Global Innovative Forefront Talent (GIFT) - Home

 

In an increasingly complex, volatile, uncertain and highly competitive world, companies are finding it much harder to recruit and retain talented workers. This is even more so in the South African context, where indices such as The Global Competitiveness Report continue to rate South Africa poorly in terms of labour market efficiency and people development.  It goes without saying that no company with global ambitions can survive, let alone thrive, without a professional workforce.
 
GIFT’s strategic objective is to lead the research and practice of talent management as an applied science in the workplace.   With a key goal of setting norms and standards, the entity offers a holistic perspective on research and practices focused on the successful implementation of talent management.  GIFT does this by focusing on several sub-programs which together, form the anagram, GIFT and covers the entire employee engagement lifecycle.

 

OUR FOCUS

The main focus of GIFT is to develop an empirically tested talent body of knowledge that will set the standard and guidelines for the effective application of talent management practices in the workplace. GIFT consists of four sub-programmes that have been structured to contribute to the “GIFT” of talent:

  • Global and strategic Talent Management
  • Innovative Talent Management technologies (e-Talent Management)
  • Forefront Talent Risk Management and Assessment
  • Talent Value Proposition and Branding.

IMPORTANCE OF OUR RESEARCH

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. 

Our research could assist South African organisations to:

  • develop an accurate staffing model;
  • identify key skills in employees
  • make informed talent decisions
  • react proactively to changing circumstances

Our research findings furthermore contribute towards socio-economic policy enablement and will be translated into practical guidelines for Southern African workplaces.

 

AREAS OF TALENT MANAGEMENT

 

G: Global and Strategic Talent Management, which deals with the key leadership skills necessary to attract, grow, retain, and manage a diverse talented workforce.

I: Innovative Talent Management capabilities dealing with the organizational innovation capabilities needed to implement the e-talent management system and its impact on key organizational outcomes such as for instance service delivery; performance; competitiveness; sustainability; and market share.

F: Frontline Workforce Risk Management and Evaluation Methods. This sub-program covers the various forms of talent management risks in organizations and the extent to which companies comply with the regulations and implement good practice in the area of talent management.

T: Talent Value Proposal and Talent Branding.  This important area explores the psychological factors involved in managing the challenges and opportunities organisations face in the area of organisational attractiveness and talent branding when attracting and retaining employees in organizations.