I’m preparing an article for next week looking at the so-called “talent management slump”. Back in the autumn, consultants and software suppliers I talked to all impressed on me how talent management and succession planning would be paramount during tough times as companies looked to make staff cuts that wouldn’t harm their capability and to ensure the people they kept remained motivated and productive going forward.

But the way industry analyst Josh Bersin sees it, 2009 has been “a bit of a disaster” for companies supplying systems to automate talent management functions. “The recession clearly forced most corporate and government buyers to postpone their purchases,” he noted.

How have these patterns and arguments played out within your organisation? As McDonald’s chief people officer David Fairhurst suggested this week, has the downturn pushed talent to the top of your board’s agenda – or has your firm gone into its shell on the subject and put it on the back burner until there’s a better opportunity to invest in strategic HR initiatives?

I look forward to hearing what’s happening out there and will share your experiences and insights in next week’s piece. Thanks in advance for your help.
_________________________
John Stokdyk, Technology editor