Talent on Demand

Chapter 3 Appendix

An International Comparison

It is interesting by way of comparison to see what has happened to talent management practices in other countries. In the United Kingdom and especially in Europe, for example, legal constraints make it difficult to lay off and dismiss employees. That, in turn, makes it difficult to use outside hiring as a talent strategy, and this might keep the focus more closely on internal development.

The use of three practices—career planning for individuals, succession planning for organizations, and high-potential, or “high-flyer,” programs—seems higher than in the United States, although the variation across countries is extraordinary, as figure 3-A indicates. Only about one-third of companies in the European ...