This report, in a form of a presentation, contains results of PhD thesis research. It was prepared as a follow-up for the survey conducted during ABSL Chapter Poznań meeting.

1. Talent management
in a process of acquisition and retention of
employees in shared services centers
Aplication conclusions from PhD thesis
dr Julian Dąbrowski

2. Annotation
This report, in a form of a presentation, was prepared as a follow-up for the survey
conducted during ABSL Chapter Poznań meeting.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
As promised I do present some conclusions you may find usefull.
Best regards,
Julian Dąbrowski

3. TALENT management is
an investment
„If you can’t define it, you can’t effectively manage it.”
If you don’t know WHO are your talents, WHAT characterises them and
WHAT is your AIM of managing them (different from managing other
employees), it is going to be difficult for you to effectively manage
them.
Without proper definition and systematic process you may invest
money in wrong people and do it inefficient way.
Talent management is like investing on stock. You can gable or be a
rational investor.
This research is aimed to help those, who choose the second option.

4. Table of contents
1. Aims of report (and PhD thesis).
2. Data collected
3. What is talent and talent
management?
4. Acquisition of potential and actual
employees
5. Retention of potential and actual
employees
6. Proces of talent management

5. 1. Aims of report
1. To describe a structured and coherent talent management proces, possible to implement in
SSC/BPO/ITO.
2. To give insight on differences between expectations of:
1. Employers
2. Actual employees
3. Future employees
In accordance to acquiring and retaining employees and talents.
3. To indicate what organizations can do for more effective acqisition and retention of employees.

6. 2. Data collected
--------------- SSC officials from Poznań Actual employees Potential employees
Data obtained Internet surveys
Internet surveys – based on the
linkedin networks
Paper surveys at
univestities and via Internet
Research group 18 249 1010
Population 32 6200 8048
Percentage of population 56% 4,0% 12,6%
361 reports and verified science articles from all over the world

7. 2. Data collected - profiles
Actual employees
participants 249
(gender)
women 70%
men 30%
Actual employees
(age)
<20 1
20-30 144
31-40 93
41-50 11
Potential employees
participants 1010
(gender)
women 78%
men 22%
Potential employees
(age)
I grade studies 485
II grade studies 525
Potential employees
(work experience)
None 15,0%
Work connected to
field of study
22,1%
Work not connected
to field of study
62,9%
Potential employees are students of UAM (Adam
Mickiewicz University) and UEP (Poznan University of
Economics)– from faculties needed in SSC (e.g.
lingustics, finance, HR, logistics, etc.)

8. 3. What is talent and talent management
Definitions provided based on logical analysis of empirical and theoretical data in a context of SSC.
Talent
A person who is especially important for the organization because of competences
she has and a motivation to develop them and use them.
Talent management (TM) in a context of SSC
A set of actions provided by the organization towards people defined as talents,
with the aim to acquire them or retain, while cooperating, so they can contribute
to achieving established business aims.

9. 51% of potential employees
and
86% of actual employees
think about themselves as a talent!

10. 3. What is talent and talent management?
Definitions of talent categorised from different points of view. Numbers show how many actual employees in
open questions did describe talent as one of shown. Definitions both in closed and open answer questions
where diverse. Organizations should consider if when talent management is implemented everyone know what
conditions are to be met to be defined as a talent.
Talent
131
Talent as competences
2
Innate Acquired
Acquired
basing on
innate
trates
Talent as people
129
Inclusive – all
employees
8
Exclusive – chosen employees
121
Distinguished by personal charakteristics
|119
High
potentials
76
High
Performers
11
Posessing competences…
Uniuque
29
Expert
3
Distinguished
by status
2

11. 3. What is talent and talent management?
There is a long lasting question is it good to tell people if they are or not in a talent management group. A
graph shows how actual employees asked about their emotions towards TM in their organization answered.
Conclusion – most people like to be in TM groups, and if they are not they find it neutral (or positive!). Most
negative emotions appear when there is no TM.

12. Important note
All below presented data show declerations of researched groups – and that means this
may in some cases differ from real life reactions.
Presented conclusions are based on a variety of question from research – not only ones
presentem below.

13. 4. Acquisition of potential and actual employees
Most important factors from point of view of all groups when considered arguments for CHOOSING future employer:
1. Higher salaries
2. Development opportunities
3. Promotion opportunities
4. Flexible work time
Factor
Potential
employees
Actual employees
SSC officials about
employees
Biggest differences in answers by
P-value
Higher salaries 76% 53% 69% 0.0003419
Development opportunities 52% 67% 87,5% 1.202e-06
Promotion opportunities 42% 19% 56% 0.0001596
Flexible work time 27% 37% 87,5% 2.244e-13
Differences in answers between groups. Colours mark highes (green) and lowes (yelow) answer.
Conclusions:
• Flexible time and development opportunities are less interesting for potential employees then employers think.
• Most actual employees much more then promotions seek development opportunities on current posts. It is even more important
then salaries.
• Potential employees may not know what are real life salaries on a labour market.
• The most valueble information about new employer participants take from corrent or previous employees working in a particular
organization they may want to apply for.

14. 5. Retention of potential and actual employees
Most important factors from point of view of all groups when considered arguments for RETAINING in the organization:
1. Good atmosphere
2. Defined possibilities of development
3. Outstanding salaries
Factor
Potential
employees
Actual employees
SSC officials about
employees
Biggest differences in answers
by P-value
Diversity of tasks 18% 24% 44% 0.01204
Outstanding salaries 71% 57% 44% 0.003009
Engaging in strategic tasks 6% 27% 19% 6.606e-10
Differences in answers between groups. Colours mark highes (green) and lowes (yelow) answer.
Conclusions:
•Top 3 factors important for retaining employee are commonly stated. Nevertheless other factors like flexible worktime and high
supervisor competence where close to the top.
•CSR projects were rated not important factor.
•Good atmosphere was numer 1 factor forretaining in organization – both for potential and actual employees.
•Diversity of tasks is declared not to be a great problem for employees.

15. 5. Retention of potential and actual employees
Differences in answers between groups. Colours mark highes (green) and lowes (yelow) answer.
Most important factors from point of view of all groups when considered arguments for LEAVING in the organization :
1. Lack of appreciation ,
2. Limited possibilities of development,
3. Outestanding salaries,
4. Conflicts with supervisors
Czynnik
Potential
employees
Actual employees
SSC officials about
employees
Biggest differences in
answers by P-value
Lack of appreciation 74% 52% 69% 0.0002519
Recurrence of tasks 15% 37% 6% 2.101e-06
Limited possibilities of development, 44% 59% 63% 0.01883
Not being engaged in strategic tasks 1% 15% 13% 2.947e-06
Conclusions:
•The lack of appreciation of work and effort is indicated as no. 1 reason for leaving work.
•In circumstances when managers cannot modify salaries or offer a lot of formal development opportunities, the culture of feedback
can be the easies way to guarantee the employee his sense of being appreciated.
•Diversity of tasks is not a reason toretain in organization but their recurrence is for 1/3 employees in the sector a reason for leaving
the job.
•Conflicts with supervisors where notem 4th in the list of reasons for making a decision of changing work place

16. Statistically significant differences between ACTUAL
EMPLOYEES answers
Descibing variable Statistically significant diferences
Place in organizational structure the higher the place in the structure, the less interest in external courses
the lower the place in the organizational structure, the more interest in receiving remuneration for belonging to a group
of talents
the higher the place in the structure, the more important are the high competences of the superiors - to want to remain
in the organization
the higher the place in the structure, the greater willingness to implement projects of strategic importance
the lower the place in the structure, the more important element of above-average remuneration as a factor
determining staying in the workplace
number of foreign languages
mastered
the more well-known foreign languages, the bigger interest in participating in comprehensive development programs
the more well-known foreign languages, the more interest in external courses
the size of employment at the
current employer
employees of enterprises with the size of 300-1000 people expect additional remuneration for participation in talent
programs
flexible working time is more important if the respondent works in a larger organization
in the larger organization the respondent works, the more often the feeling of lack of appreciation will be the reason to
leave the organization
the smaller the organization, the more significant reason for leaving is working with incompetent colleagues
length of employment within the
current organization
flexible working time is important for the majority of employees, but especially for people with experience working in
SSC over 2 years
higher pay in another workplace is very important for people with less than 2 years of work experience in a given
organization and less important for people working for more than 2 years
for people working over 2 years, conflicts with superiors are an important reason for leaving the organization. Two times
more often indicated than in the case of people with less seniority
age of the respondent above-average remuneration is more important for people aged 20-30 than people in the age group> 30 and <40
Higher remuneration in another place of work is a significant reason for leaving for employees under 30 years of age and
less important for people over 30 years of age
gender Higher pay will be a more important motivating factor for changing jobs for men than women

17. Statistically significant differences between POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES answers
Diferentiating variable Statistically significant diferences
Type of university
choosing a place of work, PUE students are more interested in development opportunities than UAM students
UAM students consider the possibility of cross-border trips to be an important element of the company's choice
UAM students pointing to the criteria of talent selection important from their point of view indicated: creative thinking, team work
skills and specialist knowledge
UAM students indicating the criteria for the selection of talents, which were important from their point of view, more frequently
indicated the willingness of self-development than the UEP
vocational training is more often expected by students of UEP than UAM
UEP students more often than UAM expect feedback on their competences
UEP students more often than UAM expect feedback on their competences
UAM students more often than UEP expect additional remuneration after joining a group of talents
lack of working of strategic tasks will be the reason for leaving more often for UEP graduates and students than UAM
for UAM graduates and students, the culture and atmosphere at work is more important than UEP
Gender
the ability to learn effectively is more important for women than for men
women expect vocational training more often than men
women more often than men expect funding for education
women more often than men expect coaching
Lengh of
work experience
the longer your professional experience, the greater your interest in receiving feedback on your competences
longer professional experience is associated with greater willingness to use development through mentoring. However, this does
not apply to people who know more than 2 foreign languages
the longer their professional experience, the lack of opportunities to develop their competences becomes a more important
reason for leaving the organization
Leadership experience greater interest in receiving feedback on their competences takes place among people with experience in leadership positions
Known foreign
languages
the greater number of foreign languages mastered is associated with a greater willingness to participate in foreign trips. People
with leadership experience, however, are not interested in it to a small extent
University degrees
flexible working time is more important for people at the undergraduate level than for bachelor graduates
the variety of tasks is more important for bachelor graduates
Bachelor's graduates as a criteria of talent selection more often indicated self-development and pro-active willingness - similarly
to SSC employees
Bachelor's graduates - similarly to employees of SSC, more often indicate conflicts with their superiors as a reason for reluctance
to continue working for a given employer

18. Talent introduction
Internal labour
market
Selection
External labour
market
Remuneration
Work conditions
Development
Succesion or
relocation
Upkeep
Organization
exit
Evaluation
Talent activation Talent finalization
The business objectives of the organization are implemented by talent
management - and resulting from superior strategies or goals.
Ways of influencing talent resources
HR needs required to achieve set business goals
The concept of talent management
6. Talent management process

20. Stage
The needs of potential
and actual employees
The possibility to meet the need
Talent
introduction
indicating opportunities for
employee development
presenting possible career paths
information on working
conditions
providing employees with good enough conditions to want to promote the employer themselves.
work in an important
organization
promoting organization as part of a capital group
getting a higher salary
Informing on pay conditions and methods for raising remuneration - with particular emphasis on
efficiency bonuses
information on average pay in the industry and with an average wage in similar sectors and an
advantage of the SSC in this regard
Development
Creating real conditions for
development
creation of comprehensive development programs
organizing events in the field of competence development,
create conditions for the emergence of a learning organization and competence centers
clearly defining career paths
Remuneration
receiving a higher /
competitive salary
indicating clear conditions for obtaining a raise
receiving benefit packages /
social packages
introduction of benefit packages corresponding to employees' expectations,
introducing additional benefit packages for people from the talent group - except that they should in
particular include activities that increase the value of the employee
opportunities for promotion
inform about internal promotions carried out in the organization,
give talents feedback on what conditions must be met in order to be treated as potential successors
discussing the possibilities of promotion with talents,
determining whether an employee is interested inpromotion or only on changing the scope of tasks or
financial remuneration

21. Stage
The needs of potential
and actual employees
The possibility to meet the need
Work
conditions
friendly work atmosphere
listening to the opinions of employees who are leaving,
several-week onboarding training
flexible work time and place
offer home office
take care about work-life balance
choose the office location well in terms of accessibility
making your work more
attractive.
introducing various tasks and taking over new processes within the SSC,
providing the opportunity to participate in international trips in connection with work
provide time needed for the opportunity to improve your professional activities.
Talent
finalization
a sense of appreciation
developed in the management of competencies needed to provide reliable feedback based on
respect for the interlocutor,
appreciating and promoting professional and personal success of employees,
creating conditions in which good work is noticed and rewarded - also financially
limiting unsolved conflict
situations
developing the competence of conducting dialogue among employees and executives,
preparing talents for working in conflict situations,
equipping the managerial staff with the competences needed to conduct difficult conversations
with employees,
Introducing a culture in which each conflict is to lead to solving the problem
good time management and
work organization
teaching employees how to organize their work, and managers organizing the work of
subordinate employees
developing employees, especially talents, competencies needed to perform tasks
independently,
precise determination of responsibilities within the framework of tasks performed by
employees.

22. Clustering of research participants
Clusters
1
„Actual employees”
2
„Seeking
development”
3
„Seeking safety"
4
„Seeking comfort” SUM
Participants in group 233 394 299 333
Respondent age Number % in all Number % in all Number % in all Number % in all Sum in Sum %
<20 1 3,0% 18 54,5% 2 6,1% 12 36,4% 33 100,0%
20-30 134 12,1% 368 33,1% 290 26,1% 320 28,8% 1112 100,0%
>31-40 98 86,0% 8 7,0% 7 6,1% 1 0,9% 114 100,0%
Known foreign languages Number % in all Number % in all Number % in all Number % in all Sum in Sum %
0 2 4,8% 12 28,6% 17 40,5% 11 26,2% 42 100,0%
1 81 12,3% 211 32,0% 174 26,4% 193 29,3% 659 100,0%
2 98 22,2% 141 32,0% 99 22,4% 103 23,4% 441 100,0%
3 or more 52 44,4% 30 25,6% 9 7,7% 26 22,2% 117 100,0%
Status Number % in all Number % in all Number % in all Number % in all Sum in Sum %
Potential employee 7 0,7% 383 37,9% 289 28,6% 331 32,8% 1010 100,0%
Actual employee 226 90,4% 11 4,4% 11 4,4% 2 0,8% 250 100,0%
IMPORTANT
Clustering of respondents allowed to find out that they can be divided in 4 groups – according to the similarity of answers. Gropu of
actual employees (mostly cluster 1) gave answers distinticiveley different then potential employees but those who were the closest to
them were participants from cluster 2. Their profile you can see above.
According to answers:
cluster 2 can be named seeking for development,
cluster 3 seeking safety,
cluster 4 seeking comfort.
All cluster were potential employees from faculties from which actual SSC employees come from.

23. Threats for effective talent
management
According to research
1. Imprecise communication about the ideas
and principles of talent management
2. Lack of precision in defining talent and TM
aims.
3. Lack of long-term planning of staffing
needs
4. Lack of connection of talent management
with SSC business goals
5. Insuficient management skills to work with
talents
6. No transfer of responsibility for
development to talent itself.

24. Final annotations
For further information, implementation conclusions or interepretations I remain
at your disposal: julian.dabrowski@mps.net.pl
Some of practical results, together with implementation methods I present during
Talent Management clasess on MBA program (Poznan University of Economics).

25. Talent management
in a process of acquisition and retention of
employees in shared services centers
Aplication conclusions from PhD thesis
dr Julian Dąbrowski