Talent Development: What Are We All About?

Talent Management

Many of Islamic Relief’s (IR) leaders have felt the impact of Dr Hany El-Banna’s commitment to talent development within IR since 1984. Dr Hany instinctively believed in developing and retaining talent as a way of strengthening the organisation, and applied his belief by encouraging many individuals to grow and progress within IR.

Many of those who have learned their trade at IR are now applying it elsewhere, within and beyond the sector. Proudly, IR continues to feed the sector with an abundance of talent. Whilst this is a credit to IR’s capacity to identify and develop talent, an integrated Talent Management (TM) would ensure this continues and ties in with IR’s operational goals.

What is Talent Management?

TM is an essential management practice that ensures organisational survival and development. TM is a systemic integrated process, by which organisations identify, attract, develop and retain talented individuals in order to meet the current and future employment needs designed to improve the effectiveness of the organisation. A successful TM programme will help the organisation identify the right person for the right job, at the right time for the organisation. TM is a broad process that brings together a multitude of areas including recruitment, performance management, individual personal development and even succession planning. It is embedded into the organisational culture; built on core values and strategic objectives to deliver organisational outcomes.

Individuals who consistently demonstrate their ability to make a positive difference to the organisation, and have the potential to move at least two levels up from their current position, fall under the ‘talent’ label.

Talent Management and the Future of Islamic Relief

Though difficult to quantify without a detailed analysis, it is easy to imagine the high costs (economic and reputational) of an ineffective or absent TM plan. For example, costs would emerge from a lack of effective leadership; mistakes and poor decisions made by unqualified individuals; and poor recruitment decisions. These costs are all avoidable with a sound TM process.

The Humanitarian Academy for Development (HAD) are currently leading on some key initiatives that enable IR to attract and retain talent, particularly in preparing a new generation of faith-driven relief and development professionals through an internship programme that provides in house training and work-based learning. IR and HAD are working to build on that success and develop a broad TM programme which retains talent and is evidence-based.

Learn more about our internship programme and graduate scheme

Written by Ali Al-Rawni

Internship Manager