Talent management in Spanish medium-sized organisations

Although the literature on talent management (TM) has grown considerably in the last decade, with the bulk of previous research concentrating on large MNCs, there has been little development on how it applies to small- and medium-sized enterprises and particularly to medium-sized organisations (MSOs), nor to many countries outside Anglo-Saxon management traditions. This study aims to contribute by studying the concept and practices of TM in MSOs in Spain. A multiple case study methodology was used in order to analyse TM perceptions, definitions and practices. The results show very little awareness of the term and rhetoric of TM even when TM principles and practices are applied. We conclude that TM must go beyond specific practices in order to represent a truly strategic approach to effectively deploying human talent, especially as some typical human resource policies associated with TM in large companies do not necessarily apply to MSOs.