Improper use of talent management schemes mean employers are losing out

Talent management programmes aren't being used properly and it's costing recruitment efforts, research has found.

The Building the Talented Organisation survey found that while almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents believed their company had an appropriate talent strategy in place, more than half (55%) said they had not seen it reflected in the decisions made by front-line leaders.

Additionally, barely a third (38%) said they felt the talent management strategy was fully embedded in the way their organisation did business. According to Nick Warren, head of talent consulting for Hewitt HR and outsourcing consultants, this means employers are failing to attract the right people.

"Amid a challenging economic environment we have seen a renewed interest in talent management, as companies seek to secure competitive advantage," said Warren. "However, HR departments need to work much harder on implementation, because talent strategies are simply not filtering down to line managers.

"Many line managers currently do not have the capability, time or will to manage talent correctly," he added. "As a result, too many businesses are failing to attract the right people or develop the talent they have."

More than 230 companies were polled in the research, which also found 84% of respondents felt a lack of time was preventing line managers from effectively managing talent. Six out of 10 said their line managers did not have adequate skills or capabilities to manage effectively.