1. Talent Management has sometimes been described as fad rather than fact. Give your
own perspective on this assertion, and demonstrate how talent management can make a
strategic contribution to your organization and its business. (25 Marks)
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD), Talent refers to an
individual or group of individuals who can make a considerable difference to an organization’s
performance, either immediately or in the long-term by showing the highest level of potential
and Talent management refers to the development and retention of individuals who are of a
certain value to an organisation due to high potential or by already satisfying critical roles
within the business.”
Therefore Talent Management encapsulates attracting the very best, developing and retaining
skilled and talented individuals
As Industries and organizations progressed from the ‘Industrial-’ to the ‘Information- Age’.
Technology triggered the value of organisational intangible assets such as innovative ideas,
trademarked intellectual capital and winning brands to increase in relation to its hard assets. In
a competitive knowledge-based world, the talent within an organisation actually determines its
success within the market place, (McKinsey & Company 2001).
Demographics led to the birth of and have had the greatest and most lasting impact on TM.
Jackson (2010) and Turner (2012) list five sequential diversities of employee generational
demographics as seen in Table 1.
Due to the different set of characteristics and values of each generation as explained in
Appendix A, they have in turn, shaped the talent of the employment market. According to
McKinsey & Company (2001), Generation Y’s views on employment is challenging to most
companies that are ill-prepared to meet them.
What is fashion in management?
The phenomenon of fashion in management started to emerge in the 1980s as the interest for
different ideas and concepts about management grew in the western world. Pascale (1991)
noted that between the 1950s and 1980s there where not much written about management
ideas, however after the 1990s there have been a significant increase of published books and
articles. Daily newspapers started to publish articles about management and business papers
like The Harvard Business Review, Fortune and Business Week became very popular
(Furusten, 1995). Jackson (2001), stresses that ever since the middle of the 1980´s there have
been a corporate liking and demand for finding, adopting and then abruptly dropping the “latest
and the greatest” organizational improvements. He addresses his point of view by stressing
that;
“Business fads are something of a necessary evil and have always been with us. However, the
difference today is how sudden rise and fall of so many conflicting fashion and fads and how
they influence the modern manager” (Jackson, 2001, p. 14)
Sahlin-Andersson & Engwall (2002), state that the world has witnessed a dramatic expansion
and flow of management knowledge which in turn has created a growing interest in seminars
and courses in management, and also a growing demand for assistance from consultant
agencies to implement the new concepts and ideas. Great management thinkers like Peter
Drucker, Kenneth Blanchard and Michael Porter have literally been travelling around the
globe, holding seminars and selling their management philosophies. (Furusten, 1995;
Abrahamson, 1996; Sahlin-Andersson & Engwall, 2002)
Abrahamson (1996) defines management fashion as; “The process by which management
fashions setters (consulting firms, management gurus, researchers etc.) continuously redefine
both their and fashion followers´ collective beliefs about management techniques which lead
to rational management progress” (Abrahamson, 1996 p. 257)
He describes the phenomenon as “rapid, bell shaped swings” in management techniques where
norms of managerial progress represent societal expectations that managers use as forms of
improved management techniques. Theoretical Framework 24 Abrahamson & Fairchild (1999)
address four major fashion waves that rose and declined between the periods from 1970 to
1995; job enrichment, quality circles (QC), business process reengineering (BPR) and total
quality management (TQM) that all had the characteristic bell shaped curve when it comes to
published business articles
Rövik (1998) distinguishes between the “tool perspective” and the “symbol perspective” He
states that organizations may be preoccupied with finding ways to make organizational
processes more efficient and therefore adopt new concepts as tools to facilitate these
improvements. Hence in my perspective, talent management to a large extent is a fact.
Further, per Rövik (1998) talent management may often be interpreted as a either good or
reliable tool that the organization can benefit from.
As managers come across or face organizational problems they start looking for ways to solve
these problems. This is when popular management concepts and ideas are adopted from a “tool
perspective”. According to Rövik (1998) the process of adopting these concepts follows a
certain structure starting with the identification of an organizational problem, searching for
possible solutions and finally adopting a popular management concept. Many organisations
have adopted talent management and effectively implemented it thus largely solving the
problem of high turnover rates.
In the same time organizations may use concepts as carriers of symbolic meanings in order to
appear modern and innovative
However most organizations use talent management just as a symbol that may strengthen the
corporate image and help their organization to show off and appear modern when in effect they
do not practice it
It is a tool that carries a symbolic meaning in organisations although it may not provide any
direct benefit.
Further, Rövik (1998) argues that the two perspectives are often interpreted as either good and
reliable tools that the organization can benefit from, or just as fads or fashion that carries
symbolic meanings and do not provide any direct benefit. He points out that there is a danger
in that authors to popular management books try to persuade organizations to buy their books
by arguing that their concepts and ideas are unique and indispensable tools for organizational
survival
If adopted, talent management can help Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to retain top
talent and the organization would invest in training them and ensuring the reward and benefits
package is competitive to other aviation organisations. This would position CAA as a better
employer thus attracting and retaining top talent whose performance if well managed would
lead to achievement of the organization’s strategic objectives
I would recommend a tried and test talent management strategy, get buy in from the workforce,
seek Management and Board Approval and effectively implement the strategy which would
lead to an improved Onboarding Experience thus ensuring immediate utilization of Human
Resources.
A good talent management strategy would lead to improved employee development which in
turn can lead to improved performance as employee who are trained develop better skills,
knowledge and attitudes which are all fine recipes to improved performance
Further a good Talent management strategy would increase employee and manager
engagement and this resonates into improved performance. Engaged employees drive the
organisations strategy under all circumstances therefore positively impacting on performance.
Improved employee experiences lead to improved performances
is an organization's commitment to recruit, hire, retain, and develop the most talented and
superior employees available in the job market.

Right Person in the right Job: Through a proper ascertainment of people skills and
strengths, people decisions gain a strategic agenda. The skill or competency mapping allows
you to take stock of skill inventories lying with the organization. This is especially important
both from the perspective of the organization as well as the employee because the right person
is deployed in the right position and employee productivity is increased. Also since there is a
better alignment between an individual’s interests and his job profile the job satisfaction is
increased.

Retaining the top talent: Despite changes in the global economy, attrition remains a major
concern of organizations. Retaining top talent is important to leadership and growth in the
marketplace. Organisations that fail to retain their top talent are at the risk of losing out to
competitors. The focus is now on charting employee retention programs and strategies to
recruit, develop, retain and engage quality people. Employee growth in a career has to be taken
care of, while succession planning is being performed those who are on the radar need to be
kept in loop so that they know their performance is being rewarded.

Better Hiring: The quality of an organization is the quality of workforce it possesses. The
best way to have talent at the top is have talent at the bottom. No wonder then talent
management programs and trainings, hiring assessments have become an integral aspect of HR
processes nowadays.

Understanding Employees Better: Employee assessments give deep insights to the
management about their employees. Their development needs, career aspirations, strengths
and weaknesses, abilities, likes and dislikes. It is easier therefore to determine what motivates
whom and this helps a lot Job enrichment process.

Better professional development decisions: When an organization gets to know who its
high potential is, it becomes easier to invest in their professional development. Since
development calls for investment decisions towards learning, training and development of the
individual either for growth, succession planning, performance management etc, an
organization remains bothered where to make this investment and talent management just
make this easier for them
4. You have been tasked to present to the Board of Directors (The Board) on the proposed
implementation of a formalized Talent Management programme. The presentation is aimed at
securing Board approval and sponsorship on this important intervention. What key aspects and
arguments would you include in your presentation? (25 Marks)
What is included in a talent management program? These key aspects are the foundation of a
program that starts with attracting talent and finishes with retaining them. Pay attention to your
onboarding and performance management. These components will take new employees and
prepare them to have a successful career within the organization. Then, you can help them achieve
their goals and eventually the organisation’s objectives.
Large and small businesses need to manage their people well using assertiveness techniques and
great systems. In order to attract and retain talent, managers adopt and implemented programs to
make their jobs easier. As an HR Manager I would consider aspects that would include various
core programs that the organisation will need from recruitment to retention. In order to put together
a talent management program, I would make sure to have the following elements included.
Attract The Right Talent
Needless to say, a talent management system should include recruiting elements. In order to
manage talent successfully, you have to attract the right people. They need to have the skills,
experience and cultural fit within the organization. The talent management program can start with
this simple, yet critical element of attracting candidates to hire, giving them access to view
employee benefits and other perks. Then, it should support the hiring process as well.
Onboarding System
After hiring an employee, the onboarding process can set the tone for their success and
engagement. The talent management program should have all the resources necessary for a new
employee’s position. It can include goals, expectations and tutorials. More so, this element should
allow the employee to meet or interact with key stakeholders to their job role. A well-developed
onboarding system lets employees become productive sooner than later, saving time and resources.
Talent Performance Management
After getting a new employee on board, you have to manage his or her performance. Take the time
to develop a performance management component to your overall system. Consequently, the
organization will have the tools to ensure that employees are performing well in their role and
aligned with the goals of the company. Furthermore, you can support their growth with goals and
guidance to achieve business objectives.
Create A Talent Career Path
After some time, the talent management program provides employees with future
direction. Eventually, employees will need a career path beyond their current goals and
objectives. In this case, a talent management program can include career pathing elements. These
are customized career paths for employees who are high performance and have unique aspirations
to grow with the company. When various employees grow, there is a greater sense of diversity and
inclusion in the workplace. As employees mature within the business, this element is key to your
talent management.
Retain Talent Through Rewards
To round out the talent management program, it must include rewards and compensation. These
incentives should be available to all employees. After all, salary and bonus compensations are the
key motivating factors for employees. If you want to attract and retain high quality talent, then you
should have a clear rewards system in place. Employees will have a clear understanding that their
performance matters and they are fairly compensated for putting in the extra effort. As you can
imagine, an organisation will have much more success retaining talent when the management
system has the proper incentives in place.
6. You have been tasked with formulating and operationalizing a turnkey Mentoring
Programme for your organization. Discuss the key considerations in crafting the Programme,
and explain in detail the key Indicators that you would track regarding the success of the
Programme (25 Marks)
Mentoring is most often defined as a professional relationship in which an experienced person
(the mentor) assists another (the mentoree) in developing specific skills and knowledge that will
enhance the less-experienced person’s professional and personal growth.
Offering a mentoring program in an organization can have an extremely positive impact in the
business. Mentoring may boost employee satisfaction and retention, enhance new-employee
initiation, make the organisation more appealing to potential employees, increase diversity and
train the next generation of leaders.
And the numbers don’t lie. According to the Association for Talent Development1, corporate
mentoring is on the rise with 71 per cent of Fortune 500 companies offering professional
mentoring programs to their employees.
RECRUITMENT
Recruitment focuses on recruiting appropriate mentors and mentees, by realistically
describing the program’s objectives and expected outcomes. Recruitment strategies
should build positive attitudes and emotions about mentoring, and target mentors and
mentees whose skills, backgrounds, and needs best match the goals and structure of
the program.
SCREENING
Screening focuses on screening prospective mentors to determine whether they have
the time, commitment, and personal qualities to be a safe and effective mentor; and
screening prospective mentees to determine if they have the time, commitment, and
desire to be effectively mentored. Screening emphasizes keeping participants,
especially young people, safe in mentoring relationships.
TRAINING
Training is essential to the success of a mentoring program. Training focuses on
ensuring that prospective mentors, mentees, and their parents or guardians have the
basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to build a safe and effective relationship.
Training of mentors, particularly, has documented implications for the length of match
relationship as well as both parties’ perceptions of the quality of the relationship.
MATCHING AND INITIATING
Matching helps create appropriate mentoring relationships by using strategies most
likely to increase the odds that the relationship will be safe and effective. Matching
should consider individual characteristics about the mentor and mentee in order to
foster an enduring relationship. Initiating is the step that formally establishes the
mentoring relationship.
MONITORING AND SUPPORT
Monitoring and support is critical to mentoring not only to create satisfying and
successful relationships, but also to adjust to changing needs of the mentee and
mentor, and to ensure safety. Support ensures ongoing advice, problem-solving,
training, and access to resources for the duration of a mentoring relationship.
CLOSURE
Bringing a mentoring relationship to closure in a way that affirms the contributions of
both the mentor and the mentee is essential to ensuring the relationship ends with
positive consequences for the mentee. Closure is a normal stage in a mentoring
relationship and mentors and mentees should be able to prepare for closure and assess
their experience with the relationship.
So, what makes a mentoring program successful and how can you ensure that success?
STRATEGIC PURPOSE
This one is common sense. Determine why your organization is doing a mentoring program and
what you want to get out of it. This should be aligned with your organization mission, vision,
goals, values and overall strategy. For SRC, our mentoring program’s why is connected directly
to our Mission of embracing “our safe, creative and diverse work environment, which enables us
to excel personally and professionally.”
CONTINUED COMMITMENT
This needs to come from various people: management, employees, external stakeholders, partners,
program mentors and mentees. Support and commitment can lag over time, but new faces and
fresh ideas and can help the program stay exciting and keep people engaged and committed.
INTENTIONAL PROGRAM DESIGN
Every aspect of your program should align with your strategic purpose. Consider things like:

What does success look like for participants and the organization?

What is your end goal? Is it employee retention, a more diverse and inclusive employee base,
employee engagement, recruitment?

Who should be involved in the program?
STRONG GUIDANCE & COMMUNICATION
Communication is the foundation of any strong relationship – including mentoring relationships.
The Program Manager should be involved in helping matches create goals and action plans, offer
regular training and team building opportunities and communicate frequently with participants at
regular checkpoints throughout the life of the program. Offer ideas for mentoring activities and
suggest additional training through webinars, podcasts and white papers.
EARLY TARGETED TRAINING
Providing this to both the mentors and the mentees sets expectations from day one. It provides
them with the basic tools they will need to have a successful mentoring relationship. Training
should ensure participants understand the purpose, needs, benefits and outlook for the program,
along with their respective roles and responsibilities.
PROMOTION
For SRC’s mentoring program, we’ve focused our promotion on three main ideas: working with
program champions or ambassadors, highlighting the mentoring successes that have come from
our program and offering our participants something others cannot. Narrowing the focus of our
promotion down to three strategic ideas has allowed our program to successfully reach our target
audience in a short amount of time.
STRONG MATCHES
Ensuring a strong match between mentors and mentees is integral to the success of a program, but
matching is also often one of the most challenging aspects of a program. A match should be based
on the skills of the mentor and the needs of the mentee. You can’t do this unless you get to know
your potential matches. The more you know about your participants, the better chance your
participants will have for a great fit and a happy, productive mentoring relationship. SRC’s
program has included both our potential mentors and mentees in the matching process, resulting
in better aligned matches and more engaged participants.
MEASUREMENT
It’s important to monitor, track and measure the results of the program against the program
objectives. Measurement and improvement should be an ongoing part of the program. Some
questions to consider:

Are you meeting your overall program goals?

What percentage of goals set during the mentorships have been achieved?
And perhaps most importantly, what changes need to take place to ensure continued success?
7. “Talent Deployment is both an art and a science”. Explain what is meant by the term ‘Talent
Deployment’, what it focuses on, and illustrate the impact of good deployment strategies and
practices on the performance of the overall TDVC™. (25 Marks)
References
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Business School, Case 9-304-049.
Brown, M. and Turner, P. (2008) The Admirable Company. London: Profile Books Ltd
Chambers E.G., Foulon M., Handfield-Jones H., Hankin S. M., Michaels E. (1998) The War
for Talent. The McKinsey Quarterly, No. 3, pp. 44-57.
Coggins, S. K. (1999) Strategic Human Resource Management. Business strategy and
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C. on 26/03/2012 at Galton Building, Birmingham City University
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