As you're evaluating if talent optimization is worth the effort of a company-wide roll-out, it can get a little maddening sifting through all the internet search results. In this post, I want to simplify your research. I highlight four different resources you can use to help your leaders and managers get a better handle on talent optimization.

A quick definition. Talent optimization is the process of aligning your company's people strategy with your business strategy. Whether it's making the right hires, providing leadership development training, or deliberately developing the right culture for your business, your people strategy needs to mesh well with the vision and goals you have for the business. When you find this alignment, you'll quickly start seeing the business results that you're after.

You'll ensure that you have the right people on the bus (the right people on your team) and then the right people in the right seats (everyone in the right role).

So where to start?

I've compiled a list of four free resources that will help you get started on your T.O. journey.

1. Free Behavioral Assessment. The results of the behavioral assessment are the data that drives understanding of your and your employees' behavior styles. Without this data, you can't use the science behind psychometrics to understand yourself and the team around you. The Predictive Index (PI) Behavioral Assessment is a free tool that takes 5-10 minutes to complete and provides insight into people's natural drives and needs and their behavior in the workplace. To take the assessment for yourself, follow this link here: Free Behavioral Assessment.
2. 12 Ways to Increase Engagement. The central goal of what I do as a talent optimization professional is increase employee engagement. In a more direct way, I help you fight the forces of disengagement. Whether it's a role mismatch, a mismatch between supervisor-employee, a poor fit with the team, or a poor fit with the culture of your company, these mismatches cause your employees to disengage from their work. Ultimately, you'll have turnover problems, poor work quality, and lower morale for the team with this toxic employee. If you're able to identify these mismatches quickly, you can quickly address them and start on a path for solving employee disengagement problems. There's much more to fighting employee disengagement, but to start, I've compiled 12 ideas you can use to boost employee engagement with this downloadable pdf: 12 Ideas to Boost Engagement.
3. Leadership Webinar. Another valuable resource for learning about talent optimization is webinars. I hosted one recently demonstrating to the SAME Leader Development Community of Interest (COI) how to use talent optimization to improve the executive committee's effectiveness and productivity. You can watch the recorded webinar for free on YouTube. You'll see how talent optimization is put into practice for an existing team.  SAME Leader Development: Talent Optimization (YouTube).
4. ‍Free Software Trial. Finally, as a consultant partner with the Predictive Index, I'm able to offer you a free trial of the talent optimization platform. The software is designed to help you assess and manage your employees more effectively, understand your team strengths and caution areas, and help you align your goals and strategy with the team you have in place. Trying out the software will give you hands-on experience with the platform, and you'll see the benefits of talent optimization firsthand. Try the Predictive Index Platform for Free.

Talent optimization is essential for any organization to achieve its goals and drive superior business results. With the free resources listed above, you can start learning and taking the necessary actions to implement talent optimization in your organization. Whether you're just starting a new strategy or looking to improve your existing strategy, these resources can help you on your talent optimization journey.

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