institute for employment studies

improving people management

Developing your people

IES helps employers to develop the skills and potential of the people they employ to meet ever-changing business needs. We deliver this help in three main ways:

• Clarifying skill and career development needs, through analytical investigations, surveys and discussions with key internal stakeholders.
• Designing policies, frameworks and processes in areas such as learning and development; coaching; competencies; and talent management
• Evaluating the effectiveness of development processes and the business impact of learning or career interventions.

Our advice rests on in-depth expertise acquired through research and experience of working with a wide range of organisations. We bring an independent and objective perspective, but work very closely with our clients so that new or re-designed interventions are effectively implemented.

Planning Your Career in a Week

Wendy Hirsh, IES Principal Associate, is co-author of this recently updated book, which offers insights and motivation towards working your way to where you want to be in your career.

• Find out more

 

Podcast: Succession Planning

Wendy Hirsh, IES Principal Associate, was interviewed by GoodPractice about her current thinking and extensive practical experience of succession planning.

Listen to the podcasts:

• Succession Planning - Full Interview
  20 minute in-depth exploration of some key issues in succession planning, suitable for managers, HR professionals and succession/talent specialists.
• Succession Planning - Overview
  summary of key principles and implementation issues in contemporary succession planning aimed at HR and business leaders.
• Succession Planning for L&D professionals
  explores the contribution which L&D professionals can make to the practice of succession planning and talent management.

The IES approach to Developing Your People:

• addresses the balance between business and individual development priorities, and between short-term and longer-term needs
• considers development strategies for the whole workforce alongside interventions for specific occupational groups such as managers, leaders, knowledge workers and those in talent pools
• recognises career development as a crucial enabler of learning and also of effective skill deployment
• uses evaluation to understand how development interventions can be improved and how they impact on individual and organisational performance
• recognises development as resting on the quality of formal and informal relationships between individuals and their managers and colleagues
• integrates employee and management development with other people processes such as workforce planning, work design, resourcing and performance management.

We put together very flexible packages of support for our clients especially in all the areas below.

IES article:

Performance management: Fine intentions, People Management, September 2011

IES Principal Associates Wendy Hirsh and Duncan Brown discuss whether HR departments are setting themselves a formidable agenda to deliver. This article is based on current IES Network research into Performance Management.

This area of our work has these subthemes:

• talent, succession and careers
• coaching
• strategic approaches to learning and development
• skill needs, priorities and frameworks
• evaluating learning and development
• talent management and development

IES at work with employers

examples of IES work on developing your people

Who to contact

• email Paul Fairhurst or call +44(0)1273 763 419
• email Wendy Hirsh or call +44(0)1273 763 400