Critical Success Factors for Inclusive Talent Management in Malaysia

Abstract

There are two perspectives to talent management (TM) practices, exclusivity and inclusivity. The limelight, however, has been on the widely practised exclusive TM approach through development of high potentials. As part of the 12th Malaysian Plan, the social reengineering goal seeks to attain an inclusive nation. Thus, this paper sets out to outline propositions and a framework on critical success factors (CSFs) of TM followed by potential research questions for future researches. This paper sets out to explore the under-researched area of inclusive TM by studying its critical success factors (CSFs) that would enable applicability in Malaysia by means of an inclusive talent development plan. In doing so, the stakeholder, resource-based view and ability, motivation and opportunity theories can be synchronously utilised. As a result, four CSFs to inclusive talent development were identified, inclusive TM as a priority, the presence of multiple contingent inclusive employee valuation propositions, the need for strategic recruitment passages, and the ability to generate and develop inclusive talents’ knowledge, skills, and abilities. For Malaysia’s government and respective bodies to realise the goal of their inclusivity targets, they need to recognise CSFs of inclusive TM best practices primarily in relation to talent development.