Talent management with impact​

While strategy sets the targets, it is up to talent to make it executable. When value pools shift (new markets, cost pressures, technology transitions) the system recalibrates the roles and redeploys people accordingly. That is how talent management becomes a strategic operating system instead of a set of disconnected programmes.

Getting talent management right

When you wire talent to strategy through clear critical roles, individual development and dynamic deployment, the value shows up at two levels: 1) the organisation executes faster, and 2) the individual grows stronger.

For the organisation, clear benefits include:

• Strategy realisation through enablement and activation of talent
• Strong talent pipeline through talent development and retention
• Business continuity through seamless transitions of business-critical roles
• Top talent attraction based on demonstrated, strong commitment to internal growth opportunities

Whereas the individual talent likely sees it pay off in the form of:

• Increased performance enabled by capability development and exposure to business-critical challenges
• Accelerated growth and clear paths for personal development
• Recognition and opportunities for career advancement

Over time, these gains multiply: faster execution drives engagement and retention, while employees grow and find meaning in their work, perpetuating a positive cycle.

Six ways you could be undermining your talent agenda

We see a clear pattern: well‑intended talent practices are busy but not delivering the business outcomes they exist to serve. In a market defined by capability scarcity, accelerated strategy cycles and mounting cost pressure, the gap between talent effort and value creation is widening.

Without clear impact goals, embedded decision rights, and timely deployment into critical work, organisations burn energy on nominations and courses while critical roles sit vacant, succession depth stalls and mobility lags. The risk is immediate: strategy slows, execution quality erodes, and trust in the talent agenda fades.

The following six pitfalls are the most common – and most fixable – if addressed with discipline, transparency, and a relentless focus on outcomes.

So how do we do it?

You can turn your talent practices into a true competitive advantage by following seven core principles. These principles are grounded in years of hands-on work alongside executive teams and CHROs at some of Europe’s top-performing global businesses. This experience has given us a unique perspective on what works in practice and directly informed our seven carefully crafted principles, which CHROs can adopt to drive real, lasting impact.

Ultimately, business leaders should put the business at the centre. Start by identifying the few business-critical roles and the key talents who will make or break your strategy. Activate these talents through the four reinforcing levers – strategic missions, leadership development, network opportunities, and self-awareness – while supporting the practices with clear communication and modern technology. This approach ensures talent initiatives scale, deliver impact, and become embedded in the organisation.

Leveraging the seven principles to design talent programmes

To secure lasting impact, talent programmes should be designed as a continuum – and not just focus on the ‘during’ part. In fact, it can be argued that real impact is created in the ‘before’ and captured in the ‘after,’ yet these phases are all too often neglected:

Turning talent into impact

The stakes for talent management have never been higher. In an environment defined by accelerated strategy cycles, scarce capabilities, and constant disruption, businesses that succeed will be those that treat talent not as an HR programme, but as a core operating system for execution. The organisations that identify the few roles and individuals that truly move the needle, activate them with strategic missions, and support them through leadership development, networks, and self-awareness are the ones that will translate ambition into outcomes.

For CHROs, this is a unique opportunity to step into the role of strategic architect – bridging the CEO’s vision with the organisation’s ability to deliver. For CEOs, it is a chance to secure a future-proof leadership bench and an engine for execution that is as dynamic as the markets you operate in. And for talent managers, it is the mandate to design programmes that not only develop people but also move strategy forward.

When talent and strategy are wired together, the result is clear: faster execution, stronger leadership pipelines, and sustained business performance. In short, talent management done right is not just about people growth; it is about business growth.

Reference list

Gartner, 2024: Gartner HR Research Finds CEOs Rank Workforce as a Top Three Business Priority, Behind Growth and Technology.

EY Global, 2025: Americas board priorities 2025

Deloitte, 2023: How can better talent management improve corporate competitiveness?