Citi Broadens Employee Development Efforts

April 27, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Faced with the economic pressure from the continuing economic downturn, Citigroup is turning inward to be best able to mine the talent of its workforce, according to a new report.

A New York Times report said Citigroup is expanding its Global Talent and Performance Management System (GTMS) beyond the current focus on senior management. The story quoted an internal memo from Vikram Pandit and Paul McKinnon, Citi’s chief executive and chief talent officer respectively.

Pandit and McKinnon wrote in the memo that they want to better identify “growth and development opportunities,” as well as give employees career development feedback, the Times said.

“Now more than ever, we need to focus on developing and stretching employees to meet their highest potential to drive and manage excellence in all of our business units globally,” the two wrote. “…This year, we want to continue to broaden and deepen our focus on talent at Citi by better identifying growth and development opportunities, and providing developmental feedback to employees to enhance their careers.”

The memo said, as part of the expanded effort, the bank will collect more comprehensive information about employees’ professional experience and education. Employees will also be encouraged to complete a personal development blueprint and talk it over with their manager, the Times said, quoting the memo.

From: Vikram Pandit and Paul McKinnon Date: April 24, 2009 Re: Talent Management at Citi

As you know, Citi's success is dependent upon the people who work here. Now more than ever, we need to focus on developing and stretching employees to meet their highest potential to drive and manage excellence in all of our business units globally. The recent organizational moves we have made are examples of talent development and mobility in action.

Over the past year and a half, we have been very focused on the talent management activities at our senior leadership levels via assessing skills and abilities of our leaders, reviewing succession plans, creating more robust development plans and executing action plans to address overarching talent strengths and needs at Citi. While these types of talent reviews and activities take place at varying levels of the organization, we have typically focused on the more senior levels.

This year, we want to continue to broaden and deepen our focus on talent at Citi by better identifying growth and development opportunities, and providing developmental feedback to employees to enhance their careers. In order to do this, we plan to collect more comprehensive information about your experiences and education as well as to encourage you, with your manager's support, to complete and discuss your own personal development plan.

We have updated and simplified the tools in GTMS [Global Talent and Performance Management System] to help you with these objectives.

Look for more details from your HR colleagues over the next few weeks about our talent management process. We encourage you to actively participate in these important activities.

Source: New York Times

«