The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) conducted a global online survey of 153 executives in June 2006, supplementing the findings with 22 in-depth interviews, to produce Technology Executive Connections: Successful Strategies for Talent Management.

This is the third edition of PWC’s Technology Executive Connections series. The first survey probed technology executives on environmental issues and impacts; the second examined convergence and M&A challenges.

The focus of this survey shows talent management is becoming a more important issue for technology companies. The findings support the need to implement successful talent management strategies and practices.

The study’s four principal observations:

1. A priority with failing grades. Many technology executives are making human capital management a greater priority, but the survey shows they do not have a high regard for their firms’ capabilities in this area.

2. Acquiring hybrids. Executives are beginning to experience a painful scarcity for the essential employee: that talented, technically-savvy individual who can collaborate, innovate, and manage change.

3. Harvesting talent from within. Technology companies worldwide are focusing on personnel development and training, and, by inference, on the retention of new hires and existing personnel.

4. Managing global markets and global talent. Nearly half of all technology companies say they difficulty finding technical talent in emerging markets, and just under half say these difficulties include the retention of skilled people around the globe.

Here’s two other resources on how you can use talent management to make a difference: Hidden ROI of Talent Acquisition & Mobility: The Executive's Primer and Make Your Hiring Process Faster, Better, and Cheaper: An Action Framework for Your Organization.