TalentMapper

🎙️ How can data transform internal mobility? What role does leadership play in fostering inclusion? And how does social impact tie into business growth? These are just a few of the topics our founder and CEO, Martin Mason, explored on the Ambitious Minds Podcast with Jay Lawrence. In this episode, Martin dives into: ✅ The inspiration behind TalentMapper and how we’re solving internal mobility challenges ✅ Why data-driven decision-making is the key to fair and equitable talent management ✅ Lessons from his journey as an entrepreneur, including building a sustainable leadership model Martin also touched on topics close to his heart, including homelessness and prison reform, showing how business and social responsibility can go hand in hand. If you’re interested in the intersection of HR tech, leadership, and impact, this is a must-listen. 🎧 Tune in here: https://lnkd.in/eNdj_D29 #HRTech #Leadership #Diversity #TalentManagement #Podcast

The difference between talent teams in startups vs corporations ⬇️ Startup talent teams: > Wear multiple hats > Hire to scale the business > Work with a limited budget > Are shaping company culture Corporate talent teams: > Are in specialised roles > Focus on retaining existing talent > Increase employee engagement > Improve internal career opportunities Each environment offers unique challenges and opportunities. Where do you see yourself thriving? #TalentManagement #HR #Startups #CorporateLife

Diversity quotas won’t fix a broken culture. But here’s what can. Quotas are often treated as a quick fix for systemic problems, but they don’t address the root cause. Poorly executed, they risk fostering resentment and enabling companies to bypass real, lasting change. At TalentMapper, we believe the real solution lies in fixing the system. By integrating data at every stage of recruitment and talent management, organisations can create processes that are fair, equitable, and effective. Data is neutral - it brings no biases or preconceived notions. When used correctly, it tears down barriers, enabling decisions based on skills, potential, and merit - not outdated systems or unconscious bias. Resulting in a diverse workforce built on a strong foundation of equity and inclusion. Let’s move beyond quotas and start building systems that deliver true diversity. #DEI #InclusiveCulture #HRTech #WorkplaceEquity #TalentManagement

Don’t let AI make your hiring decisions. Here’s why. Recruitment AI has streamlined everything from resume screening to interview scheduling but relying on AI alone to choose your next hire is a dangerous game. Here’s the issue: AI can be loaded with bias that’s hard to detect at a glance. Without knowing precisely what data the LLM has been trained on, you can’t take it as gospel. The human element of hiring - judgment, empathy, and instinct - simply can’t be replaced by an algorithm. Technology should enhance, not replace, the hiring process. Use AI as a tool, but keep the final decision-making in the hands of humans. 📰 Inspired by this article from Ann Francke OBE in The Times last week: https://lnkd.in/eYwZ_UPr? #Recruitment #HiringTrends #HRTech #TalentManagement

What’s your plan when a top leader suddenly leaves? If you don’t have one, your business might be in trouble. Succession planning is critical for business continuity and growth. Without a plan in place, organisations face: - Skill gaps - Slow onboarding - Leadership voids - Knowledge drains - Strategic disruptions - Increased hiring costs HR teams need to be proactive and introduce continuous succession plans to ensure smooth transitions for leadership roles. ✅ Retain invaluable institutional knowledge.  ✅ Engage employees with clear career growth opportunities.  ✅ Minimise risk and maintain operational excellence. Succession planning protects your knowledge base, empowers growth, and ensures long-term success. Create a strong leadership pipeline that’s backed by data, so you’re never caught short. Is your organisation ready for the future? If not, let’s chat. #Leadership #SuccessionPlanning #TalentDevelopment #FutureReady

Why DEI matters - beyond doing the right thing: Equitable practices don’t just benefit underrepresented groups, they create a better working environment for everyone. 🌍 Diverse teams bring fresh ideas, unique perspectives, and creative problem-solving. Whether it’s improving sales strategies or transforming HR processes, diversity drives innovation. 🚨 Different ideas prevent issues like groupthink, which has been responsible for the downfall of industry giants like Blockbuster, Kodak, and Nokia. 👥 For employees, DEI is a litmus test for the company’s culture. An organisation that prioritises DEI signals that you belong here and your voice matters. #DEI #DiversityAndInclusion #CultureMatters #EmployeeExperience

Did DEI fail or did we fail DEI? It’s no secret that many companies are scaling back their diversity initiatives but there are 2 very different reasons why. In 2020, companies made bold DEI commitments. Big names like Meta and McDonald's created dedicated teams and shouted from the rooftops about building more diverse workforces. Fast forward five years, and many of those same companies are now scaling back these efforts. They all claim DEI is still a priority but their actions say otherwise. So, what’s going on? Let’s break it down: Reason 1: Success is uncomfortable. When DEI initiatives succeed, they challenge the status quo - and that’s not always a comfortable change. Real progress means shaking up old systems, and that can trigger resistance. For those companies feeling the heat, our advice is simple: stay the course. DEI isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a long-term strategy that pays dividends in innovation, culture, and performance. Reason 2: Tokenism backfires. For others, the problem stems from how these initiatives started. Public promises made for appearances, with no meaningful targets or integration into business strategy, were doomed from the start. Without measurable KPIs tied to business success, DEI becomes an accessory rather than an engine for change. What needs to happen next? 1️⃣ Tie DEI to business performance. If it’s not measurable, it won’t survive. 2️⃣ Tackle systemic barriers. Surface-level fixes won’t cut it - address deeper issues in talent pipelines, workforce design, and organisational culture. 3️⃣ Prove the impact. Use data to show how DEI drives results. DEI isn’t a one-time project; it’s a commitment to building better businesses. The companies that understand this will come out ahead. #DEI #Diversity #TalentManagement #BusinessGoals

Big news at TalentMapper: We’ve raised over £2,000,000 in seed funding! 🎉 Just 18 months after launch, we’re thrilled to announce a successful funding round with investments from Mercia Ventures and Haatch. This milestone will power our mission to help businesses unlock the full potential of their workforce. Here’s what’s been driving our growth: ✅ Major clients like Dunelm, Danone, and Mountain Warehouse ✅ Incredible results, including a 2x improvement in gender diversity and a 4x improvement in ethnic diversity in new appointments 💡 What is TalentMapper? We’re a platform designed for businesses with 250+ employees, giving HR teams a clear view of workforce skills and potential. For employees, it’s a career “satnav,” guiding them toward growth with tailored development paths. With this funding, we’re scaling up: 👉 Enhancing our platform with new features 👉 Expanding our team 👉 Targeting new sectors like financial and professional services 🎙️ “We’re here to ensure employees are promoted based on their skills, not how much they resemble their boss,” says Martin Mason, our founder and CEO. A huge thank you to our investors and clients who believe in our vision. Check out the full announcement in our press release: https://lnkd.in/evNYz7SE #FundingNews #SkillTech #HRInnovation #TalentManagement #FutureOfWork #HRTech

Big milestone for TalentMapper: We’ve raised over £2,000,000 in seed funding! When we decided to found TalentMapper 2 years ago, it was driven by a simple goal: to make it easier for companies to manage, mobilise and develop their people. Today, we’ve secured £2m in funding from Mercia Ventures, Haatch and our angel investors to scale our platform and bring that vision to even more organisations. In that short time, we’ve: ✅ Welcomed amazing clients like Dunelm, Insights, Danone, Mountain Warehouse and many more. ✅ Delivered real impact, including 2x improvement in gender diversity and 4x improvement in ethnic diversity in new appointments I’ve seen too many talented people overlooked for promotions because they didn’t fit the mould of their boss. TalentMapper is changing that by placing skills and potential at the heart of workforce decisions. TalentMapper acts as a career "satnav," guiding employees toward growth while helping HR teams unlock the full potential of their workforce. Over the coming months, we plan to: 👉 Add new features to our platform 👉 Grow our team 👉 Expand into new sectors, like financial and professional services This is just the start of an exciting 2025 - big things are coming. A huge thank you to Mercia Ventures, Haatch, and our angel investors for believing in us, and to the incredible TalentMapper team for making this happen. #SkillTech #TalentManagement #HRTech #FundingNews #FutureOfWork

Traditional organisation design is failing. Most companies have a hierarchical structure - authority travels down a chain of command from the CEO. But this structure is flawed, as James Timpson rightly points out. Organisations become rigid as a result of top-down management, reducing cross-functional work, taking employee’s independence and creating siloed teams. Forward-thinking companies are moving towards flat structures. Here’s how to create a modern structure in your organisation: 1️⃣ Introduce Fluid Teams: Teams are project-based - forming and dissolving based on business needs instead of fixed departments. 2️⃣ Empower Employees: Decision-making authority flows freely, enabling autonomy and ownership at all levels. 3️⃣ Skills-Based Movement: Career progression driven by skill mastery, not just tenure or title. 4️⃣ Shared Leadership: Leadership is distributed across self-managed teams, fostering responsive decision-making. 5️⃣ Networked Structure: Emphasise collaboration over hierarchy with self-organised networks. 6️⃣ Agile Culture: Open, experimental mindset fuels innovation, with failure seen as a learning opportunity. Modern structures have shown increases in employee engagement, retention and innovation. They are out-performing traditional structures, particularly within start-up and scale-up organisations. Which of these are you already using? #OrganisationDesign #Innovation #Leadership