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Talent management is a business issue, not just something for HR to address, according to Chris Roebuck, group head of talent management and development at investment bank UBS.

Roebuck said the starting point of any talent management initiative was to make sure it has support at the top of the organisation.

"This means looking at the figures in relation to share value," he told HR Forum delegates. "Reports show that 50% of the value of an organisation's shares comes from intangibles

"There are strong economic drivers for good leadership and preparing good people to continue after them with good quality delivery in the market," Roebuck added

To get this message across to line managers - the people who should lead talent management - HR should get back to basics, Roebuck said.

"Tell them talent management will make their team perform better, will make their life easier, will add to the bottom line and will also add to their bonus," he said. "HR can talk about this all they want but until line managers understand how and why they have to develop talent, it won't work.

"Line managers don't give a damn about HR best practice - they want to hear that talent management will make the organisation better, their life better, and that you know it works," Roebuck said.