A talent management framework for the private sector

[摘要] English: Talent management is increasingly becoming a strategic priority for many profit-generating organizations in the private sector. The success of knowledge-driven organizations largely depends on their ability to attract, grow and retain their key talent in today's dynamic and competitive business environment. The need for talent management is also triggered by a need to align and integrate people management practices with those of the organization in order to achieve strategic execution and operational excellence.This study identified a strong need for the development of a talent management framework in the private sector with the aim to address the gaps and limitations in the definition of concepts in this field, as well as in the application, implementation and maturing of talent management practices in the organization. Thus, the primary aim of the study was to develop a talent management framework for the private sector. The research proposed to conduct an in-depth exploration of talent management practices in key and leading organizations already in the mature stages of talent management implementation in South Africa.The modernist qualitative research approach was applied to the study. A research process which is flexible and emergent was essential to ensure further exploration of the phenomenon of talent management beyond the theoretical explanations. A modernist approach supported and facilitated the rigorous data analysis methods such as analytic induction and grounded theory, which were applied in the study.The research was conducted in two different companies, thus classifying the study as a multiple site case study. The selected companies are widely and publicly recognised as having effective talent management programmes.Purposive sampling was used to identify the research participants. The participants were human resource practitioners, management staff and beneficiaries of the talent management programmes. More insight and knowledge were gained by interacting and interviewing key stakeholders in organizations who are knowledgeable about talent management practices.The semi-structured interviews were conducted in the first round of data collection interviews, while the second round of data collection interviews were unstructured and focused on testing the initial talent management framework that was developed. Analytic induction and constructivist grounded theory were implemented to analyze the dense and thick narrative data that were collected.The concepts generated from the data (inductive) and theory/literature (deductive) were critical towards the development of a talent management framework. The literature study supported, verified and substantiated the relevance of insights that were gained from the data collected from the participants.The study was able to deliver a talent management framework that will guide and support the raising of talent management practices in organizations in the private sector. The framework is integrated, holistic and comprehensive enough to cover most key and core dimensions of talent management practices. Ultimately, the framework was developed in such a way as to lead to best practice and the advancement of talent management maturity when implemented. The framework highlights the major elements, namely planning, key dimensions, implementation with consideration of career life stages and multiple generations, best-practice enablers, role players and the evaluation of effectiveness.The study mapped out key dimensions which are essential for the implementation of a talent management system. The dimensions of talent management are attraction, sourcing and recruitment, deployment and transitioning, growth and development, performance management, talent reviews, rewarding and recognizing, engaging and retaining. With each of the above-mentioned dimensions, there are specified activities that can be carried out to achieve the outcomes of each dimension. Therefore, human resource departments and talent practitioners are provided with a guide to drafting their job descriptions and work scopes pertaining to talent management activities.

[发布机构] University of the Free State