Strategic talent management scholarship: a review of current foci and future directions

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review strategic talent management (STM) research with the aim of providing major insights into the under-explored themes, issues, theories and methods.Design/methodology/approachThe method included a systematic review of studies from 2007 to 2019 in five reputable academic databases. In total, 51 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed.FindingsSTM can be leveraged to achieve several positive employee, organisational and macro-level outcomes. However, the realisation of these positive outcomes can be threatened by several challenges, which need to be addressed through the creation of conditions critical for the success of talent management strategies. Moreover, effective talent management strategy regime does not lie on the shoulders of just one individual but a collective responsibility of multiple stakeholders. The study also highlighted the digitalisation of STM, integration of ethical and responsible management principles into talent management strategies, and strategic management of unconventional of talent pools as key trends. Finally, several major weaknesses in the current STM scholarship from theoretical, content, context and methodological perspectives are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the studies included in the analysis may not include all studies published during the study period, it is assumed that they provide a good representation of such studies.Originality/valueSince no systematic study was conducted specifically on STM, this study contributes to the talent management literature by identifying several research issues and gaps while defining future directions of the field. It can, therefore, enrich STM debates, practices and policy making.

The effect of talent management practices on employee turnover intention in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) sector: case of Jordan

“…This research focuses on three main talent management practices, which are considered the core components in the talent management process. Workforce planning, talent attraction, and development are critical links in an organization's talent supply chain (Anlesinya et al, 2019). Successful workforce planning helps organizations focus on meeting specifically identified workforce needs; thus, talent management is all about selecting the right people for the right positions.…”

“…Despite the increasing popularity of TM, the concept of TM is still not very obvious. Moreover, how TM and other managerial perceptions are related is not covered in the literature, either (Anlesinya et al, 2019). TM is becoming a priority for organizations worldwide since they have realized its importance and its effects on performance (Cascio & Boudreau, 2016).…”

Talent Management: A Systematic Review

“…The firms can hunt these people through practices associated with workforce planning and development, thus the practices are related to employees (McCauley and Wakefield, 2006). The third perspective assumed that talent management is related to specific positions which are called key positions in firms or Exclusive position (Anlesinya et al, 2019). This perspective is considered as an approach that begins with identifying crucial jobs for those positions that need highly performed and talented people (Tarique and Schuler, 2010;Sparrow et al, 2014).…”

Do Talent Management Practices Affect Organizational Culture?

“…Development is a significant process in talent management, where organizations should be committed to developing talented members within the organization from day one for the employee and throughout his work with the organization. This commitment from the organizations toward the employees will motivate them to give better performance (Anlesinya et al, 2019). Also, talent retention is a very important factor in the talent management process, wherein unpredictable working environment organizations need productive, engaged and loyal employees more than before; thus, organizational culture that supports, encourages and maintains connections for employees surely has greater impact on the individuals who want to work in such organizations (Sonnenberg, van Zijderveld, & Brinks, 2014).…”

“…These functions are important to define the basic activities of talent management because it is a broad concept which covers many activities and dimensions of the relationship of organizations with talented people(Krishnan & Scullion, 2017;Collings & Mellahi, 2009). In general, researchers such as Collings and Mellahi (2009a) have a different opinion as mentioned before in identifying these functions , however, they have agreed that these functions should be aligned with the HRM strategy(Anlesinya et al, 2019). The figure1.…”