Leadership mindset regarding talent management practices: A case study of the City of Windhoek Council

Orientation: Municipalities are facing significant challenges in attracting talented personnel because of poor talent management practices. Research purpose: The main objective of this research was to determine how effective the leadership mindset is regarding talent management in Windhoek City Council in Namibia. Motivation for the study: Limited research currently exists on the outlook that leaders have in municipalities regarding talent management practices. Research approach, design and method: A qualitative approach was adopted for this study; semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain data. The participants were six top staff members from Human resource division in the City of Windhoek Council in Namibia. In addition, data were analysed through content-thematic analysis. Main findings: The findings of this study showed that effective talent management practices are crucial for an organisation to attract and retain skilled and experienced workers to reach a sustainable competitive advantage. The study revealed specific elements that constitute sound leadership mindset regarding talent management. These were talent management practices, leadership mind-set, recruitment strategy/talent acquisition and talent retention strategy. Practical/managerial implications: If individuals' talents are not harnessed because of poor leadership and a lack of sound mindset and commitment to talent, this will negatively affect talent management in organisations. Thus, the findings of the study challenge the government to formalise the draft talent management policy at municipalities to help municipalities remain competitive through attracting, developing, retaining and rewarding talented employees. Contribution/value-addition: The study provides important insights that could assist the City of Windhoek Council and the government at large to attract talented personnel and become an employer of choice.