMI certification?
With a TMI credential, a candidate with a qualification in HR can race to a career as a talent management professional, courtesy the QualiFLY™ program of TMI. The candidate can prequalify for a TMI credential if he or she meets at least one of the following criteria:
- Holding an international certification or other qualification in HR from a credentialing body recognized by TMI
- Holding a degree in HR management and work experience of at least one year in talent management in a large organization
- Studying in a university recognized by TMI
james