Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business

Citation

Bartram, T. (2006), "Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business", Management Research News, Vol. 29 No. 6, pp. 372-374. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170610683888

It has been widely acknowledged that our people are our best asset. The last two decades have witnessed an enormous growth in academic and practitioner interest in human resource management (HRM) specifically in the attraction, retention and motivation of employees. This book provides a fresh approach to recruitment, retention and talent management in a practical and easy to read, step‐by‐step guide for managers and HR practitioners. This book is a passionate and learned account that encapsulates the authors’ significant experience as highly successful CEO's, recruiters, entrepreneurs and management innovators. Talent Force addresses real world business issues such as developing a new, more effective talent organisation that knows how to find and attract quality talent quickly and build new forms of value for the business along the way. Talent Force demonstrates how to develop a strategic talent plan for organisation, using technology, effective communications and imagination to build large talent communities, secure greater efficiency in the hiring process and measure and retain talent acquisition.

Talent Force is directed to the CEO, the hiring manager, the job seeker and the HR professional. For the CEO it will give you the conceptual framework to push a strategic agenda. If you are a hiring manager this book will help you see the big picture in planning for your talent needs. If you are a job seeker this book shows you how to be more competitive in the market place and if you are a HR practitioner this book is nothing less than the future of your profession (Rueff and Stringer, 2006, p. xxxiii).

Talent Force contains nine chapters. Chapter 1 of the book, “The quality talent imperative” outlines some current and historical examples of the importance and consequences of recruitment and management of quality talent including the 19th century case of Central Pacific Railroad remarkable productivity with a newly recruited Chinese labour force. Chapter 2 “Talent market demand” discusses major demographic and emerging talent market and recruitment specific trends and highlights the demand for a new approach. Chapter 3 “Building a competitive talent organization” outlines traditional recruitment models and develops new recruitment tools, structures and processes, creating your talent plan and aligning HRM with the marketing function. Chapter 4 “The cultural obsession of work” defines and explores the importance and how to develop a talent brand. Chapter 5 “Building a talent community” explores the role of technology such as the World‐Wide‐Web in forming technology‐enabled relationships, qualifying the candidate and new ways to add business value. Chapter 6 “Tangible talent measurement”, discusses the development of talent metrics and planning for future talent gaps at levels within the organisation. Chapter 7 “Talent goes on offense” explores talents’ realisation of their worth and consequences for management. Chapter 8 “Relationship recruiting (still) rules” outlines the importance of the human side of recruitment, organisational culture, succession and development planning and continuous improvement in the area of recruitment. Finally Chapter 9 “Talent forces of tomorrow” looks at future trends in recruitment such as Podcasting, Vcasts and Feeds, talent personalisation and advertising/marketing force meeting talent force.

The central argument of Talent Force is that recruitment and retention of quality talent (employees) is central to building a competitive advantage and unified business. This book puts a new spin on an old topic – recruitment and selection by arguing the strategic and cultural importance of recruiting, retaining and maintaining quality talent. This book offers an holistic approach to talent management. Even though, Talent Force advocates the use of the latest technology in aiding recruitment and talent management, this book also discusses the importance of human relationships as central to the employment relationship. This key argument in itself is nothing new. The concept of organisational and HRM fit has been widely discussed in theoretical and empirical work for over two decades (Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Guest, 1987). What is new in my view is the fresh and insightful approach that outlines the step‐by‐step techniques of building a quality talent framework within the reader's own organisation – from understanding key demographics and strategic recruitment strategies – to the development of a talent brand, new approaches to developing a suitably qualified pool of talent – to actual the development of metrics that measure the readers progress in developing quality talent. This book in many respects is based to a large extent on the significant management experience of the authors, who are highly successful business leaders. The how to approach and this experience provide a seductive, empowering and thought provoking read. A major strength of this book is that it incorporates that latest trends in the use of information technology. This really separates the book from other HR books.

Despite the innovative approach of Talent Force, I would have liked to have seen greater integration and discussion of other HRM functions that are crucial to building a talent force such as training and career development, job analysis and design, performance management and promotion. Although these functions are discussed in this book, I would have liked to have seen the authors provide their views and experience concerning the role of these HRM functions in building and maintaining a talent force. Given the authors argue for a more integrative approach to managing a talent force a more integrative approach to the HR functions would have strengthened the book. Talent Force is not directed at an academic audience. Greater fusion of academic literature and the authors experience may have also strengthened this book.

Talent Force is an interesting and thought provoking read particularly for owners of businesses, managers, HR professionals and management students. The interesting and topical examples of the costs of not managing talent and benefits associated with managing talent are excellent. The step‐by‐step approach of this book sets itself apart from most contemporary HRM textbooks. The reader is left not only empowered, but with a roadmap of how to build a talent force within their organisation. The most useful sections of this book in my view were the discussion of talent market trends, building a competitive talent organisation, measurement of tangible talent and talent forces for tomorrow. The talent force metric section itself will be extremely valuable to practitioners attempting to demonstrate the bottom‐line outcomes of talent management.

Overall, Talent Force is a great read, its format is easy to read and the information easily digestible. I think Talent Force is great value for money and would greatly recommend its purchase for managers, CEO's and HR practitioners, MBA students and job seeks.