Beyond the surface: probing managers' mental representations in talent practices

Purpose This paper explores practitioners' perspectives and management strategies through their mental representations. The latter shape and affect effective talent management (TM) practices. Design/methodology/approach The authors employed a qualitative research design through semi-structured interviews. NVivo 12 software was used for data analysis. Findings The findings reveal a pervasive trend in the strategic manipulation of the talent concept and inclusive TM, often used for talent-washing purposes. The study emphasizes managers’ struggles overcoming TM representations and effective practices (inclusive and exclusive TM) misalignment. Research limitations/implications The findings reiterate the need for talent managers to be aware of the rhetorical and instrumental approach to refine their representations in alignment with TM realities. Practical implications The study relies on qualitative data, highlighting the need for complementary quantitative studies to understand TM’s nuances better and consider diverse contexts and industries. Social implications This research suggests a reflection on the clarification of the term talent as a tool for the coherence of the implicit expectations of social actors. It mobilizes mental representations as the basis of this common understanding. Originality/value Although what is known about strategic TM is growing, the question of TM practitioners’ mental representations is yet to be examined. While a large body of literature focuses on the employee’s point of view, this work focuses on the manager’s understanding of the employee’s perceptions.