Talent Management and Human Resources

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    What is Talent Management?

    The phrase “talent management” is fairly new and usually refers to the activities to attract, develop, and retain employees. Some people and organizations use the phrase to refer especially to talented and/or high-potential employees.

    The phrase often is used interchangeably with the field of Human Resource Management — although as the field of talent management continues to mature, it’s very likely there will be an increasing number of people who will strongly disagree about the interchange of these fields. At least for now, this Free Management Library considers the topic of Talent Management to be similar to Human Resources
    Management. Thus, the various aspects and subtopics of Talent Management are those listed in the topic of Human Resources and Talent Management. The links immediately below provide more overviews of talent management.

    Do We Need Innovation in Talent Management?

    © Copyright Sheri Mazurek

    A recent survey conducted by SHRM indicated that human capital is one of the biggest challenges in the next ten years for business. Recruiting and retaining top talent should already be a number one priority of your talent management strategy; however, the challenge will be in adjusting the strategy to accommodate changes in the workforce.

    The real challenge for HR professionals and businesses will be to develop innovative strategies to meet the new normal of the business world. Unfortunately, in HR innovation seems to be a missing skill. Questioning long-held beliefs in talent management seems to be an even less common skill or practice found in today’s HR departments.

    As a profession, we tend to get wrapped up in the compliance piece of the job and forget about what it means to recruit and retain talent. In the most recent issue of SHRM magazine, there is a great article on the biggest missteps in performance management. The information is solid and the article is filled with
    great advice. It lists information that seems to be often forgotten by managers in the workplace le reminding HR folks of all the little things managers do that drive us crazy. By being written from the vein of legal compliance, it reinforces that our job is so filled with compliance that we might not even realize that we have a greater responsibility in our roles as the drivers of talent management.

    We owe it to our organizations to focus on innovative and creative strategies that will attract and retain the talent needed to meet the needs of the organization. We have to start by questioning everything we do in our current strategy and see if it actually yields the results that we have been taught that it does.
    And for all of you in HR who believe our mission is about the people, you should realize that by taking care of the people in your strategy, you will retain them and that is the win-win we always strive for in this profession.

    If you want a place to start, look outside of the HR department. Start with the talent.

    General Overviews of Talent Management

    Major Functions of Talent Management

    The phrase “Talent Management” traditionally refers to the activities of getting, developing, and retaining the best employees. However, the phrase is often used interchangeably with “Human Resources.” The following links are to major sections about each of the standard functions associated with talent management.

    Getting the Best Employees

    Developing Employees at All Levels

    Retaining High-Performing Employees

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    For the Category of Human Resources Management (and Talent
    Management):

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