Organizations With a Talent Management Framework Are 1.5 Times More Likely to Have High Organizational Performance, Says HR Firm McLean & Company

A new research snapshot from McLean & Company, one of the world's leading HR research and advisory firms, emphasizes that effective talent management (TM) better enables organizations to align talent practices with strategic organizational goals. The firm also outlines in the resource a four-step talent management framework development process for HR leaders seeking to affirm HR as a strategic organizational partner and enabler of transformation along their TM journeys.

TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The number one priority for HR in 2025 is developing leaders, according to McLean & Company's HR Trends Report 2025 Preview, marking the first time in five years that recruitment hasn't been at the top of the list. However, to effectively develop leaders and internal talent, organizations must have effective talent management programs and practices in place. In response to the need for talent management support, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company has recently published a new research snapshot, Develop a Talent Management Framework. The snapshot is an efficient, easily consumable summary of the firm's full TM framework research and serves to highlight critical research findings, benefits of effective talent management, and the firm's four-step process for TM framework development.

The snapshot explains that talent management includes programs and processes that support the evaluation, performance, growth, and mobility of employees within the organization. The firm's resource also highlights that a talent management framework uses strategic-level inputs, including the broader HR strategy, to create a curated framework of talent programs with intentional connections between them. According to McLean & Company research, organizations with a documented TM strategy are 1.5 times more likely to have high overall organizational performance.

"Creating a shared purpose for the framework that addresses talent needs is critical to ensure that different talent management programs are aligned," says Grace Ewles, director, HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. "Defining the shared objectives across programs also assures that cross-functional collaboration within talent management continues beyond the creation of the framework. To inform the purpose, HR leaders must consider the desired outcomes, potential differing needs across employee segments and demographics, and the benefits of creating intentional linkages between talent management programs."

As part of the snapshot, McLean & Company outlines a four-step process HR leaders can use to develop a TM framework, outlined below.

1. Step 1: Identify the talent management purpose through the identification of key players and review of strategic documents to uncover talent management needs.
2. Step 2: Review the talent management framework to evaluate the effectiveness of existing talent management programs. Then, identify which programs need to be modified, maintained, or added, and assess the effort of the required program changes.
3. Step 3: Identify linkages in the talent management framework through mapping critical milestones, assessing linkages between current programs, and prioritizing and creating a roadmap to address changes to the framework.
4. Step 4: Plan to launch by creating and validating a talent management scorecard to track success, then creating an annual calendar and project plans for individual programs. Finally, plan to evaluate and iterate the talent management framework on an ongoing basis.

Additional McLean & Company tools to support HR leaders implementing the four-step TM framework development process include:

• McLean Employee Experience Monitor
• Strategy Discovery Tool
• Talent Management Framework Workbook
• Talent Management Presentation Template
• Talent Management Program Assessment Tool

To access the research snapshot or to explore the full resource, please visit Develop a Talent Management Framework.

To learn more about an accessible way to accelerate a TM framework development project through McLean & Company's Develop a Talent Management Framework workshop, please visit the official workshop page.

To register for McLean & Company's free upcoming webinar inspired by the firm's HR Trends Report 2025, please visit the registration page for January 16 at 1pm ET or the registration page for January 23 at 1pm ET.

Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on HR Trends in 2025, HR's critical role in digital transformation, the future of work, and more can contact Senior Communications Manager Kelsey King at [email protected].     

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.

McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE McLean & Company