People and Organisations Principles and Practice in Global Context : Talent Management

Talent Management in Healthcare Sector

Photograph 01

What is Talent Management?

“Talent consist of those individuals who can make a difference to organizational performance, either through their immediate contribution or in the longer term by demonstrating the higher levels of potential. “ Talent management is the process of identifying, developing, recruiting, retaining and developing those talented people.

In Healthcare Context

Photograph 02

TM has a significant impact on the patient safety, timely access to care, and cost control which are considered the most critical operational issues in healthcare organizations (Ogden, 2010). According NHS Leadership Academy “TM should consider all individuals in an organization. It should cover the development they require, the value they bring, and the position(s) that best suit their skills currently and into the future within an organization and elsewhere in their career journey. Talent and career development and maximizing their potential is necessary for the retention of employees no matter what their seniority and position within the organization” (NHS Leadership Academy, 2014)

Ogden (2010, p. 80) claims that “TM is in crisis at many hospitals” and “the need for strong healthcare leaders and an engaged workforce is greater than ever”. The greatest problems are: shortages in clinical and nursing leadership, high staff turnover rates, retirement of executives and growing difficulty in attracting cross-industry management talents.

The healthcare sector is facing major shortage of talents - whether it be leadership staff, physicians or nurses. For example, Brightman (2007) sees the problems of the shortage of “talented” physicians in limited career opportunities due to relatively flat medical career ladder in most healthcare organizations. It often results in intent or decision of many physicians to transit from clinical medicine to another “areas” - within or outside the healthcare arena. Both the results of such choices entail problems – physicians leave causes an expensive talent drain, remaining in the organization create crowds of “stalled professionals within the organization.

The size of the organization has an impact on application of the processes and practices of TM. Statistically significant differences were found in the area of (1) education and training for continuous update and development of employees' capabilities, (2) deployment of staff (3) execution of formal performance appraisals on a regular basis.

Photograph 03

The situation in healthcare is not ideal and may become critical. Healthcare employers pay very little attention to creation of policies that encourage career growth and development opportunities not to mention the career and development plans of employees where the situation is even worse. Regarding education and training, the situation is considerably better the implementation of training and development programs in their organizations. Filling key positions by highly qualified employees is not well controlled. Without improvement of HRM and stepping up talent management implementation our hospitals and other healthcare organizations will struggle to keep valued employees.The massive outflow of skilled labor - especially physicians and nurses (to better paid positions in other countries), which we have witnessed in recent years confirms our claim.

References

Armstrong, M, 2009, Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice 11th ed, London: Kogan page.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), (last updated in August 2015). Talent management: an overview (factsheet). Retrieved from http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/talent-managementoverview.aspx

Nilsson, S. & Ellström, P. (2012). Employability and talent management: challenges for HRD practices. European Journal of Training and Development, 36(1), 26-45

NHS Leadership academy (2014, July). Talent conversation tool: a guide for managers and employees. Retrieved from https://www.leadershipacademy. nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PH6023-Leadership-Academy-Talentmanagement-guide1.pdf.

Ogden, G. (2010). Talent management in a time of cost management. Healthcare Financial Management, 64 (3), (Mar 2010), 80-84.

http://iihsciences.edu.lk

https://www.hrzone.com/hr-glossary/what-is-talent-management