Exploring perceptions of talent management in the Finance Department at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

The global Higher Education (HE) sector faces intense competition, rapid transformation, and escalating financial pressures, which make the strategic management of human capital essential for institutional sustainability. Although scholars widely recognise Talent Management (TM) as a key driver of organisational performance, existing research has largely focused on academic staff. This emphasis creates a significant gap in understanding the perceptions and experiences of professional and administrative support staff, particularly within the complex environment of South African higher education institutions. This study addresses this gap by examining the perceptions of professional staff in the Finance Department at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) regarding institutional TM practices. Guided by Inclusive Theory, the study critically evaluates the equity, accessibility, and transformative capacity of these practices. The research adopted a qualitative, exploratory design and draws on semi-structured interviews conducted with a sample of ten senior line management professional staff in the UKZN Finance Department, due to their managerial roles and experience in overseeing staff within the department. Thematic analysis enables an in-depth interpretation of participants’ lived experiences and identifies areas of alignment and misalignment between institutional TM policies and their practical implementation. The findings reveal a dual perception of TM. Participants recognise its benefits, particularly in enhancing departmental productivity through the effective use of institutional knowledge and contextual competence, which they regard as more valuable than external recruitment. Effective TM also strengthens employee retention and commitment by supporting career progression and reinforcing the psychological contract. However, participants highlight systemic challenges, including fragmented digital systems, described as functioning as a “digital filing cabinet”, and rigid career pathways that restrict cross-functional mobility and data-informed decision-making. The study concludes that while UKZN’s TM framework holds strategic value, systemic inflexibility and limited data integration undermine its effectiveness and equitable reach. By foregrounding the perspectives of non-academic staff, the study contributes context-specific insights to TM scholarship and offers practical recommendations to inform more inclusive, flexible, and data-driven TM strategies in South African HE.