PERSPECTIVES OF TALENT MANAGEMENT: EVIDENCE FROM CZECH AND SLOVAK BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS

Despite the growing attention being paid to talent management in the literature, little empirical research has been conducted on applying talent management in various organisations, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, our empirical survey examines talent management practices from the perspective of different sized enterprises in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The findings are based on data collection from 174 enterprises in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Overall, the survey indicates that talent management is not of primary concern to most organisations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. These findings are not particularly surprising, as talent management is not a key issue for most organisations, particularly SMEs. Nevertheless, we argue that talent management is a crucial challenge for all organisations aiming to enhance their competitive advantages. This study’s major findings prove that enterprise size is a relevant determinant of approaches to talent management and its practice within the enterprises. Several important differences between SMEs and large organisations were found. First, SMEs adopt a more exclusive approach to talent than do large firms, where an inclusive approach dominates. Furthermore, SMEs’ strategic approach to talent management is limited, with most adopting an ad hoc approach to talent management practices. Thus, the shift towards holistic and strategic approaches to talent management constitutes one of the most important challenges for those organisations. The research survey raises a number of important issues that should be considered by enterprises when they engage in talent management. The survey has added to our understanding of the talent management implementation in different types of enterprises.