Navigating Talent Management in the New Normal: Challenges and Opportunities After COVID-19 Disruption

The disruption caused by the lockdown found many organizations worldwide unprepared to have a quick and powerful reaction to this challenge. Organizations faced the reality of a new normal, caracterized by the necesity to implement epidemiological protection measures, manage virtual teams, adapt to travel restrictions and to supply chain disruption. The pandemic had also brought important transformations in terms of talent management. In this dynamic and fast changing world, organizations, in order to maintain their competitive advantage, are obliged to enhance talent management approach, so as to adapt to the evolution of the workforce and to a growing shortage in talents. The chapter investigates how the crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the development of talent management in the organizations, by using the literature review. The research was conducted based on papers addressing both talent management and COVID-19 topics, identified in Web of Science, Scopus, Taylor & Francis and Reserch Gate. The results highlighted that the pandemic decisively boosted certain trends that were already implemented by organizations: remote work and flexible work policies, digitalization and digital transformation, increased emphasis on employee wellbeing, improved communication and cooperation, focus on reskilling and upskilling.