MACMILLAN Digital Talent Management: Insights from the Information Technology and Communication Industry

This book highlights the importance of talent management practices in recruiting, developing and retaining talented professionals in the digital and IT&C industry. It unpacks the distinctive characteristics of ‘digital talent’ represented by a wide spectrum of professionals and managers with digital abilities, competencies and skills who add considerable value to organizations and industries worldwide. It shows that despite digital talent’s increased variety and significant contribution to digital transformation processes, much of the existing human resource and talent management research and practice fail to account for their distinctiveness. This book calls for the need for a new kind of talent management, referred to as ‘digital talent management’ (DTM) that is applicable to digital talent and decidedly integrates digital talent’s distinctive characteristics into talent management strategies and practices in a human-centered manner. Drawing upon existing, yet disconnected, streams of literature and empirical evidence derived from the information technology and communication (IT&C) industry, this book defines digital talent and delineates strategies to attract, develop and retain them for an uncertain and renewed future.  From the Back Cover Digital Talent Management advances the concept of ‘digital talent’ and delineates strategies to attract, develop and retain them amidst large-scale digital transformation and an unpredictable future. It integrates existing, albeit fragmented, streams of scientific research on talent management and digital work, as well as empirical evidence from the information technology and communication industry.The book argues that digital talent is becoming increasingly essential to organizations across multiple industries and sectors. Organizational success will therefore depend on the ability to attract and develop digital talent in ways that support digital talent retention.  The authors call for a new, specific breed of talent management, referred to as ‘digital talent management’ (DTM). DTM addresses the questions of what characterizes digital talent, and how these distinctive characteristics should be integrated into organizational talent management strategies and practices in a human-centered way. Sorin Dan (Ph.D., KU Leuven) is postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vaasa, Finland. Dr. Dan’s expertise includes talent management, administrative reform and innovation studies. Diana Ivana (Ph.D., Babeș-Bolyai University) is lecturer at Babeş-Bolyai University and HR manager at NTT DATA Romania. Dr. Ivana’s work centers on talent management, quality management and entrepreneurship. Monica Zaharie (Ph.D., Babeș-Bolyai University) is associate professor at Babeș-Bolyai University. Dr. Zaharie’s expertise includes human resource management, talent management and international assignments. Daniel Metz (Ph.D., Babeș-Bolyai University) is CEO at NTT DATA Romania and associate lecturer at Babeș-Bolyai University. Dr. Metz was previously the founder and CEO of EBS Romania, a company founded in 2000 and acquired by NTT DATA in 2013. Mihaela Drăgan (Ph.D., Babeș-Bolyai University) is professor and head of the department of economics and business administration in German language at Babeș-Bolyai University. About the Author Sorin Dan (Ph.D., KU Leuven) is postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vaasa’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship InnoLab, Finland. Dr. Dan’s expertise includes talent management, innovation studies and administrative reform. His research has been published by Palgrave Macmillan and journals, such as Public Management Review and Public Performance & Management Review. Diana Ivana (Ph.D., Babeș-Bolyai University) is lecturer at Babeş-Bolyai University and HR manager at NTT DATA Romania. Her work focuses on talent management, quality management and entrepreneurship. In both her research and teaching, Dr. Ivana has extensivel