The recent Accenture Outlook article, “The Human Touch Behind Asia Inc.’s Global Push” examines how a growing number of Asian companies are thriving globally by using creative approaches to talent management. These businesses are using innovation, intellectual property and, most of all, people to build new forms of competitive advantage and challenge entrenched multinationals.

According to the authors, “Knowing that they cannot rely on home-country workers to drive overseas performance, successful Asian globalizers are investing more in initiatives to attract and develop talent. Some are also adopting hybrid talent management approaches that combine home-country methods and global practices.”

The article offers many examples of how creative hiring, recruiting, and training practices are leading talent management:

• In Korea: Samsung looks for talent outside Korea, for all management levels. These international hires spend two years in Korea before managing overseas operations, often in their own home countries.

• In China: Consumer-electronics manufacturer TCL Corp. relies heavily on its Eagle Talent Training Scheme to help ensure that it has one of the lowest employee turnover rates in its industry. The curriculum helps trainees develop international operation capabilities, strategic thinking, leadership, and industry and business group management skills.

• In India, ICICI Bank has assigned 600 employees to scout for potential leadership talent within the company. Each year, these internal recruiters send 5,000 candidates’ names to a review panel, which assigns a grade to each name. Those graded “A” or “B” go through a four-day training program that includes structured exercises, guest speakers (including ICICI’s chief executive) and screening inspirational films.

About the authors

• Arika M. Allen is a Singapore-based senior manager in Accenture Strategy.

• Paul Gosling is the senior managing director for Accenture Management Consulting in the Asia-Pacific region. He is based in Singapore.

• Grant D. Powell is the managing director of the Accenture Innovation Center in Singapore.

• Claire Yang is a managing director and the lead for the Accenture Talent & Organization group in Greater China. She is based in Beijing.