Executive Summary
The study of development and training of staff members has become an especially challenging part of the HR function in the contemporary business environment. There has been a stupendous rise in diversity, the increase in the range of responsibilities in the workplace, and the range of competencies that employees need to possess in order to meet the organization’s needs. As a result, the role of the HR manager has been expanded to include innovative strategies for development and training of staff members. By including innovative data management tools into the specified area of HR, one will be able to create the culture of knowledge sharing and professional growth, thus spurring talent development. This paper will consider three studies addressing an issue in talent management in the workplace.
Introduction
An Area of HR Practice for Investigation
The introduction of innovative talent management techniques is an absolute necessity in the current business world, which is highly competitive and extraordinarily demanding. Therefore, an HR manager must focus on the creation of a viable talent management strategy that will lead the company to flourishing and the ultimate success in its industry. Thus, the selection of talent management as the area of focus for this paper is fully justified given the importance of a well-designed talent management technique and the effects that the wrong choice will produce on an organization’s progress. By inspecting the current tools and strategies for improving talent management in a diverse company, one will spur the progress within an organization.
Stages of the Research Process: Summary
The analysis of obtained data is a crucial part of performing research; therefore, the tools used to collect, arrange, and analyze key information had to be considered very closely in the articles under analysis. To their credit, all of the researchers showed a compelling use of the available information and tools. Namely, each of the three authors in question uses the analysis of the existing records and the relevant data provided in recent reports. The suggested method of analyzing the existing data provides opportunities for an all-embracive analysis, yet it lacks the accuracy and precision that a case study with the responses from staff members would have produced.
Table 1. Primary Research Method: Strengths and Limitations.
Stakeholder Analysis
The main stakeholders of this study include staff members, HR managers, and the organization. Employees are seen as the core audience, which is why their needs should be prioritized. Analyzing staff members as stakeholders, one should apply Maslow’s hierarchy to achieve the maximum effect. Specifically, these needs include the basic requirements, namely, monetary rewards, along with career opportunities, the emotional gratification, and the need for self-actualization in the form of professional development.
System Review: A Business Report
The concept of talent management has grown to incorporate an array of different ideas in it, ranging from the alignment of individual needs of staff members with those of a company to the necessity to enhance diversity in the workplace. However, the general trends in the industry of talent management become easily identifiable once considering the main themes in recent studies. In the target company, the issue of talent management has recently become a problem to be addressed due to the drop in motivation rates among its staff members and the ensuing threat of the organization losing money and its position in the global ranking. By implementing the talent management strategies based on the individual characteristics of staff members and encouraging their professional growth applying culture-specific tools, an HR manager will build a team of cross-disciplinary experts.
This report will look at the unique environment of the target organization and the characteristics that make it stand out. Thus, the strategies for developing a viable talent management approach will be developed. Namely, the issues that typically arise in a cross-cultural setting will be analyzed. Finally, strategies for creating a more favorable setting for staff members to develop their talents and gain new skills will be explored.
Talent Management: Discussion
Gallardo-Gallardo’s perspective
The promotion of talent management is typically immediately linked to the idea of acquiring new competencies and using workplace learning to help staff members advance. While the specified definition is quite correct, talent management also implies developing cultural sensitivity and constructing the setting where employees will feel welcome and encouraged to perform more efficiently. The issue in question has been addressed in the paper by Gallardo-Gallardo et al.
The main strength of the research mentioned above is the authors’ attempt at encompassing as many topics as possible in their study regarding the issue of talent management. The specified characteristics makes the paper particularly strong and helps the readers to get the general idea about the issues that the authors are going to address in their study. However, the lack of a coherent research methodology makes the general premise of the article quite weak, leaving the issues such as the correctness of the authors’ assumptions in the open. However, in terms of the themes that it addresses, the article is extraordinarily meaningful.
The article in question places the theory of talent management into context by studying the challenges that the HR department has been facing in the tourism industry. Specifically, the authors explain that the definition of and approach to talent management that emerged as a product of corporate endeavors of large American companies may be inapplicable to other business settings, which calls for the transformation of the concept of talent management (Gallardo-Gallardo et al. 2). Namely, the researcher suggests grounding the strategy for the transformation of the HR function through talent management based on the outcomes of the empirical observations performed in the target setting (Gallardo-Gallardo et al. 3). Therefore, the research outcomes are especially useful for the transformation of a workplace environment in the setting that is significantly different from the one where the corporate American philosophy dominates decision-making.
Glaister et al.’s assessment
Talent management as a part of the HR function has been studied quite profoundly in academic research, although numerous gaps still exist. Nevertheless, there is a general consensus about the essence of talent management and the direction in which it should develop. Specifically, Glaister et al. define talent management as a “the process through which employers anticipate and meet their need for human capital. It is about getting the right people, with the right skills into the right jobs at the right time” (pp. 2-3).
The specified definition encompasses the ideas that contribute to the development of an organization as well as its staff members, thus increasing the latter’s motivation and satisfaction. Due to the complexity that the phenomenon of talent management represents, the specified definition can be considered as quite contentious. Specifically, other authors tend to define the subject matter more accurately, with the emphasis on its particular aspects (Glaister et al. 4). However, as a template for the development of a talent management model, the specified definition appears to be quite direct and all-embracive.
Strategic Talent Management
Cross-cultural issues
In addition, the strategic aspects of talent management deserve to be explored closer. The paper by Glaister et al. delves into the strategic management of workplace and the relationships in it. According to the author, the strategies used presently for motivating staff members are far too general to be able to appeal to them. Therefore, HR managers will have to introduce a tool for identifying culture-specific requirements of the target audience and implementing them in the way that will meet employees’ demands, at the same time aligning with the philosophy of the organization. For this purpose, a combination of questionnaires and personal interviews will have to be deployed in the target setting as the means of gathering data. In addition, HR managers will have to be instructed about the ways of addressing cross-cultural issues, namely, the threat of cross-cultural conflicts.
The methodological aspect of the paper by Glaister et al. is also of particular importance to the assessment of the specified source. Similarly to the previous paper, it also has a slightly questionable methodological approach, yet Glaister et al. cover the methods of research fully (3). Incorporating the economic and political factors into the framework to create an all-encompassing study, Glaister et al. makes the paper especially relevant and set in the selected period, which is a doubtless advantage.
Promoting innovation
Introduction of innovation-based principles and guidelines into the setting of the chosen organization will also be deemed as essential changes to the current set of strategies used in the target organizational environment. Without the focus on innovation, introducing the consistent reason for keeping the extent of the staff members’ motivation and enthusiasm high is going to be quite complicated. In turn, with an innovation-driven corporate philosophy, the application of the framework that will encourage staff members to gain new skills and competencies regularly will become quite a simple task. Studies show that the development of the innovation climate in the organizational settings spurs creativity and engagement in employees, leading them to build the skills associated with creative thinking and innovativeness (Bahrami 68) (see Fig. 1). Therefore, the reconsideration of the organizational climate and the promotion of the principles of self-directed development and continuous professional growth should be recognized as a valid part of the corporate philosophy aimed at increasing motivation in staff members.
Culture-Oriented Practices
Organization and culture
Another issue considered very closely in modern literature on the subject of talent management is the range of practices utilized by HR professionals to advance talent management in their companies’ settings. The paper by Meyers et al. makes an attempt at categorizing the specified practices by introducing the notions of exclusivity, inclusivity, stability, and being developable (p. 2). The outcomes of Meyers et al.’s research proves that all of the four notions are essential for companies in the modern market. Moreover, the importance of the organizational size, as well as the strategies rooted in workforce differentiation, has been discovered during the assessment of the specified source. Overall, the quality of the evidence used by Meyer et al. proves that the authors have performed a rather well thought-out study and that the outcomes thereof can be trusted.
Organization and change
Thus, by far the most important step in changing the target organizational environment involves shaping the organizational culture in the way that involves an increase in diversity. Cultural awareness is critical in meeting the needs of staff members and raising the extent of their motivation (Farndale and Sanders 143.). Indeed, recent research indicates that the development of cultural competencies for appealing to the needs of staff members is an essential requirement for an HR manager (Meyers et al. 24). Given the fact that the target organization has been exploring the opportunities of outsourcing in the countries where it has been expanding recently, addressing culture-specific needs of the recently recruited staff members should be see as the firm’s next priority in its HRM. Specifically, creating the workplace setting where the employees will feel welcome and comfortable should be recognized as an important stage of shaping the organization’s HRM framework.
For this purpose, the introduction of a cross-cultural strategy for managing employees’ needs is required. The application of the cultural exposure to the unique setting of the target environment will be needed to help HR managers to readjust their framework for meeting the needs of staff members and shaping the organizational climate (Dias et al. 3).
In addition to altering the workplace setting, the company will need a change in other aspects of its relationships with its employees including an update to its benefit package, introduction of new career opportunities, and provision of training options. The employees will most likely appreciate the chances for advancing their career and professionalism, which is why the adoption of outsourcing technique as the means of establishing a coaching program aimed at training staff members will be needed (Meyers et al. 22). Thus, the firm will be able to introduce the culture of knowledge sharing, which, in turn, will launch the process of cross-cultural collaboration in the workplace.
Likewise, changes to the communication framework, in general, and conflict management, in particular, will have to be introduced in accordance with the principles of the target culture. The suggested measure will help to handle cross-cultural misunderstandings that will inevitably occur in the specified setting. The introduction of the proposed talent management technique is believed to provide the basis for the creation of the high performance organizational culture in the target workplace. In other words, with the suggested talent management techniques based on promoting the professional growth of employees, changes in their perception of their job and, therefore, their behaviors, attitudes, and decision-making in the corporate environment will be highly plausible.
Similarly to the previous two studies, the arguments that the authors represent is the key advantage of the paper. However, Meyer et al. also address the research-related aspects of their study diligently by covering a wide range of issues related to the management of workplace conflicts and considering other challenges associated with the management of talent in the workplace. By considering every possible facet of interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions in the workplace, the author has managed to cover crucial concerns and imply several solutions.
Conclusion
Overall, the results of the literature review conducted on the subject of talent management in HR have shown the need to focus on culture-specific standards and requirements. At the same time, the importance of offering as many opportunities for professional development as possible has been stressed. The results of the articles’ review have indicated that there is a pressing need to establish a general definition of talent management, as well as build a model that will allow for a multi-contextual use of it.
Due to the lack of initiative and motivation in the target workplace environment, it is highly recommended to narrow down the current talent management approach to the framework that allows addressing individual needs of staff members. The proposed tool is also expected to connect the corporate objectives to the aspirations of employees, which will help to align the priorities of all parties involved and set the course for the general improvement in performance and quality management. Therefore, it is strongly recommended for the company to refocus and shape its HR approach toward a more people-oriented strategy that will lead to a better understanding of how intercultural communication works. Thus, the basic principles of cross-cultural collaboration will be established within the target organization.
Recommendations
The articles have provided rather valuable and profound material to the already existing body of research by outlining the strategies in talent management that can serve to enable agency in staff members. Thus, organizations can promote innovation in their setting by reconsidering the talent management framework and changing the course of the existing programs. Namely, with the use of innovation-based techniques that will increase the extent of staff members’ participation and overall agency in the company’s functioning, the HR department will introduce a vast change into the target corporate setting. Employees are the key stakeholders to benefit from the specified change as it will allow them to become more effective in their performance.
Another recommendation that one may find very helpful when reorganizing the organizational setting and promoting talent management is the promotion of talent inclusiveness as the core HR policy within an organization. Explored in depth in the study by Meyers et al., the specified notion connects the characteristics of an organization such as its size, scope, and objectives to the HR function within it, thus leading to the development of the approach that meets the needs of both staff members and the organization.
The principle of inclusiveness allows creating customized trajectories for the individual development of each staff member due to the focus on their unique characteristics and needs. At the same time, the inclusiveness principle implies that organizational goals are met respectively by aligning the needs of the company with those of individuals and encouraging unity within the firm. The staff members that belong to minority groups are the primary stakeholders to whose needs the specified measure is directed. They will benefit from the promotion of inclusivity by engaging in cross-cultural communication with the rest of the staff.
Finally, the issue of organizational culture, as well as the influence that it has on the efficacy of talent management deserves a mentioning. Addressed in the paper by Gallardo-Gallardo et al., the specified concern deserves a closer inspection as one of the most contentious issues. Due to the challenges of managing miscommunication in the global organizational environment, companies need to foster the type of the organizational culture that will help staff members’ talent to thrive and evolve. Unlike the previous two recommendations, this one focuses directly on the company’s needs in boosting staff members’ performance efficacy. Thus, the organization is the main benefactor of the proposed recommendation.
Works Cited
Bahrami, Susan. “Talent Management Strategies and Innovation Climate in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.” Journal of Health Management & Informatics, vol. 5, no. 2, 2018, pp. 65-71.
Dias, Davina et al.. “Examining the Role of Cultural Exposure in Improving Intercultural Competence: Implications for HRM Practices in Multicultural Organizations.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 1, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-20.
Farndale, Elaine, and Karin Sanders. “Conceptualizing HRM System Strength Through a Cross-Cultural Lens.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 28, no. 1, 2017, pp. 132-148.
Gallardo-Gallardo, Eva, et al. “Special Issue of International Journal of Human Resource Management. A Contextualized Approach to Talent Management: Advancing the Field.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 1, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1–4.
Glaister, Alison J., et al. “Talent Management: Managerial Sense Making in the Wake of Omanization.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 1, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-19.
Meyers, Maria Christina, et al. “HR Managers’ Talent Philosophies: Prevalence and Relationships with Perceived Talent Management Practices.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2019. Web.