This study provides an overview of how talent management is used in Sweden. It builds on 56 interviews with HR-managers and other senior managers in 30 organisations in different industries, both in the private and the public sector.
TALENT MANAGEMENT has become increasingly common in Swedish organisations. The background is that the competency of employees has increasingly come to be considered as a strategic asset. Employers do thus need to invest in attracting, developing and keeping their best workers – i.e. devote themselves to talent management. Knowledge about how talent management is used in practice is, however, very limited, in particular when it comes to organisations in Sweden. This study provides an overview of how talent management is used in Sweden. It builds on 56 interviews with HR-managers and other senior managers in 30 organisations in different industries, both in the private and the public sector.
A FOOTHOLD HAS BEEN FOUND FOR TALENT MANAGEMENT. The organisations studied here have introduced a number of concrete talent management practices, which they consider to be new in relation to how one has worked with HR (Human Resources) in Sweden so far. The introduction of pools for talents and development programmes for talents belongs to this category. Moreover, there has been an increase in the awareness of the importance of working actively at reinforcing the loyalty of the employees.
THE WAY THAT ONE WORKS WITH TALENT MANAGEMENT REFLECTS THE VIEW OF TALENT. Four ways of conducting talent management were identified: humanitarian, competitively, elitist and entrepreneurial. Each of these represents a distinct pattern for the views of the organisations on talent and how they recruit, nominate and develop talents and work with career development.
THE ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AFFECTS TALENT MANAGEMENT. What approach to talent management that an organisation adopts does mainly seem to depend on its HR philosophy and culture. It is difficult to point out a talent management strategy that is more successful than another. It is more relevant to adjust the working procedures to the conditions of the organisation.
AUTHOR Kajsa Asplund, graduate student in Business Administration, Stockholm School of Economics. Kajsa.Asplund@hhs.se
Pernilla Bolander, Associate Professor (docent) in Business Administration, Stockholm School of Economics. Pernilla.Bolander@hhs.se