Talent Management

Conversation Tool
A guide for managers and employees

Version 1: July 2014

Contents
Introduction

Holding the Talent Conversation

14

Use of the Talent Management Conversation Tool

Adopting a coaching style in the Talent Management Conversation

15

What is Talent Management?

After the Talent Conversation

16

Who is Talent Management for?

Rating behaviours and performance

18

Overview and use of the Talent Management Conversation Tool

Talent Grid Conversation Tool

Support

The Talent Conversation

10

Appendix 1: Navigating the Talent Management Conversation Tool

22

Flow chart for the Talent Conversation process

11

Appendix 2: Blank template Talent Management Conversation Tool

41

Preparing for a Talent Conversation

12

Appendix 3: Dos and donts

44

Special arrangements and considerations for the conversation

13

Appendix 4: High contrast Talent Management Conversation Tool (easy read)

47

Talent Management Conversation Tool

Introduction
This tool has been designed by the NHS Leadership Academy in collaboration
with our local delivery partners (LDPs) to bring together good practice
around NHS Talent Management (TM). The tool can be used to compliment
wider TM tools available to your organisation.

Use of the Talent Management

Conversation Tool

This tool is one of a suite of tools and forms part of an inclusive national approach
to TM for all NHS staff, considering the potential and value they bring to their
current roles as well as reaching and maximising their future potential in the NHS.
Having skilled, motivated well supported and developed staff is our greatest
assurance that we can provide the necessary care to our patients and communities.
Evidence shows that if we foster a culture where we engage and care for our staff
they will value and care for our patients.

This tool should be used when identifying individuals who will be nominated to the
NHS Leadership Academy Professional Leadership Programmes.
Only those who fall into the Green category of the Talent Grid should ideally be
considered for progressive leadership development and access to local, regional
or national programmes.

The main part of the tool is the open, honest and constructive conversation
between the manager and member of staff to explore where they are now,
where they want to be, and how to get there or to simply identify and
maximise how they are currently performing.

An inclusive national
approach to talent
management.

To see an effective talent conversation in practice go to

www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/talent

The tool may be used to enhance the appraisal process, but equally can be
undertaken as a standalone process.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

What is Talent Management?

Talent Management (TM) represents organisations efforts to attract, develop and
retain skilled and valuable employees. Its goal is to have people with the capabilities,
commitment and behaviours needed for current and future organisational success.

TM allows an organisation to have a rounded picture of the individuals it employs,

future skills and the styles and behaviours needed to take the organisation forward
to effectively deliver against its priorities. Ultimately, aligning the right people to the
right roles with the right values will lead to improved quality of healthcare services
and outcomes for our patients will continue to improve.

This means making sure we have:

The right people, in the right roles,

with the right values

With access to the right opportunities,

exposure, stretch and development to
reach their potential

As part of the TM and maximising potential process, we look at reviewing

employees against performance, behaviour, ambition and raw potential to move
onwards and upwards. By looking at where employees sit on these scales it helps
us to understand how best to support them in their development to reach their
full potential in the wider NHS.
In common with the most national and international organisations, we look to
provide a Talent Management and maximising potential process that works for
all of our staff.
The key element to any successful TM approach in maximising an
individuals potential is when managers and staff are able to have open
and constructive conversations around their potential; where they are
now, where they want to be, and how to be supported to get there.

Whether this be in their current role,

or for a future role

the right people the right roles

Talent Management Conversation Tool

Who is Talent Management for?

Talent Management should consider all individuals in an organisation. It should cover
the development they require, the value they bring, and the position(s) that best suit
their skills currently and into the future within an organisation and/or elsewhere in
their career journey. Talent and career development and maximising their potential is
necessary for the retention of employees no matter what their seniority and position
within the organisation; whether that is for example;

We all need to feel that we are listened to, understood and valued in our
roles to achieve our maximum potential. Whether you are someone who is
a reliable key contributor, someone who needs support to be able to reach
your potential or someone exceeding expectations who is ready for a step
change. Talent Management is about considering everyone as an individual
and the development that is right for them and making them feel rewarded
and able to do a good job within our NHS.

l A professional in their field who wants to maintain their CPD to

maximise their potential in their current role and use their expertise
to develop others around them
l A developing professional who needs targeted
support to reach their potential in their current role
l A transition employee who has just started in a
role and needs targeted support to reach their
potential in their new role, or
l A role model employee who has mastered their
current role and shows high potential to make a
step change to the next path in their career in the NHS.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

Overview and use of the Talent

Management Conversation Tool
This tool helps staff and managers to measure performance (what you achieve) and
behaviours (how you achieve it) of individuals against their demonstrated potential
(capacity, ambition, motivation, readiness) to move on in their career path in the
immediate, short or longer term on their journey to reach their full potential.
When having talent discussions, both the manager and individual should refer to the
Healthcare Leadership Model and supporting Guidelines for using the Healthcare
Leadership Model within talent conversations.
You should consider evidence such as:
l Performance appraisal and behavioural feedback tools such as 360 degree
tool to help align their level of performance; partially meeting, meeting or
exceeding expectations.
l Managers should then, through coaching, work through the individuals
ambition and potential to move on in order to get a sense of; ready now,
ready soon or content to stay within their current professional role. All of
this allows you to identify where an individual sits on the talent grid.
(See Page 9).
l You can then consider the most appropriate development opportunities,
such as maintaining CPD and stretching out of their role or development to
help them reach the next step on their journey to reach their full potential.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

Considerations for people in the following

coloured areas of the 9 Box Grid
Green
For those in the Ready Now category who need support to reach their full potential,
these individuals should be put forward to leadership programmes. Those who
are Key Generalists and Future Emergent Potential may also be given similar
opportunities, however more targeted discussions should be had to explore if any
chosen programme is right for their development needs.
Only people who fall in the green category, who you identify as needing exposure
to further leadership development opportunities to reach their next role / potential,
should be put forward for the NHS Leadership Academys Professional Leadership
Programmes.
Purple
For people who fall into this category, its about thanking them for the good
jobs they are doing and maintaining their development or providing opportunities
that may help stretch them or help them become more expert in their field.
Remember, without good consistent performers and experts, the NHS would not
continue to deliver.
Blue
For these individuals, its about acknowledging they need targeted development to
reach their potential in role, whether it be someone who is new to post who needs
development support to perform in their new role, or people who for whatever
reason need support to reach their performance potential in their current roles or
identifying where else their skills may be effectively utilised.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

Potential development interventions

The talent grid tool will assist you in aligning the different development interventions
available to the individual, maximising performance in role and/or preparing them for
their next role. For example, those who are Professionals in field may require CPD,
whereas New to Role will require targeted development to help maximise their
performance and behaviours in their current role.

The development offerings could be:

l Locally designed and delivered within your own organisation
l Delivered by an accredited CPD provider or HEI
l Delivered from your local delivery partner e.g. Aspiring Leadership
Programme
l NHS Leadership Academy Professional Leadership Programmes
e.g. Elizabeth Garett Anderson
Outcomes of the talent discussion should be documented, potentially forming part
of the individuals on-going personal performance development plan, and then
monitored on an on-going basis jointly by the manager and individual .

Talent Management Conversation Tool

The Talent Grid Conversation Tool

The following describes the talent grid for use with talent conversations.
The remainder of the document explains how to use the talent grid and
hold a good talent conversation.

See Appendix 1 for further supporting information on how to identify

where someone is on the talent grid, conversational questions and possible
development interventions, and see Appendix 2 for a blank copy of the
grid for use with preparation for the conversation.

Professional talent

Developing talent, ready soon

Ready now

Performance and behaviours

Shows promise to continue to advance in their professional

field or into a wider leadership role within 35 years if
they have the capacity and ambition to do so, but equally
valuable where they are.

Demonstrates the potential, ambition and motivation to

develop at their current level and potentially progress in
their career within 13 years into new and wider challenges.

Demonstrates the potential, ambition, motivation and

experience to perform at the next level now or within
the next 12 months into new and wider challenges.

Exceeds expectations

Professional in field

Key generalist (Pivotal and flexible)

Role model (High potential to go further)

Outstanding performance against objectives, achieves

more than what is expected of them, and demonstrates
role modelling of behaviours required beyond their role.

High performance in own field.

Role models behaviours of organisation/role.
Consistent results and brings added value to tasks given
Possible reached expert stage in their career.
Shows upward potential, but less ambition, likely to
move on in the medium future, outside of own specialism.
Emergent wider skills.

High performance with consistency of results across a variety

of assignments and brings added value to tasks given.
Acts wider than professional background.
Role models behaviours of organisation/role.
Low-moderate potential/ambition to move on, possibly
happy to stay in current position.
Secondary pool to fill critical positions; perhaps move one
level; likely to shift to key of high professional roles over time.

A role model with the highest levels of performance,

potential and ambition to move on.
High performer, bringing added value to assignments with
lots of potential and capacity for immediate advancement.
Role models behaviours of organisation/role.
Demonstrates mastery of current assignment.
True organisation asset role model.
First call to fill critical positions.

Meets expectations

Future professional in field

Solid generalist (Solid/adaptable)

Future emergent potential

Meets the expectations for performance against objectives

and behaviours required at the level for their role.

Good reliable performance.

Behaves professionally in line with role.
Showing upward potential but less ambitious to move
outside of field.

Good rounded performance.

Behaves professionally in line with role.
Meets expectations.
Works wider than professional background.
Some potential to do more in long term if ambition and
development allows.

(Capacity for key roles)

Individual with high potential.

Good rounded performance.
Behaves professionally in line with role.
Has the capacity to be a consistent talent, or with stretch
move to higher levels.

Partially met expectations

Developing professional

Developing generalist

Transition employee

Current low demonstration of performance and behaviours

required of role.
Being supported to reach their potential.
May be in the wrong role.

Low performance but showing moderate potential over

time outside of professional role.
Being supported, needs pushing and stretching to
reach full potential.
May be bored, under-used or in the wrong role.

New to post or assignment.

Have yet to demonstrate results, or high potential in a new
position / development assignment.
Future performance will allow assessment of where they
align to the grid longer term.

Readiness to move

Below met expectations against performance objectives

and behaviours required at the level for their role.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

(Needs stretching)

(Needs stretching)

(New to role, needs support)

The Talent Conversation

Effective and honest communication is at the heart of the talent conversation. It is
a two-way process where the manager and member of staff explore where they
sit on the talent grid, through the manager giving constructive feedback about an
individuals performance and the behaviours, and values that they demonstrate.

We know that supporting an individual to identify their potential is essential as

people whose potential is used and developed are:
l More energised
l More fulfilled

This two-way conversation is about supporting an individual to reflect and consider

the talent potential they already have within their current role, identifying and
discussing any future aspirations they may have and may be likened to a coaching
conversation in many respects. The talent grid helps to identify where the individual
sits in relation to their potential role, and then to assist with identifying next
supportive developmental steps for them.

l Achieve their goals more effectively

l More engaged
l Perform better at work

For further information on effective talent conversations go to

www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/talent

Talent Management Conversation Tool

10

The Talent Conversation

Identify need for a conversation with individual
The following flow chart and supportive steps are designed to help
both the manager and member of staff plan, undertake, enact
and monitor the outcomes of the talent conversation.

Prepare for the conversation

See Appendix 1&2 for detailed use of questioning and possible

development interventions associated with each of the boxes
on the Talent Grid. The following illustrates an overview of the
process for having the Talent Conversation.

Hold the conversation

Both manager and employee become familiar with this toolkit

and consider evidence to support the discussions

Utilise the Grid, Quick Reference Guides and Having a Coaching

Conversation information to support this process

Identify way of enhancing individuals potential

> in current role

> preparing for future role(s)

and then signpost to relevant development opportunities

Local trust development

opportunities

Regional leadership
academy/bodies
development opportunities

i.e. Locally led leadership programmes

After the conversation

Talent Management Conversation Tool

11

See regional website

National Leadership
Academy
i.e. Professional leadership programmes
www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk

Support the individuals development. Monitor impact and evaluate

interventions. Benchmark your ratings of individuals
with other managers. Repeat the process (its continuous!)

Preparing for a Talent Conversation

When preparing, ensure both you and your employee have planned and
prepared well for the conversation by:

Ensuring you have familiarised yourself

with the process.

Making sure you have time before hand so you as

the manager are in a good place mentally to be able
to have a good Talent Management Conversation.

Giving the employee this Talent Management

Conversation guide in advance of the meeting,
so they have full understanding of the process.

Ensuring enough time is given for the meeting

and that the time is protected.

Giving the individual protected time beforehand

to encourage them to reflect on where they think
their potential sits within the context of the Talent
Conversation Tool.

Being mindful of the environment where you hold

this conversation using quiet and comfortable
surroundings.

Considering and bringing wider evidence to

support the discussion e.g. performance outcomes,
360 feedback from others etc.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

12

Special arrangements and considerations

for the conversation
In addition, make sure you arrange dates and times that acknowledge cultural needs,
avoiding:

When making arrangements for your conversation ensure any personal needs
are communicated and considered. including:
l Ensuring wheelchair access

l Religious holidays

l Parking and transport

l Fasting days

l Checking width of entrances and interior doorways

l Cultural celebrations such as national days, saints days, gay pride etc.
You should also avoid arranging meetings at the end of long shifts, at the busiest
times of the week or following other emotionally draining activities, such as following
emergencies or traumatic incidents.

l Location of accessible toilets

l Providing space for working dogs
l Arranging for a BSL interpreter or a note taker

You need to ensure your employees are at ease and able to concentrate on the
conversation.

l Induction loop
l Providing documentation in suitable formats e.g. large print,
braille or electronic materials in advance

Talent Management Conversation Tool

13

Holding the Talent Conversation

Having a talent conversation is very much like an appraisal and often many
organisations will amalgamate talent and employee potential discussions with their
appraisal process. This is because it helps to explore what/how youre achieving in
your current role to maximise your potential within it, and then naturally move onto
what you are able to achieve in the future to maximise your longer term potential.

Research consistently supports the value of effective communications in the

workplace and evidence suggests that it leads to people feeling valued and energised
at work. The reasons for these not happening ranges from fear of the conversation
not going well, lack of confidence in ability to hold the conversation in an effective
way and that there are more pressing operational priorities to attend with which may
impact on the quality of the conversation.

Whilst the talent conversation is a useful guide for mapping an employees

potential, the quality of the talent conversation is the most valuable aspect
of this process. The conversation will also support reduction of uncertainty
for the individual within their role, help resolve problems, build trust and
rapport, which in turn strengthens manager/employee relationships and
improves work performance.

Whilst these reasons are valid, they should not deter from these important
conversations happening across organisations.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

14

Adopting a coaching style in the Talent

Management Conversation
To see a conversation in practice using this approach go to
www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/talent

Establish the Talent Conversation

l Greet the individual in an appropriate manner
and establish rapport

l Deal with agenda, e.g. duration of conversation,

any potential interruptions

l Enable knowledge and values to surface/enable reflection

for individual

l Establish and make explicit that this is a two way process

with each party taking responsibility for maximising the
opportunities

Shape agreements and reach conclusions

l Acknowledge what insights and conclusions have been gained

l Create an appropriate sense of occasion i.e. we are

beginning the Talent Conversation now

Surface understanding and build insight

l Enquire, build mutual understanding (ask questions as per
quick reference guides)

l You may have to go back to step 2 for wider exploration;

is there anything you havent discussed yet?

Identify topic of conversation and end goal

l Agree what you are going to talk about (the individuals
performance, behaviours & potential)

l Agree desired outcome e.g. to ascertain path of leadership

development

Reference: Adapted from The Coaching Manual (Julie Starr, 2008)

Talent Management Conversation Tool

l Refine summarise conclusions and agree specific actions

15

Summarise and completion/closure

l Establish closure to the Talent Conservation
l Summarise and discuss what happens next (development
opportunities identified)

After the Talent Conversation

Documenting and follow up

Managers consistency checking and removing bias

Following the talent conversation, the outcome should be recorded and focused
on developing the individual, whether maintaining their development to continue
doing the good job they are currently doing, addressing specific development needs
identified within their current role, or tapping into potential strengths and talents to
prepare them for their next role.

For managers undertaking talent conversations for their whole teams, it is also good
practice to discuss and de-brief the discussions and outcome against those with other
peers/managers.
This helps to remove any bias and ensure all employees in a team are treated
equitably, and also allows peer support between managers when applying the Talent
Conversation Tool consistently.

The conversation you have will be a catalyst for individual development which will
then link into a choice of development interventions (see Appendix 1).

Use conversations such as senior team meetings to discuss individuals and their
outcomes and why you both reached these conclusions to help standardisation of
how all individuals in the team are rated this helps to ensure that all managers are
comparing apples with apples, and also allows open and transparent discussions
around employees and how the organisation is helping them maximise on their
potential, linking to talent activities such as succession planning.

These should be documented, enacted, monitored and evaluated on an on-going

basis to review the impact they are having in getting the employee where they need
to be in maximising their potential.
Managers also have a responsibility to work with their organisational learning and
development functions to help them understand the development needs of their
staff, and find ways of supporting these.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

16

Remember, the Talent Conversation is just the start,

the conversation never ends. Both the employee
and manager need to keep it open and go back to
it as often as they can.
For example in 1-2-1s, informal discussions,
opportune moments (e.g. corridor discussions),
open and transparently in team meetings where
appropriate, in any other ways that demonstrate
the employee is valued by the organisation etc.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

17

How to rate performance

Rating performance is probably the easy part. All NHS employees should have
performance development reviews where specific work objectives, on-going work
responsibilities and supportive development objectives are set and achievement is
reviewed. We know that this takes place formally as part of a performance review
appraisal, and is also important as part of good management practice we dont
only review peoples performance once a year, its an on-going process between
manager and staff.
When we review work achievements and developmental objectives, it should be
relatively easy for the employee and their manager to understand performance
in role by looking at the evidence surrounding the output of their work.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

18

How to rate performance

As part of the Talent Conversation, we suggest that performance fits into three levels
when trying to identify where someone aligns to the Talent Grid.

Performance rating
Partially meets expectations

What does it look like?

Employees can evidence that they have met some of the objectives / tasks / on-going work responsibilities set for them,
but not all of them. This can be for a variety of reasons that need to be explored further with the individual.
Employees here often need to have the objectives / tasks / on-going work responsibilities and expectations associated
with these clearly described and broken down for them, and often need extra supervision and support to achieve them.

Meets expectations

Employees are clearly and unambiguously able to evidence how they are meeting their objectives / tasks / on-going work
responsibilities set out for them and the demands within their role (e.g. completed a project, providing a service etc.)
Employees here will be given objectives / tasks / on-going work responsibilities and simply deliver them with little, if any
supervision. They sometimes go unnoticed in doing this, but you know who they are as they are often the go to people
as they are known as reliable to get things done.

Exceeds expectations

Employees not only evidence how they have met the expectations of the work objectives / tasks / on-going work
responsibilities that they have been set, they show how they take them all to the next level with their own
individual flavours.
Employees here only need to be given the vision/high level expectations of what needs to be achieved, and they do the
rest, making it all into a reality, bringing their own flare and added value. They are the high impact people you go to
when you need something achieved with creative flare and added value.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

19

How to rate behaviour

Rating behaviour is a little more complicated than performance as often its about
how people perceive what you do, and also in the NHS we often dont fully define
how we want our employees to behave. It is essential that the organisation has a
clear set of behaviours that define how we should all work around here, potentially
linked to their organisational values, NHS constitution and your organisations
Leadership Compact.
An ideal situation is for an organisation to define its values and associated behaviours
in partnership with its staff to ensure ownership. Once you have a behaviour
framework in place, there are several ways you can think about reviewing behaviours:

Simple behaviour review

Rating behaviours in its simplest form could form the basis of the actual Talent
Conversation (i.e. 180 degree review between the manager and employee) however
this may not always allow for a full and unbiased picture of how you behave as it
relies on the manager and employee reaching an agreement.

Healthcare Leadership Model

For ideas of the type of leadership behaviours expected of staff, refer to the
Healthcare Leadership Model at www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/leadership-model
Please also refer to the supporting Guidelines for using the Healthcare Leadership
Model within a talent conversation.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

20

Evidence based behaviour review

Some examples of how you can review behaviour are:
l 360 degree review www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/leadership-model
l Behavioural Framework - If you want to add more structure and
cant access a formal 360 degree tool, you may want to add a
behaviour framework to help the employee explore how they behave
(if your organisation doesnt already have one) which could look
something like this:

Organisational behaviours

e.g. Treating colleagues

with respect

Rating

Comments and examples

1 - Partially meets,
2 - Meets, 3 - Exceeds

(Individual, peers, reports, manager, others)

Demonstrates consistent behaviour in treating colleagues in team

with respect and support

Please also refer to Page 14 of the supporting Guidelines for using the Healthcare
Leadership Model within a talent conversation for a template on rating behaviour
within the Healthcare Leadership Model.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

21

Appendix 1

Navigating the
Talent Management
Conversation Tool

22

Role model High potential to go further

High performer with lots of capacity for immediate advancement

Definition

Bank of questions continued

l Highest levels of performance and potential

l What do you see as your immediate next move and what would you
imagine the next one to be?

l Role models behaviours that align to the organisation and wider NHS
(please see page 5 in Guidelines for using the Healthcare Leadership Model
within a talent conversation )

l What experiences do you need to make that happen?

l What skills and knowledge do you need to develop to be more rounded?

l Demonstrates mastery of current job/assignment

l What personal styles help you?

l Is relied on to always deliver

l Aspires to progress

l What resources do you need to help you personal, organisational or

professional?

l True organisation asset

l What personal styles hinder you?

l First call to fill critical or emergency positions

l What is your profile within the organisation/networks and how might this
be developed?
l What can get in your way of delivery?

Bank of questions

l What would colleagues say about your leadership and delivery ability
at the levels (manager, peer, direct report)?

l What do we need to do to ensure continuous optimum performance?

l Do you see yourself as a leader?

l How do you influence where you dont have power?

l What motivates you and makes you feel valued at work?

l What are your strategies to motivate your team/networks/stakeholders?

l Where do you see your career path both now and in the immediate future
i.e. next 12 months?

l What de-rails your performance as a team member?

l What could prevent you progressing/realising your aspirations?

l Are there areas of the corporate agenda that could be developed

and what part would you play?

l What ambition do you have for the future

l What do you do with good ideas?

l What do you feel are the new required leadership behaviours

to enable a step change?

l Do you need to further develop creativity or business acumen?

l What other professional skills would you like to develop?

Talent Management Conversation Tool

23

Role model High potential to go further

High performer with lots of capacity for immediate advancement

Development considerations

Specific leadership development interventions

l Thank these individuals and show them they are valued

For those who are in the green category consider nomination on to:

l Access leadership development to support preparation for step change

l NHS Leadership Academy professional leadership programmes

l Future role, exposure to acting/step up posts

l Regional leadership Local Delivery Partner programmes

l Identify appropriate career path

l Local organisation leadership development programmes

l Immediate move and longer term view

Further possible development intervention

l Stretch assignments, giving depth and breadth of experience

l Reinforce value of individual to organisation, use praise and recognition
appropriately

l 360 degree feedback/other self awareness exercises

l Raise profile and exposure

l Secondments (external)

l Use their skills to give back in developing others in the wider organisation

l High profile presentations / exposure

l Mentoring (self and others)

l Stretch project / assignment outside comfort zone

l Placement outside of organisation
l Develop skills / knowledge next role
l Exposure to multi-cultural, multi business, teams or groups where
an outcome is needed with no direct authority
l An understanding of organisational development, interventions
and techniques
l Further education
l Coaching
l Action Learning Sets

Talent Management Conversation Tool

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Future Emergent Potential (Capacity for key Roles)

Good performer with the ability and potential to be a consistent talent
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l Individual with high potential

l What can get in your way to perform/deliver?

l Good performance, can step up to deputise for higher roles when needed

l Where do you see your career path both now and in the future
i.e. next 2- 3 years?

l Demonstrates good professional behaviours in role and wider NHS (please

see page 6 in Guidelines for using the Healthcare Leadership Model within
a talent conversation )

l What could prevent you progressing/realising your ambition?

l What do you feel are the new required leadership behaviours you may
need to develop?

l Has the ability and potential to be consistent talent

l Aspires and has ambition

l What do you see as your next move and what could you imagine
the next one after that to be?
l What experiences do you need to make that happen?

Bank of questions

l What skills and knowledge do you need to develop?

l What motivates you and makes you feel valued at work?

l What personal styles help you? What personal styles hinder you?

l Do you see yourself as a leader?

l What resources do you need to help you - personal, organisational and

professional?

l What are the ways to raise your performance levels even higher to be seen
as outstanding in what you do?

l What is your profile within the organisation and how might this be
developed?

l What holds you back at times? Are you aware of anything that holds the
team back?
l Where might your next career steps take you?

l What would colleagues say about your leadership and delivery ability
at the various levels (manager, peer, direct report)?

l How do you think we can increase your exposure to demonstrate your

capabilities?

l How do you influence where you dont have power?

l What are your strategies to motivate your team?

l What can you do to manage constraints/barriers to your progression?

l Are there areas of the corporate agenda that could be developed

and what part would you play?

l Do you feel informed and involved in the organisations decision-making?

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Future Emergent Potential (Capacity for key Roles)

Good performer with the ability and potential to be a consistent talent
Development considerations

Specific leadership development interventions

l Thank these individuals and make them feel valued

For those who are in the green category consider nomination on to:

l Potential to access wider leadership development, but this has to

be right for them

l NHS Leadership Academy professional leadership programmes

l Regional leadership Local Delivery Partner programmes

l Current role development

l Local organisation leadership development programmes

l Increase current performance/delivery and stretching in current role

to do this

Further possible development intervention

l Discuss future ambition/aspirations

l Managing personal growth

l Specific competencies, experience and learning needed for future roles

l 360 degree feedback

l Use their skills to give back in developing others in the wider organisation

l Secondments / stretch opportunities

l Mentoring (as mentee) or as mentor
l Coaching 1:1
l Job rotations / exposure to broader Trust agenda and priorities
l Skills / knowledge next role
l Projects working outside functional expertise; working on a failed project
in a recovery phase
l Consider your own local development activity

Talent Management Conversation Tool

26

Transition employee (New to role, needs support)

High potential in new job, needs support to perform in new role to maximise on potential
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l In transition having started in a new position

l What have you learnt about yourself in your career so far?

l They need time and dedicated support to achieve their full potential within
their current role and become great achievers

l What would you have done differently in your career so far?

l What is your profile perceived as by the organisation and how might
this be developed?

l Behaviours and performance is aligning to their new role (please see

page 7 in Guidelines for using the Healthcare Leadership Model within
a talent conversation )

l Are there any barriers preventing improved performance? What do we

need to do to ensure continuous optimum performance?
l What could prevent you progressing?

Bank of questions

l What do you feel are the new required leadership behaviours?

l What made you make the move to this job? What do you bring from
your last role?

l What experiences do you need to make that happen?

l What skills and knowledge do you need to develop?

l How do you feel about your development so far?

l What personal styles help you? What personal styles hinder you?

l What motivates you and makes you feel valued in the work place?

l What resources do you need to help you?

l What are your major challenges in the next year?

l What would colleagues say about your leadership and delivery ability
at the various levels (manager, peer, direct report)?

l Where do you think you will be in a year, in terms of both potential and
performance?

l How do you manage your own work/life balance?

l What do you need in order to become effective more quickly and

how do we help?

l How do you influence where you dont have power?

l What are your strategies to motivate your team?

l What support can you get from your team?

l What de-rails your performance as a team member?

l What ambition do you have for the future?

l Are there areas of the corporate agenda that could be developed

and what part would you play?

l Do you know where you want to be in the future? Where do you

aim after this role/career?

Talent Management Conversation Tool

27

Transition employee (New to role, needs support)

High potential in new job, needs support to perform in new role to maximise on potential
Development considerations

Possible development intervention

l Current role, skills and behaviours to be able to do a great job in role

l On-going feedback support with knowing when doing a good job

and when to improve/enhance

l Motivate, mentor and coach make them feel valued

l Encouragement to keep on going and gain organisational exposure

sometimes its just about getting experience on the job to master it

l Direction and support and opportunities to bring their own flare to

the new role

l Coaching / buddying on the job

l Development plan to improve performance and demonstrate potential

over the next 12 months

l Monthly contact to assess / re-assess and keep on track Induction

(culture / systems / processes)

l With evidenced performance could move to RN2 or RN1 swiftly

l Basic knowledge and skills training

l Realistic management of time scales and expectations
l Possibly some career diagnosis would need to be carefully handled
in terms of raising expectations
l Reassess in next cycle of planning / performance management
l Challenge with clear expectations
l Clear and stretching objectives with regular review
l Consider your own local development activity

Talent Management Conversation Tool

28

Key Generalist (pivotal and flexible)

High performance in a variety of areas
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l High performance with consistency of results across a variety of

assignments

l In what timeframe (realistic)?

l What experience do you need to gain to make that happen?

l Role models professional behaviours aligned to their role and wider NHS
(please see page 8 in Guidelines for using the Healthcare Leadership Model
within a talent conversation )

l Do you have the necessary business and organisational skills?

l What other styles/skills would benefit you?

l Flexible, and could fill short term gaps or act up/deputise into higher roles
when needed

l What skills and knowledge do you need to develop / move into

the first role?

l Moderate potential to go further balancing own ambition and capacity

to move

l What resources do you need to help you?

l Could fill critical positions; perhaps move one level; likely to shift to key
or high professional post over time

l What would your team say about your leadership and delivery ability?

l What support do you get from your manager, peers, and direct reports?

l What is your profile within the organisation and how might this be
developed?

Bank of questions

l What would your team say your style is?

l What motivates you and makes you feel valued at work? How do we
support you with continuous performance and maintaining motivation /
feeling valued?

l How might the organisation better utilise your skills and experience?
l What more could you do to improve the quality of services, patient
experience and the health and wellbeing of the workforce?

l Do you see yourself as a leader?

l How do you influence in areas you dont have power in?

l What gets in the way of your performance?

l What scope do your networks have?

l Where do you see your career path and level of ambition?

l What would colleagues say about your leadership style and performance?

l What could prevent you progressing?

l What do you see as your next move?

Talent Management Conversation Tool

29

Key Generalist (pivotal and flexible)

High performance in a variety of areas
Development considerations

Possible development intervention

l Thank these individuals and make them feel valued for the great job
they are doing

l Managing personal growth

l Further education

l Motivational stretch to enhance fulfilment opportunities to try

something different?

l 360 degree feedback

l Mentoring (as mentee)

l Further developments in role giving both breadth and depth of experience

l Coaching 1:1

l Identify appropriate career path and options

l Develop skills / knowledge / competencies

l Reinforce value of individual to organisation, use praise and recognition

to help them shine

l Projects to develop competencies and develop further depth and

breadth of experience

l Potential give back to use their skills to develop others

l Secondments into development assignment to stretch

l Projects using existing strengths with some future orientation

Specific leadership development interventions

l Develop skills / knowledge / competencies current role

For those who are in the green category consider nomination on to:

l Diagnosis of career options may be appropriate

l NHS Leadership Academy professional leadership programmes

l Future leader programme

l Regional leadership Local Delivery Partner programmes

l Engage in training others

l Local organisation leadership development programmes

l Consider your own local development activity

Talent Management Conversation Tool

30

Solid Generalist
Good performance with moderate potential to advance
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l Good well rounded performance

l Do you feel informed and involved in the organisations decision making?

l Good professional behaviours in line with role requirements considerate

of wider NHS (please see page 9 in Guidelines for using the Healthcare
Leadership Model within a talent conversation )

l What do we need to do to ensure continuous performance and maintain

motivation?
l What gets in the way of performance?

l Reliably meets expectations a go to person

l Where do you see your career path and level of ambition?

l Moderate potential over time, but likely to be very happy doing the job
they are doing

l What do you see as your next move?

l What could prevent you progressing?

l Solid, steady team member who can be relied upon, often going unnoticed

l In what time frame (realistic)?

l What experience do you need to gain to make that happen?

Bank of questions

l What exposure do you need? What scope do your networks have?

l What motivates you and makes you feel valued at work?

l Do you have the necessary business and organisational skills?

l How satisfied are you with your performance in your current role?

l What other styles/skills would benefit you?

l What would you need to do to increase your performance in your current

role?

l What resources do you need to help you?

l What support do you get from your manager, peers, and direct reports?

l How do you see your career progressing? How would you like to achieve
this?

l What is your profile within the organisation and how might this be
developed? What would your team say your style is?

l What do you feel your particular strengths are and how can the
organisation best utilise them?

l How might the organisation better utilise your skills and experience?

l How can we continue to build and develop these strengths?

l What more could you do to improve the quality of services, patient

experience and the health and wellbeing of the workforce?

l What do other people say about you, your performance, your behaviour,
what you bring?

l What do you do with good ideas?

l Is there anything preventing improved performance?

Talent Management Conversation Tool

l How do you manage your own work/life balance?

31

Solid Generalist
Good performance with moderate potential to advance
Development considerations

Possible development intervention

l Make them feel valued for the good job they are doing

l Managing personal growth

l Current role and development opportunities e.g. acting-up arrangements

l Further education

l Enhance current performance

l 360 degree feedback

l Future career considerations

l Secondments into development assignment to stretch (with support)

l Discuss future aspirations and ambition

l Mentoring (as mentee)

l Consider developmental assignment

l Coaching 1:1

l Identify factors which motivate or de-motivate individual and affect

performance

l Projects / development areas

l Develop skills / knowledge / competencies current role
l Diagnosis of career options may be appropriate
l Development to improve current performance
l Consider your own local development activity/processes

Talent Management Conversation Tool

32

Developing Generalist (needs stretching)

Potential and moderate ambition to do more, however needs support to
reach performance potential in current role or wider
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l Low performance but showing moderate potential over time

l Do you feel informed and engaged in the organisations business?

l Behaviours may not fully align to their current professional role (please see
page 10 in Guidelines for using the Healthcare Leadership Model within a
talent conversation )

l What part in the team do you play?

l How do the team / your stakeholders perceive you?

l Needs pushing and stretching may be bored or under used

l What do we need to do to ensure continuous performance and maintain

your motivation?

l Could be in the wrong job

l What gets in the way of your performance?

Bank of questions

l Where do you see your career path and level of ambition?

l What motivates you and makes you feel valued at work?

(what hinders this?)

l What could prevent you progressing?

l How would you/others rate your performance (what you do) at present?

l In what time frame (realistic)?

l How would you/others rate your behaviours (how you do it) at present?

l What experience do you need to gain to make that happen?

l What standard of performance would you suggest you deliver?

l What exposure do you need?

l What do you require to enable you to enhance your performance and

how do we support this?

l Do you have the necessary business and organisational skills?

l What do you see as your next move?

l What other styles/skills would benefit you?

l Do you wish to develop further?

l What skills and knowledge do you need to develop / move into the first role?

l What are the barriers or blocks to success? Who owns these barriers/blocks?

l What resources do you need to help you?

l What areas do you need support with?

l What support do you get from your manager, peers, and direct reports?

l What do you consider your particular strengths to be? Are you using them
in this role? If not, what would and how could we get there?

l What is your profile within the organisation and how might this be developed?
l How might the organisation better utilise your skills and experience?

l How do you identify opportunities for growth and new experiences

and learning?
Talent Management Conversation Tool

33

Developing Generalist (needs stretching)

Potential and moderate ambition to do more, however needs support to
reach performance potential in current role or wider
Development considerations

Possible development intervention

l Understand what motivates them and check they feel valued

l Identify interventions to motivate, engage and feel valued to maximise

their performance and behaviours in current role

l Current role and factors that could motivate the individual more

l Review strengths do they align to what they are doing?

l Assess their strengths and if they align to their current role

l Open conversation and role review is it aligned to their skills?

l Ambition discussion

l 360 degree and other feedback mechanisms to understand behaviours

and alignment to role

l Understanding barriers
l Current performance and future improvements/alignment to role

l Swift action on improvement plan with tight timescales

l Challenge with appropriate level of support (high support and regular
contact)
l Coaching for performance
l Career counselling
l Quick remedial targeted development activity
l Formalised performance management-dependent upon timescale
l Consider your own local development activity/processes

Talent Management Conversation Tool

34

Professional in Field
High performance in own field with consistent results
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l High performance in own field

l What ambition do you have for the future?

l Reliable and consistent results, often bringing own flare to tasks given

l What could prevent you progressing?

l Role models professional behaviours (please see page 11 in Guidelines for

using the Healthcare Leadership Model within a talent conversation )

l What do you feel are the new required leadership behaviours?

l What personal styles help you?

l Shows upward potential, but likely happy being expert in own field

l What personal styles hinder you?

l Skills which can be harnessed to support others

l What would colleagues say about your leadership and delivery ability
at the various levels (manager, peer, direct report)?

Bank of questions

l How do you manage your own work/life balance?

l What makes you feel valued and motivated in doing your work and
how do we maximise this?

l How do you influence agendas where you dont have power or mandate?
l What are your strategies to motivate your team?

l How could you pass your expertise on to others?

l What de-rails your performance as a team member?

l What do we need to do to ensure continuous performance?

l Are there areas of the corporate agenda that could be developed and
how could you play a part?

l Where do you see your career path both now and in the future
i.e. next 3- 5 years?

l What do you do with good ideas?

l What do you see as your next move? Or are you happy what you are doing?

l Do you need to further develop creativity or business acumen?

l What experience do you need to gain to make that happen?

l What other skills would you like to develop?

l What skills and knowledge do you need to develop / move into the role?

l What more could you do to improve the quality of services, patient

experience and the health and wellbeing of the workforce?

l What is your profile in the organisation and how might this be developed?
l If an individual expresses a desire to stay at their current level, explore how
they might develop within the role?

Talent Management Conversation Tool

35

Professional in Field
High performance in own field with consistent results

Development considerations

Possible development intervention

l Reinforce their value to organisation thank, praise and encourage them

l Managing personal growth

l CPD in current role

l 360 degree feedback

l Stretch opportunities out of field to broaden experience in NHS

l Job rotations

l Aspirations and exposure to wider networks and thinking

l Build skills / knowledge required for current role

l Using these individuals to support other peoples development

l Further professional qualification to enhance role e.g. accountancy,

management etc.
l Manage current performance
l Ensure feedback is given
l Mentoring
l Coaching
l Exposure
l Robust development planning
l Consider your own local development activity

Talent Management Conversation Tool

36

Future Professional in Field

Good performance in professional field and showing upward potential
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l Good reliable performance delivering whats expected

l How do you see your career progressing?

l Behaves in a way that is professional to their role (please see page 12

in Guidelines for using the Healthcare Leadership Model within a talent
conversation )

l How would you like to achieve this?

l Showing upward potential, but likely to be happy doing the good job
they are doing

l How do you feel we could utilise your strengths even more?

l What do you feel your particular strengths are and how can the
organisation better utilise, build and develop them?

l Is there anything preventing improved performance?

l Meets experience needed to do a good job

l Do you feel informed and involved in the organisations decision making?

l What do we need to do to ensure continuous performance and maintain
motivation? What gets in the way of performance?

Bank of questions
l What makes you feel valued and motivated at work?

l Where do you see your career path and level of ambition?

l What do you feel your particular strengths are? How can we continue
to build and develop these?

l What could prevent you progressing?

l What do you see as your next move? In what time frame (realistic)?

l In terms of the skills / knowledge and competencies what areas do you feel
need developing in order to improve your current performance to become
an expert in your field?

l What experience/exposure do you need to gain to make that happen?

l Do you have the necessary business and organisational skills?

l Are there any specific issues that are stopping you performing at an even
higher level?

l What other styles/skills would benefit you?

l How can we address these?

l What support do you get from your manager, peers, and direct reports?

l What do other people say about you, your performance, and your behaviour,
what you bring?

l What is your profile within the organisation and how might this be
developed? What scope do your networks have?

l What is your preferred learning style and which method would best suit you?

l What would your team say your style is?

l How satisfied are you with your performance in your current role?

l How might the organisation better utilise your skills and experience?

l What would you need to do to increase your performance in your

current role?

l What do you do with good ideas?

Talent Management Conversation Tool

l What resources do you need to help you?

l How do you manage your own work/life balance?

37

Future Professional in Field

Good performance in professional field and showing upward potential
Development considerations

Possible development intervention

l Thank these individuals for their reliable contribution to the organisation

l Managing personal growth

l Current role development

l 360 degree feedback

l Improve strengths and motivation/ambition to go further

l Job rotations

l Increase current performance in role

l Build skills / knowledge required for current role

l Stretch projects to evidence ability

l Further professional qualification to enhance role e.g. accountancy,

management etc.
l Manage current performance
l Ensure feedback is given
l Mentoring
l Coaching
l Exposure
l Consider your own local development activity

Talent Management Conversation Tool

38

Developing Professional (needs stretching)

Showing potential to be professional in field, but needs support to align
performance and/or behaviours to role
Definition

Bank of questions continued

l Has potential, but low level performance and or/behaviours that are required
within the role (please see page 13 in Guidelines for using the Healthcare
Leadership Model within a talent conversation )

l What do you require to enable you to enhance your performance?

l How can we support you to achieve enhanced performance?

l Need support to bring out their potential

l Do you wish to develop? What are the barriers or blocks to success?

Who owns these barriers/blocks?

l Possibly lacks drive or motivation for role which needs exploring / may not
feel valued

l What are your challenge areas? How can we assist you to build and
develop these?

l Strengths and values may be misaligned with current role

l Identify opportunities for growth and new experiences and learning?

l Some sparks of brilliance which need harnessing

l Do you feel informed and engaged in the organisations business

planning process?

Bank of questions

l What part in the team do you play?

l What motivates you to come to work and feel valued is something

missing?

l What skills, knowledge resources do you need to develop / move into

the first role?

l How do you feel about your current performance and behaviours in role?

l What support do you get from your manager, peers, and direct reports?

l What factors have affected the present situation? What actions have been
taken and what was the outcome?

l What is your profile within the organisation and how might this be
developed?

l What other resources need to be utilised?

l What would your team say your personal style is?

l What are your strengths? Are they aligned to this role?

l How might the organisation better utilise your skills and experience?

l What do other people say about you, your performance, and your behaviour,
what you bring?

l What more could you do to improve the quality of services, patient

experience and the health and wellbeing of the workforce?

l How can we support you to improve your performance?

l Do you influence in areas you dont have power or mandate in?

l How would you rate your performance at present?

l What would colleagues say about your leadership style and performance?

l Do you behaviours/motivations align to our team/organisation?

l What do you do with good ideas?

l What standard of performance would you suggest you deliver?

l How do you manage your own work/life balance?

Talent Management Conversation Tool

39

Developing Professional (needs stretching)

Showing potential to be professional in field, but needs support to align
performance and/or behaviours to role
Development considerations

Possible development intervention

l Current role development to be able to perform professionally

l Action taken quickly for remedial and targeted development

l Support the employee in feeling valued

l Projects (use as measure of competencies for next role as well as playing

to strengths)

l Use appropriate performance/development improvement plan

l Managing personal growth

l Understand aspirations, motivators and work importance

l Further education

l Assess strengths and if they align to current role, or potentially elsewhere

l 360 degree feedback around behaviours and alignment to role

l Remember that peoples strengths shine when they get matched to a role
they resonate with

l Mentoring (as mentee)

l Secondments internal

Possible development intervention

l Coaching 1:1

l Above all - make them feel valued and supported to reach their potential

l Career counselling

l Appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviour/attitude development in

current role

l Clearly define the areas of poor performance, measured against criteria

technical procedures, Leadership Framework etc.

l Interventions related to de-motivators or de-railers (if there is evidence that

these will result in improving performance)

l Develop agreed plan with individual with key actions and timescales
for delivery
l Have monitoring process in place for delivery plan
l Manager to give regular feedback on performance
l Formalised performance management dependent upon time scale
the appropriate formal procedure should be applied
l Consider your own local development activity

Talent Management Conversation Tool

40

Appendix 2

Blank template Talent Management

Conversation Tool

41

For use by managers and staff in preparation and during talent conversation to capture evidence and examples
relating to relevant grid areas to identify where individuals best fit.

Professional talent

Developing talent, ready soon

Ready now

Performance and behaviours

Shows promise to continue to advance in their professional

field or into a wider leadership role within 35 years if
they have the capacity and ambition to do so, but equally
valuable where they are.

Demonstrates the potential, ambition and motivation to

develop at their current level and potentially progress in
their career within 13 years into new and wider challenges.

Demonstrates the potential, ambition, motivation and

experience to perform at the next level now or within
the next 12 months into new and wider challenges.

Exceeds expectations

Professional in field

Key generalist (Pivotal and flexible)

Role model (High potential to go further)

Future professional in field

Solid generalist (Solid/adaptable)

Future emergent potential

Developing professional

Developing generalist

Transition employee

Readiness to move

Outstanding performance against objectives, achieves

more than what is expected of them, and demonstrates
role modelling of behaviours required beyond their role.

Meets expectations
Meets the expectations for performance against objectives
and behaviours required at the level for their role.

Partially met expectations

Below met expectations against performance objectives
and behaviours required at the level for their role.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

(Needs stretching)

(Needs stretching)

42

(Capacity for key roles)

(New to role, needs support)

Thoughts

Talent Management Conversation Tool

43

Appendix 3

Talent Conversation
dos and donts

44

It is important when holding the Talent Conversation

with your employee, that you consider the following
Talent Conversation dos

Use a coaching style conversation drawing on listening and empathy

skills to explore the bigger picture and aspirations with the individual
its a two way conversation about where they are and where they
want/need to be.

Use factual observations not judgements. Consider evidence available

e.g. 360 feedback, wider peoples feedback, evidence of performance
outcomes, competency achievements to give you a rounded picture
to remove bias.

Be honest, transparent, constructive and seek clarity. Be respectful

and supportive to the individual.

Actively listen observing body language, tone and also what the
individual is not saying.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

Use their experience, and add to their perspective. Guard against

being destructive.

Identify their key strengths and how to draw on these in their

current role, or their next.

See any development areas as a positive way to improve to reach

full potential.

45

Think about behaviour just as much as skills and performance outputs

its not just what we achieve but how we achieve things. Summarise
the discussion, agree action points and finish positively.

It is important when holding the Talent Conversation

with your employee, that you consider the following
Talent Conversation donts
Do not do all the talking

Do not force your views onto the individual

7
Do not make personal judgements - rely only on evidence and facts,
and avoid making assumptions about individuals career aspirations
and why they are where they are

Do not use this as an opportunity to blame

Avoid rushing the conversation take your time

Do not avoid the difficult aspects of the conversation

e.g. discussing an area of development

Talent Management Conversation Tool

46

Become emotional or aggressive

Only focus on weakness

See development areas as failure

Appendix 4

High contrast Talent Management

Conversation Tool (easy read)

47

Professional talent

Developing talent, ready soon

Ready now

Performance and behaviours

Shows promise to continue to advance in their professional

field or into a wider leadership role within 35 years if
they have the capacity and ambition to do so, but equally
valuable where they are.

Demonstrates the potential, ambition and motivation to

develop at their current level and potentially progress in
their career within 13 years into new and wider challenges.

Demonstrates the potential, ambition, motivation and

experience to perform at the next level now or within
the next 12 months into new and wider challenges.

Exceeds expectations

Professional in field

Key generalist (Pivotal and flexible)

Role model (High potential to go further)

Outstanding performance against objectives, achieves

more than what is expected of them, and demonstrates
role modelling of behaviours required beyond their role.

High performance in own field.

Role models behaviours of organisation/role.
Consistent results and brings added value to tasks given
Possible reached expert stage in their career.
Shows upward potential, but less ambition, likely to
move on in the medium future, outside of own specialism.
Emergent wider skills.

High performance with consistency of results across a variety

of assignments and brings added value to tasks given.
Acts wider than professional background.
Role models behaviours of organisation/role.
Low-moderate potential/ambition to move on, possibly
happy to stay in current position.
Secondary pool to fill critical positions; perhaps move one
level; likely to shift to key of high professional roles over time.

A role model with the highest levels of performance,

potential and ambition to move on.
High performer, bringing added value to assignments with
lots of potential and capacity for immediate advancement.
Role models behaviours of organisation/role.
Demonstrates mastery of current assignment.
True organisation asset role model.
First call to fill critical positions.

Meets expectations

Future professional in field

Solid generalist (Solid/adaptable)

Future emergent potential

Meets the expectations for performance against objectives

and behaviours required at the level for their role.

Good reliable performance.

Behaves professionally in line with role.
Showing upward potential but less ambitious to move
outside of field.

Good rounded performance.

Behaves professionally in line with role.
Meets expectations.
Works wider than professional background.
Some potential to do more in long term if ambition and
development allows.

(Capacity for key roles)

Individual with high potential.

Good rounded performance.
Behaves professionally in line with role.
Has the capacity to be a consistent talent, or with stretch
move to higher levels.

Partially met expectations

Developing professional

Developing generalist

Transition employee

Current low demonstration of performance and behaviours

required of role.
Being supported to reach their potential.
May be in the wrong role.

Low performance but showing moderate potential over

time outside of professional role.
Being supported, needs pushing and stretching to
reach full potential.
May be bored, under-used or in the wrong role.

New to post or assignment.

Have yet to demonstrate results, or high potential in a new
position / development assignment.
Future performance will allow assessment of where they
align to the grid longer term.

Readiness to move

Below met expectations against performance objectives

and behaviours required at the level for their role.

Talent Management Conversation Tool

(Needs stretching)

(Needs stretching)

48

(New to role, needs support)

49

Talent Management Support

The Leadership Academy are committed to supporting organisations through
the process of embedding effective TM processes in their organisations.
Please go to the NHS Talent Management Hub for further supportive tools
and resources.
http://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/talent
The TM Hub also has links to regional support to implement TM in
your organisation via our Local Delivery Partners.

Version 1: July 2014