Unit 11 Research Project: Talent Management in the Banking Sector

This research project investigates the efficacy of talent management as a strategic priority for employee development within the UK banking sector, with a specific focus on HSBC Holdings. The study aims to understand how talent management strategies can enhance employee development, engagement, and overall efficiency. The research includes an analysis of existing literature, exploring the importance of talent management, its impact on employee performance, and the challenges associated with its implementation, particularly within large international banks. The research methodology involves a qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive research approach and interpretivism philosophy, with data collected through questionnaires administered to a sample of HSBC employees in London. The project outlines the research objectives, methodology, activities, and timescales, including data collection and analysis, to provide insights into effective talent management practices and strategic recommendations for HSBC. The project also considers the limitations of talent management practices and suggests strategies for improving employee engagement and efficiency within the banking sector. The research concludes with the findings, recommendations, and conclusions of the study.

UNIT 11
– RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................21

Topic: To analyse the efficacy of talent management as a strategic priority towards employee
development in banking sector of UK. A study on HSBC Holdings.
Research aim and objectives.
The aim of the study is to highlight the development of employee by setting out talent
management strategies for HSBC Holdings.
 To broaden the understanding of strategic priority for talent management.
 To recognize the strategic importance of Talent management for enhancing employee
engagement.
 To identify the effect of talent management strategies on overall employee efficiency within
banking sector.
 To suggest strategic priority measures for framing effective talent management strategies to
HSBC Holdings.

Research Proposal Form:
Proposed Title: Talent Management – A key component of HRM

Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities
Topic: To analyse the efficacy of talent management as a strategic priority towards employee
development in banking sector of UK. A study on HSBC Holdings.
Research objectives (e.g. what is the question you want to answer? What do you want to learn
how to do? What do you want to find out?):
The aim of the study is to highlight the development of employee by setting out talent
management strategies for HSBC Holdings.
 To broaden the understanding of strategic priority for talent management.
 To recognize the strategic importance of Talent management for enhancing employee
engagement.
 To identify the effect of talent management strategies on overall employee efficiency within
banking sector.
 To suggest strategic priority measures for framing effective talent management strategies to
HSBC Holdings.
Section Two: Reasons for choosing this research project
Reasons for choosing the project (e.g. links to other subjects you are studying, personal interest,
future plans, knowledge/skills you want to improve, why the topic is important):
 HSBC is one of the leading International bank operating in a different country with many
employees in their company.
 With time, it is necessary to bring changes in the practise of the talent management in

organization.
 The reason behind undertaking this project is to develop better understanding of the efficiency
and effectiveness results out of adopting strategic approach towards talent management.
 The another rationale of this project is to know how banking sector and companies therein
(specially HSBC holdings) are strategically managing talent and what are the deficiencies in its
approach towards managing talent which must be addressed as soon as possible to develop
skilled and experienced employee base (Cascio and Aguinis, 2018).
 The research topic will help to improve the overall performance of the employee by improving
the practise of talent resource.
Background
Talent management emerged as a trending aspect for the companies in the current
environment where companies that operate in large scale are adapting the practice of talent
management in their work place to trained and recruit the potential employee for the company. HSBC
is one of the leading international bank in the world and operating in most of the countries having its
headquarter in UK (Crowley‐Henry, Benson and Al Ariss, 2019). The current research will identify the
strategies that need to be followed by company for the better practice of talented resources. The
research analyses the data that is being collected from the different methodology and finds the relevant
results from the current implications in HSBC London branch.
Section Three: Literature sources searched
Use of key literature sources to support your research question, objective or hypothesis:
According to Narayanan, Rajithakumar and Menon (2019), talent management strategies are
important for every organization, especially for those concerns who need high level skills and expertise
in their human resource base due to their complexities in operations. The major contribution gained by
Talent manager by giving strategic priority towards talent management is: they can attract skilled and
talented candidates, they can keep their existing employee motivated which is must for developing
employee’s engagement and their performance. It helps company to deploy the right person with the
right job at the right time to achieve the target of company.

On the contrary Tafti, Mahmoudsalehi and Amiri (2017), found that, small and organization
with multi-generational employee, where employees with different age group must have different
motivational requirement. This means that incentive for motivation offered by company that motivate
one employee may not compulsorily motivate others in the same way. This proves that for retaining
talent employees, human resource manager who is responsible for framing such strategies for talent
management must study individual employee requirements and then offer incentives towards retaining
them for longer term. Hence, manger may find difficulties to find the motivational factors of each
employee.
The Krishnan and Scullion, (2017). states that recruiting and training talented resources in the
company can help company to increase the performance efficiency of employees and also benefit to
employees to shape their growth and development in the company. By training and development of
employee increase the satisfaction level of employee towards the organization and work to achieve the
goal of company objectives. It also reduces the cost of the company in every department due increase
the productivity level of employees by proper training.
The McDonnell and et.al., (2017), criticizes that, process of talent management increases the
cost of the company and affect the working operations which are of small scale and medium scale.
Those organizations are limited resource and rime to provide with proper training and growth of
employees that are looking of their career development and skills developments. This creates employee
demotivation and dissatisfaction towards the organization and make the employee to leave the
company. While Only big firms who have large amount of budget can provide with proper training
and development to their employees and guide them towards their career development and skills
development.
From the Crane and Hartwell (2019), point of view, through ether proper practise of talented
management in the organization create the proper channel of communication in every department due
to effective training and development of skills among the employee’s and management. These makes
quick decision-making of the company in and save time and efforts to achieve the target of company
within time period. It helps company to face the challenges and obstacles that occurred with the
changing environment and technology that may affect the company operations and working.
On the other hand, (Johennesse and Chou (2017), contradict, the practise of talent management
brings the conflict between the management and Human resource department by not convey properly
the agreements and consensus at the time of hiring the employees. This brings dissatisfaction towards
the company working and shows the inefficiency of company towards their employee’s. Lack of
communication between the management and human resource department shows the efficient working
of the department and company.

According to the Haak-Saheem (2020), Talent management practise is an effective technique
to increase the efficiency of employees and management that help company to increase its productivity
to achieve the target goal. The employee efficiency is increased through effective training sessions that
are organized by company. This training is conducted on job and off job training from the work place
to develop their skills and develop loyalty towards the company. Through this potential employee are
created by the company results in increasing the employee efficiency for the company and work
performed.
Anlesinya and Amponsah-Tawiah (2020), contradict that, talent management practise is
difficult for the organization due to lack of support from the line manager in the company. Lack of
coordination and communication may impact the training and development session of employees in the
company. While some time, employees also prevent the level of commitment in the training session
that are conducted from the company and reduce the company efficiency working and affect the
operations. It also affects company's planning and delay in training session that further affect the
working of company. It increases the cost and time of company that affect the working of company and
delay in achieving the objectives of the company
Section Four: Activities and timescales
Activities to be carried out during the research project (e.g research,
development and analysis of ideas, writing, data collection, numerical analysis,
tutor meetings, production of final outcome, evaluation, writing the report) How long this will
take:

Topic Selection
Formulating aims objectives
Drafting proposal
Designing questionnaire
Collecting data
Presenting data
Analyzing information
Findings
Conclusion & recommendation
Formatting & Feedback
Submission of research project
1 Day
3days
4 days
2 days
7 days
3 days
4 days
2 days
1day
2 days
1 day
Milestone one: _________________
Target date (set by tutor): ____________________
Milestone two: _______________________

Target date (set by tutor): ______________________
Gantt Chart
Section Five: Research approach and methodologies
What type of research approach and methodologies are you likely to use and why? What your
areas of research will cover:
Research Methodology:
Research Methodology are the collected tools and techniques that can be used by the
researcher for conducting the research more appropriate and generate correct findings and ignore the
modest one. There are different methodology techniques used for the qualitative and quantitative data
that are used for the researcher and choose from the following:
Research type: The research implies the collection, analysis and interpretation of the related data that
are help to reach the objective that has been developed by researcher. There are two types of
classifications: qualitative and quantitative research type (Cappelli and Keller, 2017). Qualitative refers

to theoretical facts and figures that are related to the topic and analysed the theoretical data in context
with talent management. Whereas, quantitative data refers to numerical data, collected from the sources
to interpret data by using statistical techniques. For this research qualitative data will be collected to
achieve the aims and objectives.
Research approach: It is the approaches that are used for the research where two types of approaches
are used I.e. inductive and deductive. Inductive approaches are used for the qualitative and quantitative
to develop the theory where the researchers collect the sufficient amount of data to analysis whereas, in
deductive approach is the reverse form of inductive approaches (Painter‐Morland and et.al., 2019). In
order to address the issue of the research, the scholar will adopt inductive approach to carry out
qualitative research as objectives are set on qualitative data base that will help to understand better
results.
Research Philosophy: For gathering data of qualitative research, interpretivism philosophy will be
adopted by the researcher where theoretical assumptions are being analyzed and to interpret the data.
Whereas, in quantitative research positivism philosophy is been used to analyze the numerical data and
interpret it. In this research, qualitative research has been conducted and interpretivism philosophy is
implemented due to theoretical consideration based on HSBC to analysis the talent management
strategies. Interpretative philosophy is used because of qualitative data collection used by researcher.
Sampling: There are two methods by which sample can be collected I.e. Probability sampling and non-
probability samplings. Probability sampling collect the data randomly without any fixed criteria and
non-probability sampling collect the data according to fixed criteria (Anlesinya, Dartey-Baah and
Amponsah-Tawiah, 2019). In this research, a sample of thirty employees of HSBC holdings of London
branch will be randomly selected to collect responses to accomplish research objectives. It is collected
through the questionnaire form which include the details related to topic and provided to employees of
HSBC.
Data collection: Data can be collected from primary collection and secondary collection where
primary collection is collected for the first time and not published anywhere before and secondary data
Is a data which is already published in Book or Journals. However, both primary and secondary
research will be conducted to collect relevant and reliable information through questionnaire, books
and journals to get the best results from the research. For the research primary data collection is been
collected to interpret the data of thirty employees of HSBC London Branch.
Data analysis: The researcher analysis the collected data and interpret to get the final results from the

research. Quantitative analysis is used to analysis with different tools like SPSS, Statistical tool and
excel. Whereas, qualitative data is being analyzed through thematic tool. The researcher will follow
thematic perception technique for examining the gathered data and make the process simple and
interesting of the research as collected data due to qualitative nature.
Ethical consideration: Researcher will ensure ethical conduct and compliance to ethical consideration
while collecting information from respondents by getting concern form filled from them, and no
alteration will be done in primarily collected data (Vaiman and et.al., 2018). Also, researcher
themselves finds the delectation form to confirmed that research has been done by own.
Research reliability, validity and limitations: The reliability and validity shows that the researcher
had collected the data from the authentic sources which are reliable and no misleading data is been
used. The scholar will include only authentic and recent data. Also, due to resource constraints, only
qualitative research will be done on randomly selected sample of 30 employees to overcome the
limitation of sample size.
Comments and agreement from tutor:
Comments and agreement form project proposal checker ( IV sampling)
Comments (Optional):