High Noon in the War for Talent - How MNC’s establish their global talents pools

Abstract

Abstract Global talent management has been widely discussed in academia during the last decade and is described as one of the keys for future success. Nevertheless the methods and procedures for the best practices are still not fully understood. This study focuses on the use of global talent pools for which multinational corporations (MNC) establish groups of individuals foreseen to take on important roles in the top tier management of the organization. Earlier researches are lacking to explain how these pools are established and for what purpose. By investigating a number of global MNCs this study shows that the creation of global talent pools not only focuses on human capital retention but also is a tool used to emphasize control of subsidiaries creating a role somewhat similar to expats. Furthermore by gathering talents into pools, social bonds between the members are formed which are seen as very valuable for forming an inter-organizational network. Another important aspect from the research findings is the homogeneity of people in these groups where mid-age Caucasian men dominate, highlighting the failure in fulfilling company diversity goals.