Managing Talent: Recruiting, Retaining & Getting The Most From Talented People

– Marion Devine & Michael Syrett

Drawing on original research, including interviews with senior executives, recruitment specialists and people considered to be “talented” within their multinational organizations, Managing Talent outlines: how companies such as Google, Apple, Santander, Mars, Unilever, PepsiCo, Nokia, Olam International, Tata Chemicals and Bank of America are facing the challenge of skills shortages and developing the talent they need. Full of useful insights and practical help for those who are responsible for the success of their organization and employees.

Shaping Africa’s Talent: Enabling Africa’s Potential

– Edited by Terry Meyer

This book provides insight into what leading thinkers and organisations do to build, develop and retain their talent. The contributors comprise academics, consultants and organisational leaders, all of who have a wealth of expertise and experience in talent management. The contributors provide high level strategic frameworks as well as practical tools to implement talent management processes, including comprehensive case studies from some of South Africa’s leading companies.

Bounce: The Myth Of Talent & The Power Of Practice

– Matthew Syed

This book is an exploration of what it takes to be the best and the true nature of talent. Many cherished myths about winners and talent are debunked, such as a lucky few are born effortlessly brilliant or that we’re restricted by our genetics and social background. Surprising discoveries on the nature of talent are uncovered, why belief can matter for performance, why some people win and others choke, and how a Hungarian father turned all three of his daughters into the three best chess players in history. Talent isn’t what you might think it is!

The Rare Find: How Great Talent Stands Out

– George Anders

Anyone who recruits for talent faces the same basic challenge, whether we work for a big company, a new start-up, a Hollywood studio, a hospital, or the Green Berets. We all wonder how to tell the who are the outstanding prospects from the ones who look great on paper but then fail on the job. Or, equally important, how to spot the ones who don’t look so good on paper but might still deliver extraordinary performance! In a tough economy, it’s more important than ever to make every talent decision count. Find out what the world’s savviest talent judges do differently from the rest of us, including: how the U.S. Army finds soldiers with the character to be in Special Forces without asking them to fire a single bullet; why the best scouts at an elite basketball tournament are watching the players who don’t have the ball; how researchers are reinventing the process of hiring for the Fortune 500 CEOs; and much more.

The Long Tail: Why the future of business is selling less of more

– Chris Anderson

What happens when the bottlenecks between supply-and-demand are removed and everything becomes more available to everyone? Digital commerce offers the possibility of eliminating much of the friction inherent in supply-and-demand, with massive cost reduction, too. Think Amazon. Unlimited selection for consumers is revealing new truths about what consumers really want and how they want to get it. The one-size-fits-all supply model fails to meet the new demand for an unlimited variety of unique tastes. The result? The rise of the niche! The Long Tail is really about the economics of abundance. New efficiencies in distribution, manufacturing, and marketing are essentially resetting the definition of what’s commercially viable across the board. If the 20th century was about hits, the 21st will be equally about niches. It changes everything! [And everything includes employer branding and talent attraction, as well as what top talent now expect from employers.]