1. Are You Praying for Talent or
Playing for Talent?
Created, Developed and Presented
by
Murad Salman Mirza
Senior Vice President
(Client Advocacy & Organizational Effectiveness)
APAC & EMEA Regions

2. Table of Contents
• Objective
• Introduction
• Understanding of ‘Praying for Talent’
• Understanding of ‘Playing for Talent’
• Questionnaire for Talent Management Introspection
• Methodology for Result Tabulation
• Conclusion

3. Objective
• This presentation focuses on the understanding
of an analytical tool for highlighting the key
strategic focus of an organization seeking to
attract, develop, engage and retain desired talent
within its ranks

4. Introduction
• Effective Talent Management has increasingly
become an indispensible competitive advantage
and the survival of organizations, especially, in
the fast paced industries, is critically staked on
their ability to attract, develop, engage and retain
desired talent by indulging in robust strategic and
tactical initiatives that are geared towards the
healthy replenishment of the talent pipeline

5. Praying for Talent
• This refers to the talent strategy or tactical initiative that is reactive in
nature. It is generally characterized by pressurized moves, laborious
actions and wistful thinking that frequently results in the accommodation
of ‘less than desirable’/’whatever is available’/’forced to accept’
workforce. Such negative measures are later magnified by incurring huge
costs in multiple ways, e.g.:
– Recurring Training and Development
– Embarrassing Product/Service Failures
– Inevitably Increased Testing and Appraisal
– Stinging Client/Customer Compensation
– Painfully High Attrition Rates
– Unforgiving Regulatory penalties
– Sullied Organizational Reputation

6. Playing for Talent
• This refers to the talent strategy or tactical initiative that is proactive in
nature. It is generally characterized by calculated moves, insightful actions
and progressive thinking that frequently results in the accommodation of
‘desirable’/’delightful’/’deserving’ workforce. Such positive measures are
later rewarded by relishing huge savings in multiple ways, e.g.:
– Optimum Training and Development
– Rare Product/Service Failures
– Reduced Testing and Appraisal
– Increased Client/Customer Appreciation
– Pleasantly Low Attrition Rates
– Regulatory Adherence Champion
– Envied Organizational Reputation

7. Questionnaire for Talent Management
Introspection
• Do you have an enlightened senior management that prioritizes talent
management (TM)?
• Do you have a suitably qualified person leading the TM function?
• Do you have a defined TM strategy that has been thoroughly reviewed and
unequivocally approved/embraced by the senior management?
• Do you have a defined tactical plan for TM that has been thoroughly reviewed
and unequivocally approved/embraced by the key stakeholders?
• Do you have enough time to deploy the tactical plan for TM?
• Do you have enough resources to enable deployment of the tactical plan for TM?
• Do you have enough intelligence on the competitors for effective
response/counter actions to ‘talent cannibalization’ moves?
• Do you fulfill the applicable regulatory requirements for TM?
• Do you conduct timely strategic and tactical reviews on TM?
• Do you take timely and effective corrective/preventive actions pertaining to TM?
• Do you have a good reputation, i.e., triple bottom line, in the talent market?
• Do you have a distinct recognition as a ‘desirable employer’ brand?

8. Methodology for Result Tabulation
Sr. Response Judgment
1. Answered ‘No’ to any of the first six questions Praying for Talent
2. Answered ‘Yes’ to the first six questions and ‘No’ to
any of the last six questions
Prone to Praying for
Talent
3. Answered ‘Yes’ to all twelve questions Playing for Talent

9. Conclusion
• The best way of ensuring success in the ‘War for
Talent’ is by taking efficient and effective
measures during the ‘Peace in Talent’