TM is an essential strategy for an organisation in its performing of activities, and it involves the aim of ensuring the right employees are in place for successful management, so that the present and future needs of the business are met (Armstrong, ). The notion of the process for TM being a pipeline has been highlighted by the CIPD ( ), and the main elements of this commonly used
notion are shown in Figure below. Five integrated practices of HR are incorporated within TM (Al-Waqfi and Forstenlechner, ). Firstly, talent is attracted and recruited through the branding of the employer and a sharing of vision. Secondly, talents are deployed and developed through career development and the evaluation of outcomes for - years (Al-Ansari et al., ). Performance management is a third integrated practice, while a fourth is
the recognition of employee efforts and reward with autonomy, flexibility and an appropriate work-life balance (Alabdelkarim et al., ). Finally, trust, commitment and the psychological contract can be strengthened to improve
engagement and retention of employees. It is essential to track talents so that the benefit to an organisation from the deployment and development can be ascertained (Swailes, ).
Figure The Talent Pipeline
Source: adapted from CIPD ( )
The CIPD ( ) research survey has shown that in the attraction of talents
there is a great deal of urgency and desire upon the part of organisations. However, a lack of planning for retention was noted, particularly within public sector institutions (Sidani and Al Ariss, ). Indeed, over % of public sector organisations were found to be without a plan for retention of employees and, consequently, such organisations have encountered difficulties in retaining expertise (Raja and Swapna, ). In relation to the deployment of talents, it was considered important for engagement and commitment that a psychological contract was formed with the employee. It was considered that deployment has a very significant role in enrichment of working roles and the development of careers, and that organisations may struggle to retain talents without it (Kirk et al., ). Furthermore, the management of the appraisal of talented employees
has the aim of providing a regular examination of performance and providing a projection of the number of employees that may, based on standards of
performance, competencies and training and development needs, be ready to hold positions in the future (Kirk et al., ). However, for the successful implementation of TM, it is essential for it to be implemented through the coordination of all the relevant stakeholders, such as the senior management and the talents themselves, and not just the HR department (Marachi and Wario, ).
Many researchers agree that human capital is pivotal in the achievement of competitive advantage for an organisation (Sinha, ). Whilst competitors may be able to mimic a market product, the qualities that are internal to an organisation, such as its talented employees, are unique (Rana et al. ). So
that competitive advantage can be sustained, most research has stressed that the TM strategies of an organisation ought to be aligned to its strategic plan (Sujit, ). Now that the key processes involved within a talent pipeline have
been established, this current study will now give consideration to two key approaches that organisations have adopted in the implementation of their practices for TM.
Figure The Talent Management Process.
Source: Birsin ( )
Identifying talent
It is a basic necessity for organisations to determine what talent is required for organisational growth and sustainability. By using skilful recruitment and auditing of talent, people with new ways of thinking or working, or who possess new skills, may be discovered. Nowadays, there is a scarcity of talent and a shortage of sufficiently qualified labour (Ahammad et al., ; Afiounia et al., ; Oltra and Lopez, ; Slocum and Tian, ; and Rindermann et al., ). Also, it has become increasingly difficult for organisations to recruit
skilled employees because of their increased requirements (Spraggon and Virginia, ). An accurate scheme for staffing ought to be developed by all organisations, so that key competencies and skills can be identified that are both in existence within the organisation and also would be needed to support
the achievement of business objectives in the future. Such an undertaking would enable companies to react in a more timely fashion to changes within the business environment, and help inform better decision making with regard to talent (Sinha, ).
How to find key individuals:
Becoming a choice employer ought to be a goal for organisational strategy, so that talented individuals would really want to come and be a part of the team (Sinha, ). Ozbilgin et al., ( a) have suggested an employer branding theory that involves the establishment of clear strategies to enable key talent to be found by consideration of profiles that have a best fit to the requirements of the profile and culture of the organisation (Marachi and Wario, ). As such,
an employer can match the expertise, work experience and background of potential employees to see if there is a good fit to the organisation (Kirk et al., ). There is a tendency for organisations to seek an appointment from
outside rather than internally (Raja and Swapna, ; Schuler and Tarique, ). However, internal career mobility can be encouraged in talent managing
organisations that have tracked the career aspirations and capacities of its own employees. It has become important to monitor similar methodologies and cultures so that individuals can be identified that could fulfil the organisational needs for talent (Sidani and Al Ariss, ). The identification of external talents
ought not to be the sole preserve of the professional head-hunter; outstanding individuals and performers with promise and potential within other organisations ought to be apparent and discoverable for potential employers (Sinha, ).
Recent global economic complexities and crises have had an impact on finance within Dubai and there is a pressing need for a workforce of talent that can outline the business strategies of the future (Thunnissen, ). Counter- intuitive as it may seem, Waheed et al., ( ) had the view that an economy
that was slowing could often present an ideal opportunity to recruit key individuals; people who are highly talented have a predisposition for the management of their circumstances, and a firm may take advantage of this tendency by offering compensation, opportunity and challenge to a degree that is attractive, whilst other firms are less proactive in their search for key talent (Sujit, ). So that talent can be attracted away from the competition, there is
a need for individuals within an organisation to have the vision, integrity, passion and ability to create an attractive working environment; a view that is confirmed by the difficulties encountered by firms in the US to retain workers during the sluggish economy of (Spraggon and Virginia, ). Given that
the recruitment process is expensive, it is important that any new employee remains in post for a sufficiently long time (Singh, ). Many recruitments fail
and this can be partly due to the practice for recruitment being weighted too heavily on performance indicators that are weak (Rana et al., ). As such, successful TM involves a reliance upon a workable recruitment approach that involves hiring based upon competency (Reddy, ).