Talent 2.0: Reimagining How Talent Drives Success

The world of work has changed dramatically in recent years. What hasn’t changed is the way we approach talent and succession management. The issue is not only that our methods are outdated—it’s also that for all the time invested, most companies are still left without a clear answer to whether they have the talent and successors they need, when and where they need them.

Over the past two years, Korn Ferry has collaborated with leading global companies and academic institutes to understand how the most innovative companies have reimagined their talent and succession management by embracing the following three fundamental shifts:

1. From Static Planning to Dynamic Talent & Succession Management

Innovative companies move beyond outdated processes to real-time talent strategies that solve their most pressing business challenges. They do this through:

• Business-Aligned Talent Strategy: Their talent and succession process focuses solely on driving business outcomes and ensuring business continuity even in turbulent times.
• Agile & Predictive Talent Decisions: AI-driven insights help them forecast risks, anticipate gaps, and provide real-time talent solutions instead of reactive planning.
• Expanding the Definition of Talent: Success isn’t built by the top 3% to 5% of employees alone. They tap into broader talent pools, recognizing diverse types of potential across their organization.

2. From Ownership to Access: The Rise of Talent Ecosystems & Teams

Innovative companies rethink how they acquire, develop, and deploy talent—moving beyond the traditional employment model. They do this by:

• Ending the “War for Talent”: They no longer seek to “own” talent. Instead, they build ecosystems to ensure they “have access” to the right capabilities—when and where needed.
• Putting Super Teams Over Superheroes: They recognize that high-performing teams—not individual superheroes—are the backbone of success. They shift their talent and succession management to optimize team performance and cohesion.
• Redefining Careers and Growth: Employees expect careers on their terms. Innovative companies have created transparent, self-directed pathways to growth.

3. From Process-Driven HR to Human-Centered, Business-Embedded Impact

Innovative companies radically reimagine human resources to deliver value where it matters most and balance the needs of both their people and the business. They do this by:

• Developing Radically Human Talent Strategies: They have built transparent, fair, and engaging talent processes that empower employees and build trust.
• Designing for Experience, Not Just Efficiency: Their talent strategies are built to serve both the needs of the business and the employees.
• Abolishing Traditional HR Silos: The prevailing HR model is being replaced with agile, cross-functional teams focused on solving business problems. Traditional HR COEs cease to exist.

Unlocking Business Value through Innovative Talent Management

Companies that embrace these shifts don’t just manage talent; they create a competitive advantage through their talent and succession approaches. And they deliver an outsized impact:

• Up to 20% increase in productivity
• Twice as agile in responding to market changes
• 25% lower employee turnover
• Two and half times more likely to have a strong talent pipeline

When companies adopt impact-focused, dynamic, ecosystem-based, and human-centered strategies, they can significantly boost productivity, agility, and employee retention while ensuring a robust talent pipeline. Put another way, these talent and succession management shifts drive sustainable business success in a rapidly evolving market.

Click the image to download the full report.

To learn how Korn Ferry helps companies transform their approaches to talent and succession management, read about our Talent Management capabilities.