Author(s): Prof N Dorasamy
This paper aims to examine digitalization and its effect on talent management in an increasing digitalized work environment. Using a comprehensive literature survey of contemporary quantitative and qualitative articles from various sectors, the paper reviews relevant research on talent management and various considerations in managing talent in a highly digitalized work environment. The current global environment has necessitated the digitalization of information which can be accessed via multiple electronic platforms. In maintaining a competitive edge in the age of digitalization, organizations have been forced to attract and develop talent in an attempt to narrow the mismatch between employees and jobs. This has profoundly shifted the dynamics of traditional human resource management toward not only all the functional areas of human resources being virtualized such as e-recruitment, e-selection, e-performance, e-employee development and e-evaluation, but also managing talent through interconnected and integrated elements of human resource management across the entire organization. It is posited that talent management in the public sector requires a shift of training and knowledge required in specialized skills to personality and soft skills associated with technology advancement. The paper argues that since digitalization is connected to complex talent management issues in the face of globalization, multiple capacity development initiatives are needed in various domains within the human resource management network. A conceptual framework focusing on transformational human resource management which employs talent management tools that are integrated throughout the organization is recommended to ensure the continuous availability of a talent pool in an era of evolving technologies and the unpredictability of situations in a globally connected work environment.