Global talent management: what does it mean for expatriates?

Over the past decade global talent management (GTM) has emerged as a key theme in the field of international human resource management (IHRM). A key element of the global talent strategies of many multinational enterprises has been the international mobility of employees, illustrating the central role of expatriation in GTM. However, little is known about the relationship between GTM and global mobility, particularly the implications of GTM for individual expatriates. Much of the literature that has considered the relationship between GTM and global mobility has taken an organizational perspective, foregrounding organizational objectives while relegating individual assignee perspectives to the background. Unlike much of the literature on the topic, this chapter will consider what GTM means for individual expatriates. Using the expat cycle – which considers the pre-assignment, assignment, and post assignment stages of an international assignment, the chapter considers how global talent systems impact the decisions individuals make around global mobility, their experiences while on assignment, and the career implications of global mobility in light of global talent systems.