Staff, employees and the people that work for an organisation are often referred to as talent. Sometimes HR teams use talent when referring to people they’re trying to recruit or those with special abilities.
What is talent?
Although ‘talent’ can be used as a generic term in HR for those that the organisation is trying to recruit, talent can also sometimes refer to those people that possess a combination of skills, knowledge, cognitive ability and potential to drive overall business performance. Such high-performing employees are often seen as having future leadership capability to help the organisation achieve its strategic objectives.
Talent can also be used by HR professionals in more specific ways. These include recruitment, which is identifying and hiring candidates with the right competencies and cultural fit, and talent management, meaning strategically developing and retaining high-potential employees.
Things to know
- Whether an organisation uses the noun ‘talent’ to refer to all employees being valued or to refer to their elite performers, it should be used consistently
- Recruiting and retaining the right talent — whether high-flyers or the entire workforce — is essential to an organisation’s success
- HR teams also sometimes refer to ‘talent pools’ which are sources of promising candidates, such as those who’ve applied for a job and passed early screening
- Talent encompasses innate, natural abilities (those we’re born with) and learned skills we develop through our lives and work — both are key for business success
- The word ‘talent’ has also found its way into the relevant functional job titles, so an executive who used to be known as HR or Personnel Director might now be called Chief Talent Officer
FAQs
Is talent the same as employees?
Talent is often used as a broad term for an organisation's workforce. However, some organisations also use the term to describe employees with specialised, high-demand or leadership skills.
Can talent refer to a specific group of employees?
Yes. In some organisations, talent may refer to employees with critical skills, high potential or expertise that is particularly important to business objectives.
How does payroll data support talent decisions?
Payroll data can provide insights into workforce costs, tenure, turnover, role distribution and other workforce trends that support people-related decision-making.
How is talent different from workforce?
Workforce generally refers to all employees within an organisation. Talent is often used more broadly to emphasise employee capability, skills, experience and potential.
