The Towers Watson 13th annual HR Service Delivery Survey reports an increase of 20% in HR interest in talent management. 42% of more than 450 companies chose “talent/performance systems” as this years top issue.

Mercers Future of Talent Management study found employers reshaping talent management programs as economy shifts toward growth with more than half rating talent management as a top priority now and three quarters seeing it as essential to success in the coming years.

These affirm earlier studies of CEOs, executive talent perspectives, and corporate boards that talent management is a top business priority and a good job is the number one personal goal around the world.

Its clear that the perception of talent management has gone from a nice-to-have expenditure to a must-have investment. Why? Lets quote Watson Wyatt on the talent management advantage in business:

Companies with superior human capital practices can create more than double the shareholder value than companies with average human capital practices.