Quid pro Quo? The value and future of graduate programmes through the lens of talent management

Abstract

The value of graduate development programmes (GDPs) from a talent management (TM) perspective is unknown. Attracting graduate talent is a priority for many organisations, as evidenced by the amount of investment contributed to this activity. However, the TM literature to date focuses primarily on talent programmes for existing employees. Less attention has been placed on externally recruited talent pools, in particular graduates. This thesis sets out to uncover the value of GDPs from a TM and psychological contract perspective. It also considers contextual factors that may impact GDP outcomes. Specifically, it investigated the value of GDPs from an individual and organisational level.

An extensive systematic literature review proposed a new definition for graduate TM. It also generated a conceptual model underpinned by several literatures including talent pool segmentation, identity, psychological contract theory and career management which was supported by a qualitative study. This study involved three FTSE 100 organisations from the investment management, technology, and utilities sectors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-seven participants. The findings show the shortfall and labelling of GDP participants as future leaders and the GDP not providing a robust future talent pipeline from an organisational perspective. This was due to the potential misidentification of recruiting graduates as future leaders from the outset, the lack of organisational leadership roles, the transactional nature of GDP structures, mismatched expectations on tenure and career ownership and a lack of delineation between traditional and boundaryless career structures. The study also concluded that the graduates found being labelled as talent as a double-edged sword which was dependent on the internal culture surrounding the GDP.

The study makes several theoretical contributions to the literature on TM, graduate identity, psychological contract and career management. It highlights the consequences of talent status through the rites of passage, the complexities of TM programmes from an organisational and individual level and factors that influence psychological contract reciprocity on GDPs. It seems that the value of GDPs from an organisational perspective aligns more with sustainability goals. However, the value for the individual is being accepted and participation in a GDP as well as being labelled as talent from an external perspective. The practical contribution of this research is to offer ways to reshape GDPs to reflect the unique contextual factors of the world of work. This will ultimately lead to more successful GDP outcomes for both graduates and the organisation in a contemporary career system. Future research could explore further the conceptualisation of graduate TM and GDP structures in boundaryless careers and contemporary career structures.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Melanie Ashleigh: orcid.org/0000-0002-0583-0922

ORCID for Yehuda Baruch: orcid.org/0000-0002-0678-6273

Catalogue record

Export record