Summary
It is hard to disagree that each firm includes a vast number of significant processes and departments, and most employees should fulfill their duties in a way that contributes to their company’s competitive advantage. One of the primary processes of organizations is talent management – this is a highly interesting topic that managers need to study to make the business more effective. While one may think that all the necessary information about talent management is already known and described, this is not true, and this paper aims to explore the contribution of a selected article to the topic.
Summary of the Reading
First of all, it is essential to briefly summarize the article and list its main terms. According to Collings and Mellahi (2009), they managed to discover a gap in the knowledge about talent management – there was no clear definition of this concept, and no conceptual boundaries were set. To address this gap, the authors conducted a literature review, created their own definition of the concept under discussion, and developed a theoretical model of strategic talent management (Collings & Mellahi, 2009). Their purpose was to help talent managers to better engage with the issues they face and enhance their awareness of their roles, responsibilities, and opportunities. As for the key terms the authors use, they are the following:
- talent management (is definition is provided in the next section);
- talent pools (lists of the best candidates);
- HR architecture (practices required to manage the strategic human capital of a company);
- performance outcomes (the business’s desired results).
The Authors’ Findings and Conclusions
Further, one may admit that the contribution of the article in question cannot be overestimated. When defining talent management, Collings and Mellahi (2009) listed the three key functions of this term, which include various processes and activities. They should always be aimed at “the systematic identification of key positions which differentially contribute to the organization’s sustainable competitive advantage” (Collings & Mellahi, 2009, p. 311). Second, talent managers have to “a talent pool of high potential and high performing incumbents to fill these roles” (Collings & Mellahi, 2009, p. 311). Finally, differentiated HR architecture has to be built in order to find competent incumbents for the positions and maintain their loyalty and commitment. This definition shows that the authors’ ideas differ from the views of some other researchers. Collings and Mellahi (2009) find precisely the identification of the primary positions affecting competitiveness to be the first step of talent management instead of immediately finding talented employees. Finally, the three steps listed in the definition of the concept are the basis of the theoretical strategic talent management model.
Practical Implications of the Article
Overall, it is fair to notice that this article benefits managers who want to improve their firms’ operations. They can finally understand what talent management is, see the boundaries of this concept, and tackle various issues they face, like not having enough workers committed to the company’s values and objectives. As for a real-world application, this information would be valuable for Nokia – nowadays, the corporation is not as famous as before. Therefore, when trying to get competitive and win the market again, Nokia’s talent managers need to start by identifying the primary positions that would benefit the firm before searching for talented workers.
Personal Opinion and a Question from the Reading
Overall, I found the article to be quite informative and insightful. One point I will take from it is that talent management actually includes extremely complicated processes and does not only focus on finding and retaining talented employees. What surprised me most was the suggestion of the authors to shift “from vacancy-led recruitment toward ‘recruiting ahead of the curve’” – this means that firms should have extended talent pools to always maintain their competitiveness (Collings & Mellahi, 2009, p. 307). One question I have after reading the paper is the following: Since some employees composing talent pools have high expectations, what are the ways for companies to avoid their dissatisfaction with the positions they eventually receive?
Reference
Collings, D. G., & Mellahi, K. (2009). Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 19(4), 304-313. Web.