Talent management in marketing: A framework and agenda for future research

Marketing managers and academics are recognizing a widening gap between contemporary demands of markets and the capabilities of the marketing function, calling for greater attention to identifying, developing, and retaining ‘talent’ in the marketing organization. However, the marketing literature provides limited and fragmented guidance on what talent management in marketing entails, how to cultivate it, and how to leverage it to positively impact marketers and key marketing outcomes. Drawing on a review of 71 articles published in top marketing and human resource management journals since 2000, we introduce the concept of Talent Management in Marketing Systems (TALMARKS). We identify six core elements of TALMARKS: attracting, recruiting and selecting, training and developing, evaluating and compensating, recognizing and rewarding, succession planning and promoting, and measuring and reporting. We further develop a comprehensive conceptual framework of TALMARKS, outlining its key antecedents, outcomes and boundary conditions. Finally, we propose a future research agenda of avenues that might provide guidance on expanding this fundamental and underdeveloped topic.