Talent Management

Starting Point

The research project Talent Management continues the papers by Adrian Ritz and Norbert Thom (eds., Talent Management, Gabler Verlag Wiesbaden, 2011) that were already  published in the 2nd edition.
Talent management is considered to be one of the greatest future challenges for the employer.  In view of the demographic change, public administration is particularly affected.  Talent management comprises the analysis of different employee characteristics (e.g., age, sex, function-related fluctuation, qualifications profiles, successor candidates), as well as the use of this information for procuring, retaining, and developing current and future employees, who, due to their comparatively scarce qualifications that are central for the organization, are highly sought-after and identified as talents.

Research Questions

This project will examine such topics as:

• Actively meeting the demographic challenge by means of targeted personnel recruitment and employee retention with qualified successor candidates, as well as bringing together key employees and older personnel.
• Shifting from primarily financial incentive strategies to qualification-oriented incentives at a time when employability is gaining significance vis-à-vis loyalty.
• Optimum linking of data from the HR analysis (e.g., age-structure and sex analyses, HR portfolio analysis, succession planning) to HR development strategies.

Methodology

Within the context of the project reports, both qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews, document analysis) and quantitative data-collection and analytical methods are used.  Currently, the topic is being studied within the framework of a consultancy of a large Swiss cantonal administration and evaluated in relation to new practice-oriented research questions.

Anticipated Findings

The study contributes, on the national level, to the acquisition of new data on the specific need for talent analysis and development within the context of personnel procurement and development.  Structural options for meeting the demographic challenges of public institutions will also be deduced.

Project director: Prof. Dr. Adrian Ritz