An exploration of the challenges associated with the recruitment of Talent for an Irish Political Party.

Talent within an organisation consists of those individuals who display the highest levels of potential and assist an organisation in the improvement of the overall performance (CIPD, 2014). The implementation of a talent management model by an organisation is the systematic process of attraction, identification, development, retention and progression. The primary concern of this dissertation is to explore the challenges associated with the recruitment of talent. The research was carried out in an Irish Political Party. The party which is the focus of this study is currently experiencing challenges in the attraction and recruitment of talent. This dissertation investigated these challenges in relation to the ‘War for Talent’. The researcher carried out a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. A total of five interviews were conducted. The interviewees consisted of three senior employees of the political party and two independent Human Resource consultants. The findings of the research identified the main elements of attraction and the challenges experienced by the political party in relation to the recruitment of talent. An exploration was also conducted into the appropriateness of a talent management model for this particular party. The researcher identified that a formalised Human Resource structure was not practiced. In the light of this analysis the researcher recommends an adaptation of a talent management model to unite the entire workforce and to assist in the development of a better Human Resource practice