Career Spotlight: Director of Talent Management

In-Depth Career Guide for the Director of Talent Management Positions

by | February 27th, 2023

Director of Talent Management

What Is Talent Management?

Talent management is exactly what it sounds like—finding and hiring talented people for an organization. Talent management can be a challenging but rewarding career for people looking to work with colleagues across an organization, meet new people, and help others reach their goals and potential. Check out this guide to become the next director of talent management at your organization.

Talent Management Roles and Responsibilities

A director of talent management is a key member of the human resources team for any organization. They recruit new employees for positions that align department and the overall mission and goals of the organization. Usually, an organization has one director of talent management, and depending on the size of the organization, they have specialists and coordinators who support the responsibilities of the talent manager.

Typically, responsibilities for the director of talent management include:

  • Recruitment. This includes finding qualified candidates, representing the organization’s brand, and interviewing applicants. Talent managers are the first person employees usually interact with when applying to jobs.
  • Workforce planning. Talent managers work with department heads to create meaningful job descriptions. They help define the skill sets needed for each position as well.
  • Onboarding. After a candidate has been selected for and accepted a job, they must go through an onboarding process. Talent managers are responsible for creating this process and ensuring it includes all necessary information. This can include information regarding benefits and connecting them with their new team.
  • Performance management. A director of talent management must check in with team leaders to make sure new and current employees are performing appropriately. These check-ins help improve the hiring processes for the future and reduce turnover.
  • Benefits and compensation. The best way to attract qualified candidates is to create a strong benefits package. Not only does this include good salaries, but candidates also look at insurance rates, time off, holidays, retirement, flexible schedules, and other benefits that organizations can offer.
  • Succession (or replacement) planning. Most employees want to succeed in their career, which likely means they want an organization that offers strong career advancement opportunities. A director of talent management helps team leaders ensure strong employees move up when it is time. On the other hand, they also help team leaders if an employee is not performing to the standards of the job. Talent managers can help with the resignation, termination, and retirement of employees.

    • How to Become a Talent Management Director

    A director of talent management is usually a middle manager position within the human resources department. Most directors of talent management report to the director of human resources and have a team that reports to them to support the goals of talent management.

    Many directors of talent management need at least a bachelor’s degree in business, psychology, or a related field. Now more than ever, hiring managers are looking for talent managers with a graduate degree. Typically, directors of talent management have a master’s in business administration, management, human resource management, or organizational leadership.

  • Business Administration: This program is designed for managers looking to grow their careers in strategy, development, operations, or human resources.
  • Management: This degree equips you with knowledge and skills needed for managerial practice that can be used on the job today.
  • Human Resource Management: This degree provides you with knowledge to lead organizations through challenges associated with all functions of human resources, including recruitment.
  • Organizational Leadership: This program provides you with knowledge in leadership, technology, and data analytics that allows you to lead an organization through transformational changes.

    • Any of these degrees combined with experience working in human resources or recruitment can set you up to be a director of talent management.

    Skills Needed for a Director of Talent Management

    Superior management skills are needed to be a successful director of talent management. These skills include:

  • Excellent interpersonal, counseling, and negotiation skills
  • Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
  • Powerful decision-making skills
  • Excellent leadership skills

    • Talent managers must also be positive, creative, and be able to make goals not only for themselves, but also for the organization in which they work.

    Director of Talent Management Salary Levels

    According to Glassdoor, the average salary reported for a director of talent management position is $121,170 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that all human resources leadership positions can expect to grow about 9 percent in employment by 2026. Don’t wait on this opportunity; reach out to an admissions counselor at Excelsior University to get started today!