Search for “”
Egon Zehnder
Search
Select region
Our Services
Shaping Successions Shaping Successions
Advancing Governance Advancing Governance
Discovering Leaders Discovering Leaders
Developing Leadership Developing Leadership
Unlocking Transformations Unlocking Transformations
Functions
Industries
Back icon
Close filter
Select region English Change

Talent Management in Focus

The strategic importance of efficient and future-oriented talent management is greater than ever for companies. In particular, HR leaders are focusing on four areas of action:

 

  1. First Field of Action: Get the Store in Order!
    Talent managers need sufficient resources to build and optimize a digital database with AI. It’s all about powerful IT systems and data availability. Effective AI models require substantial valid data. There is great potential in connecting and harnessing data across international and functional business units. Many talent managers still need to establish this digital foundation and meet data protection requirements in the process. It’s also clear that, as they become more involved in data analysis, talent managers need to evolve into technicians to some extent.
     
  2. Second Field of Action: Make Management Accountable!
    The "talent-first mindset" that management desires is an important foundational attitude. However, companies cannot leave their talent managers to work in isolation. This requires entrepreneurial thinking at all levels—from talent acquisition to employee development and incentive structures. It’s a full-fledged change project. For the C-Suite, this means empowering talent managers within the company, involving them in strategic corporate development considerations, and creating a framework that enables them to develop talent successfully in the medium and long term.
     
  3. Third Field of Action: Put an End to One-Size-Fits-All!
    Individualization is becoming a decisive condition for successful talent management. With a shrinking talent pool and an aging workforce, talent managers must embrace and leverage diversity among applicants and existing teams. They need the mandate and time to focus on applicants and employees with real development needs and potential, tailoring their approach accordingly. Standard training for everyone is no longer viable.
     
  4. Fourth Field of Action: Use AI—If It Makes a Difference!
    Finally, instead of simply demanding "more AI" in talent management, there needs to be a strategic application of the new technology. For talent managers, it’s about creating win-win scenarios: They need to develop AI strategies that meet the needs of both the company and its employees. The three most important planned use cases in internal talent management are currently chatbots for employees, the automation of administrative tasks, guidelines, and documents, and the design of job descriptions and qualification data. Meanwhile, functional HR co-pilots are already being used in many areas of talent acquisition—especially in "market search," making the recruiting sector a pioneer. One thing is clear: AI will not be equally useful in all processes. However, it can, for instance, help create digital platforms and systems that allow talent management clients to independently assemble their own training and development modules as needed.

 

In our Best Practice series, we introduce you to companies and HR managers who find and implement innovative solutions in the most important fields of action for sustainable talent management.

The Authors

Changing language
Close icon

You are switching to an alternate language version of the Egon Zehnder website. The page you are currently on does not have a translated version. If you continue, you will be taken to the alternate language home page.

Continue to the website

Back to top