Who is talent? Implications of talent definitions for talent management practice

Abstract

Although talent is considered imperative for gaining a competitive advantage, talent management programs’ effectiveness is unknown. It is believed that consensus on a strong theoretical underpinning for identifying talent and its general definition is yet to be achieved among academia and practitioners. This lack of integration and agreement on a single definition among scholars lead to more confusion which inhibits the advancement of talent management scholarship. The notion also requires renewed attention in the post-pandemic era because everything may not go back to normal as pre-pandemic. This study addresses the gap and focuses on reviewing the existing scholarship on talent definitions and its conceptualization in one place. The study also aims to present the potential implications of talent definition on talent management practices. Among the various implications discussed, it is argued that a single approach to talent definition makes the company vulnerable as it is not using the full potential of talent management. Finally, based on this in-depth review, the study will highlight potential critical research areas towards which the scholarship of talent may be extended.

Talent Management and Generation Z: A Systematic Literature Review through the Lens of Employer Branding

“…The consultancy firmly positioned talent as the most important resource for organisations, addressing the growing challenges associated with attracting and retaining talent at the senior management level. This shortage of talent is becoming increasingly relevant due to demographic shifts, particularly the ageing population in more advanced economies, as well as the forces of globalisation, the rise of knowledge workers, and the proliferation of remote work (Skuza et al 2022;Stuss 2020). The significant growth and internationalisation of smaller companies have also contributed to a rising demand for experienced and talented HR (Charbonnier-Voirin et al 2017;McDonnell et al 2017).…”

“…In response to the emergence of the aforementioned issue, the academic community has devoted significant attention to the study of TM over the past 25 years. However, a universally accepted definition of talent remains elusive, leading to a proliferation of definitions in the literature (Skuza et al 2022). This study aims to provide two illustrative examples to shed light on its conceptualisation.…”

“…Moreover, they play pivotal roles in diminishing turnover rates and augmenting organisations' capacity to retain talented individuals (Ahmad and Daud 2016;Hadi and Ahmed 2018). Thus, TM is companies' response to the challenges of the contemporary economy, since identifying and retaining talent is essential for their competitiveness (Biswas and Suar 2016;Skuza et al 2022;Stuss 2020).…”

“…This paradigm shift can be attributed to various factors, including the dissolution of barriers between nations, the accessibility of transportation through modern means, the advancements in technology, and, most notably, the rapid emergence of alternative work arrangements (Shet 2020;Stiglbauer et al 2022). The global pandemic experienced from 2020 to 2022 has significantly influenced and solidified this transformation (Cappelli and Keller 2014; M. Islamiaty et al 2022;Keller and Swaminathan 2020;Skuza et al 2022;Vaiman et al 2012). This new reality has opened up the labour market (Martin et al 2011;Smith et al 2019).…”

Green leadership and competitive advantage: The role of mediation from knowledge management and talent management

“…Talent management is the strategic process of attracting, developing, retaining, and deploying skilled and talented workers inside an organization to achieve current and future business goals (Skuza et al, 2022) Gallardo, 2019). Investing in talent management programs allows organizations to develop a strong pipeline of qualified people, improve organizational agility and resilience, and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace (Collings et al, 2022).…”