Talent management in consultancy firms: a contingency perspective

Purpose This article examines how the dynamic interplay between evolving employee needs and organizational demands affects talent management (TM) in consultancy firms. Building on the person–organization fit (POF), we develop a contingency perspective that integrates the career life cycle and social exchange theories. Thus, we propose the talent–organization fit (TOF) framework, which reconceptualizes fit as fluid, evolutionary and context-contingent. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative research design, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 15 Human Resource (HR) professionals from three of the Big Four consultancy firms. Data were analysed using an open-coding approach informed by grounded theory principles, enabling the inductive identification of patterns across the employee career lifecycle. Findings We identify five building blocks of TM – technological orientation, job crafting, corporate social responsibility commitment, international opportunities and total rewards – whose salience changes across four career stages: recruitment, onboarding, development and maturity. We thus propose a typology of four talent archetypes (competent professional, dynamic learner, initiative taker and engaged long-term contributor), highlighting how talent alignment requires continuous recalibration to address both priorities specific to the career stage and broader contextual contingencies. Originality/value This study introduces the TOF framework, capturing the temporal evolution of employee needs, the contextual contingencies of knowledge-intensive environments and talent–firm reciprocity mechanisms. By reconceptualizing talent alignment as a continuous and adaptive process, this study advances TM theory by offering an evolutionary lens for designing stage-sensitive strategies and strengthening attraction, retention and engagement.