Effective talent management is vital to retaining and engaging employees during the recession, according to a series of case studies carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Fighting Back Through Talent Innovation investigates the different ways in which ten organisations are finding creative solutions to talent management in the downturn and is part of wider CIPD research entitled War on Talent.

Researchers found companies were engaging in building employer brand and profile, providing business critical training to develop key talent and developing innovative business suggestions through internal talent pools and leadership exchange groups.

Claire McCartney, CIPD adviser on resourcing and talent planning, said: “While these initiatives and practices have been kick-started in response to the adverse economic climate, the organisations featured in this research are also keeping a longer-term perspective and thinking about sustainability.

"Organisations should be clear about how any new measures fit with their long term talent strategies and should avoid any temptation to abandon some practices that are working well when the upturn emerges."

The report echoes findings from the first phase of the CIPD War on Talent research and shows that new ideas are being implemented in order to develop talent when budgets are tightened.

The CIPD say employee engagement, particularly for those identified as talent, has increased partly due to intensified focus on talent performance and retention, but also because many employees are working on higher profile projects and thereby increasing their visibility with senior management.

Researchers conclude that the case studies demonstrate efforts to up the ante on engagement and development in creative ways are paying off.

“It’s encouraging to see that talent management has increasingly come under the spotlight during the recession. It proves that organisations do realise the value of their employees and are keen to retain existing talent in order to survive and thrive in the upturn,” said McCartney.

More broadly, the research suggests that during the recession, absence and performance management, employee engagement and line manager support and development have become the priority for most organisations.

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