Five new ways to benchmark tech talent

By Apeksha Kaushik, TimesJobs.com

A key element of any effective benchmarking strategy is communication - for both the manager and the employees. But it doesn't stop here and there is much more to talent benchmarking.

Talent benchmarking has always been part of core strategy of successful businesses but the process and parameters have now undergone a paradigm shift. The change is more aggressive and visible in benchmarking modern-day tech talent.

Today, a lot of organisations are concerned about raising the bar for talent benchmarking. The concerns are greater while benchmarking tech talent since they are the most dynamic workforce.

Rayaprolu SS Sarma, headGraduate Talent Programme, Virtusa, shares some effective ways to benchmark tech talent:

Productivity wastage: "The industry is moving towards reducing wastage in projects. These wastages are tracked typically around productivity. Projects miss out on excellence when team members do not achieve higher efficiencies. Hence, productivity is the first thing we would benchmark against."

Innovation imperative: "As the IT space becomes competitive, innovation becomes a major differentiator. Not all candidates can innovate. But innovation as a skill can be taught. Focus towards innovation - bringing about a change creatively at a lower cost with higher reach. Focused solutions are going to help organisations in not only differentiating themselves but also in becoming leader in the space they operate.

Customer focus: "The phrase 'understanding the customers' customer' is no longer a differentiator for businesses. It is a necessity to say the least. Through the understanding of this space and domain knowledge combined with a sense of customer servicing and problem solving, organisations can make a difference to their offerings."

Communication matters: "Communication, in my view, continues to be a core skill for benchmarking talent. The demands of workplace dynamics give high importance to the need for communicating right. In this, packaging is as important as content."

Learning agility: "It is the most important characteristic an organisation depends upon as size grows and heterogeneity increases among employees and offerings. Any organisation which is not agile and focused on learning will fail. Learning agility is like a life support and this would need to be benchmarked if the hiring has to be right."