Setting the scene for talent management requires an in-depth investigation in order to holistically assist management to implement talent management successfully. As far as could be established, little (if any) research has been conducted on talent management in the South African statutory water board sector. The purpose of the study on which this article reports was to explore talent management in this sector from a qualitative perspective. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the email interview transcripts collected in the study. The identified talent management themes were: geographical isolation of some operational areas; alignment with organisational strategy; comprehensive stakeholder involvement; a blend of inclusive and exclusive talent management practices; limited scarce skills talent pool; employing designated talent in meeting employment equity targets; isolated emphasis on recruitment and selection; low staff turnover and mobility; lack of career advancement opportunities; and insufficient alignment of learning development to competency and/or skills needs. The implication of these findings is that ignorance of talent management can be detrimental for successful implementation. The unique contribution of this research is that it proposes three strategic pillars that can be used to support a successful talent management strategy. Key phrasesSouth African statutory water board sector; talent management and talent management challenges NA THEYS CM SCHULTZ A qualitative perspective of Talent Management Journal of Contemporary Management DHET accredited
Orientation: The South African water board sector plays an essential role in providing water and basic sanitary needs to the country. Yet the sector faces drastic talent shortages required to deliver its service mandate.Research purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to develop an employee value proposition (EVP) framework for the South African water board sector.Motivation for the study: Research on EVPs within the public sector is scarce. Employee value propositions are essential to attract, engage and retain scarce skills.Research approach, design and method: A qualitative research approach was followed. Semistructured interviews were used to collect the data from talent management stakeholders from nine water boards (n = 9). A constructive grounded theory method was applied to analyse the data.Main findings: The findings showed that EVPs received limited priority within the water board sector. The water board sector offered various financial awards, benefits, training and development opportunities to employees. In addition, the participants perceived a positive institutional culture and employment brand. The water boards thus already had fundamental building blocks available to integrate into a compelling EVP.Practical/managerial implications: The findings of this research emphasise the importance of management commitment towards creating a compelling EVP that will attract and retain those talented individuals who are of value to the strategy implementation of the South African water boards sector.Contributions/value-add: This research presents an original EVP framework that can be used as a guideline to manage workplace talent more effectively to achieve strategic government objectives.
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