Building Critical-Talent Pipelines

Top talent is today’s competitive differentiator that makes the difference between an 

organization that is thriving and one that is stagnant or declining. However, the impact of the 

roles performed by that talent is not identical across an organization. Some roles have a 

greater impact than others.

Companies in all industries have a set of critical roles: jobs that must be performed—and 

performed well—for the companies to succeed. These positions are not confined to leaders 

and executives. Critical positions may lie at the core of conducting everyday business or be 

central to long-term new product strategy. Companies that do not have the right people in 

critical jobs forfeit revenue growth, innovate more slowly, and/or lose competitive advantage 

because they are unable to adapt to market dynamics.

Organizations need to define, attract, and develop the right mix of critical talent to support and 

grow their businesses. To ensure a flow of the right talent for these roles over time, the best 

practice is for organizations to build critical-talent pipelines.