What is talent management?

Talent management is a concept increasingly on the minds of managers and practitioners as it becomes more difficult to attract and retain talented employees in a fiercely competitive business world. This situation is problematic in the South African context as The Global Competitiveness Report continues to rank the country low in terms of labour market efficiency and people development. Without a skilled workforce, no organisation will be able to keep up with competition and survive in an ever-changing business world. Effective talent management is therefore of strategic importance for emerging markets such as South Africa as the objectives of the country are to ensure the quality of life, eradicate poverty, ensure political freedom, promoting equal opportunities and tolerance and contribute to life-ability of citizens.

We believe that talent is a free gift for life and needs to be cultivated to unleash the potential of individuals. By researching and improving the skills and human resource base of South African people the research entity will contribute strongly towards addressing the strategic objectives of the government of South Africa such as Vision 2030, AsGisa, National Development Plan and Millennium goals. The research entity addresses the burning Talent Management issues such as global and strategic talent Management practice, innovative e-Talent Management solutions, talent risk management and assessment and talent value proposition and branding that are required for the sustainability and growth of an emerging market such as South Africa. In addition, our research could also assist South African organisations to develop an accurate staffing model, identifying key skills and competencies that exist in current employees as well as those that may be required to support future business objectives. Our research allows organisations to make informed talent decisions and react pro-actively to changing circumstances. The findings of the research entity furthermore contribute towards socio-economic policy enablement and will be translated into practical guidelines for Southern African workplaces.