- Truly understanding organizational goals, sources of competitive advantage, and critical capabilities requires a different skill set and approach than HR may be accustomed to.
- Limited resources for strategic initiatives and an ongoing commitment to deliver core HR services restrict HR’s ability to create value for organizations.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst.
- Get on-demand project support
- Get advice, coaching, and insight at key project milestones
- Go through a Guided Implementation to help you get through your project

Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Senior leaders are demanding more strategic value from their HR departments, but are not changing the level of resources available to them.
- This means that while there are myriad effective HR programs and processes that will benefit organizations, there are not enough resources to execute even half of them well.
- HR leaders must prioritize aspects of the workforce that are critical to executing a people strategy and identify HR initiatives that will best support them.
Impact and Result
- Identifying the key talent implications required to achieve the organization’s goals enables the creation of targeted HR initiatives.
- Reviewing existing initiatives and reallocating resources to strategically aligned activities will make the most out of limited resources, while helping to build the case for additional resources.
Talent Strategy

This program has been approved for continuing professional development (CPD) hours under Section A of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA).

McLean & Company is recognized by SHRM and can award Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.

HR Certification Institute’s® official seal confirms that McLean & Company meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.
How to complete this course:
Use these videos, along with the Project Blueprint deck above, to gain an understanding of the subject. Start with the Introduction, then move through each of the Course Modules. At the end of each Module, you will be required to complete a short test to demonstrate your understanding. You will complete this course when you have completed all of the course tests.
- Number of Course Modules: 5
- Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours
Learning Outcome
Lead the HR function through a process that will create a talent strategy that targets the specific talent attributes needed to achieve the strategic aims of the organization.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Identify the critical aspects of an organization’s direction needed to create a talent strategy.
- Create strategic pillars and HR outcomes that will help the organization achieve its goals.
- Prioritize HR initiatives that will have the greatest impact on the organization.
- Communicate effectively throughout the process so all major stakeholders are aware of and informed about the talent strategy.
Course Modules

Introduction

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4
Workshop: Create a People Strategy
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Identify Talent Implications of Organizational Direction
The Purpose
- Create a targeted talent strategy.
- Determine how the talent strategy will effect organizational talent.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Current state evaluated.
- Talent implications realized.
Activities
Outputs
Review strategic documentation
Conduct a SWOT analysis.
- PESTLE and SWOT analyses
Debrief HR Stakeholder Management Survey
Prioritize talent implications
- Talent implications
Module 2: Determine Strategic Pillars and HR Outcomes
The Purpose
- Define the directional statements that will become the strategic pillars.
- Determine how HR will accomplish the strategic pillars.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Strategic pillars defined.
- HR outcomes described.
Activities
Outputs
Create strategic pillars
- Talent strategy strategic pillars
Create HR outcomes.
- Talent strategy HR outcomes
Module 3: Evaluate HR’s Ability to Achieve the Outcomes
The Purpose
- Identify initiatives that will elevate the strategic contributions of your HR function.
- Discover gaps in HR capacity to deliver HR outcomes.
Key Benefits Achieved
- HR initiatives identified.
- Gaps in capacity analyzed and areas of growth pinpointed.
Activities
Outputs
Conduct a SWOT for HR
Identify gaps to deliver HR outcomes
- Critical gaps between HR outcomes and current ability to deliver on them
Create initiatives and a timeline for implementation (as time permits)
- Action plan
Review existing initiatives for alignment with new talent strategy (as time permits)
- Alignment of existing initiatives identified