Talent Management | Bottom up or top down?

It's quite interesting seeing how the talent management software vendors are all jockeying for position and how their products are taking different start points.  But, the one consistent point is that automating talent management could very easily be seen as:

• Yet more work for management.
• Something that is 'done to' people.
• Too much change driven by technology.
• Not instinctive therefore not done!

But that's looking at it from a top down viewpoint.

We are social beings so to 'belong' is one of our key needs.  Very few people live in total isolation, and those that do are often considered as outsiders.  So we socialise regardless.  But groups are formed across organisations without being driven by procedures or technology for many reasons.  Social media technologies do however make it easier to connect with even more people and for groups and networks to grow accordingly, but this happens without company procedures.

So what happens if official procedures dictate a new way of networking/socialising?  Of course some people will follow the rules but some won't; not just to be rebellious but because they may have other priorities.  Would they engage with a network if it was not compulsory?  Maybe not, but either way, there may be no loss by removing the official nature of an internal social network.

So, maybe there is an argument to introduce social media tools to the wider population/workforce and let them engage as they choose.  And if it takes off, ease in the talent management functionality in a way that people want.  Maybe applying talent management technology from a bottom up approach would work better, maybe not.  I'd like to see someone try it.