Talent management in practice in Australia: individualistic or strategic? An exploratory study

Drawing on the results of a qualitative study involving senior human resources (HR) practitioners and executives, this paper explores the nature of talent management in Australia, including whether organisations adopt an individualistic or star perspective or a more systems-level, strategic perspective on talent management. The results suggest that there is heterogeneity in how organisations execute talent management with a spectrum of approaches ranging from what is, in essence, a relabelling of human resource management (HRM), with a narrow functional focus; through to integrated HRM, with an exclusive individual focus; to a more organisationally focused competence development approach. We find evidence of an emphasis on the identification of key positions that can add significant competitive advantage and differentiated HR architecture associated with a more strategic perspective in some organisations. Overall, the study finds little indication of a systems-level, strategic perspective, with most firms taking an individualistic approach to talent management.