Talent management: A critical review

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Abstract

If the volume of literature in the popular and practitioner press is any guide, practitioners in the field of human resources are now primarily in the business of talent management. But what is talent management and what basis does it have in scientific principles of human resources and management? In this paper we address this question by reviewing problems with the definition of talent management and the lack of data supporting many practitioner claims. We then outline research that supports a systems-oriented definition of talent management that focuses on the strategic management of talent. We then outline future avenues of research to further develop the field of talent management and tie it more closely to the large volume of work in strategic human resources management.

Section snippets

What is talent management?

It is difficult to identify the precise meaning of “talent management” because of the confusion regarding definitions and terms and the many assumptions made by authors who write about TM. The terms “talent management”, “talent strategy”, “succession management”, and “human resource planning” are often used interchangeably. Consider, for instance, the following statements regarding processes for managing people in organizations:

…ensure the right person is in the right job at the right time (

Problems with TM as currently defined

It is apparent from the above that the term “talent management” has no clear meaning. It is used in too many ways and is often a means to highlight the “strategic” importance of a HR specialty (recruiting, selection, development, etc.) without adding to the theory or practice of that specialty. Or, it is employed to pitch a compelling anecdote regarding the importance of managing talent. “Talent” is essentially a euphemism for “people” and because the perspectives regarding how people can and

Grounding TM in research

Although the term “talent management” does not appear in the peer-reviewed literature there is a significant body of research that has examined the link between HR investments and practices and organizational outcomes. The benefits of these linkages have been empirically demonstrated in a line of research that is well established and highly regarded (Gerhart, 2005). This field is broadly known as strategic human resource management.

Strong human resource practices have been systematically

Making TM strategic

Consider the following question, If you were to begin the process of constructing a building how would you go about it? Would you assemble a group of the best professionals in each necessary craft (plumbing, electrical systems, carpentry, etc.) and let them define your building? Or, would you start with an analysis of the relationship between “construction practices” and some outcome you hope to achieve (building longevity or cost of operation)? Probably not. You probably would first meet with

A note on talent management analytics

Having agreed that talent management is important, the trade and professional press now seem to have focused on “workforce analytics”. As with the term “talent management” it is difficult to precisely determine what constitutes “workforce analytics”. Once again, we have identified several definitions from practitioners:

  • “…performance analytics — a new class of business intelligence that ties human capital management to financial performance” (Deloitte Consulting LLP, 2005)

  • “Analytics: Gain deep

Future directions for research

Several areas of research must be pursued for TM to add a lasting contribution to the field of human resources. First, core elements of the TM decision architecture need to be fully identified and tested. Doing so permits the development of a theory of talent that facilitates the development and testing of fully specified TM models. Second, analytical techniques that permit a system-level of analysis must be investigated and more fully incorporated into talent management work. This includes

Summary

Researchers have an opportunity to bring clarity and thought leadership to a popular topic that lacks coherence and rigor. TM as it is used is a term without value. By grounding TM in a strategic decision framework that clearly guides talent decisions, developing systems-level models that illustrate the multi-pool impacts of talent choices, and developing reliable, validity, and theoretically meaningful measures researchers can markedly improve the quality of talent conversations in

Acknowledgement

The authors thank Pete Ramstad and John Boudreau for their insightful comments and Mike Southwell and Chris Berry for their assistance with a review of the practitioner literature.

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