Talent emigration is not a new concept, it has been a way of life for centuries and has now become more prevalent in the past several decades. However, it has become increasingly popular in the past decade (2014 – 2024), especially among those who reside in underdeveloped countries, migrating to developed ones. Essentially, it is the relocation of people to other cities, especially outside their primary country of residence due to work opportunities or the desire to improve living standards.
This search for greener pastures is currently leaving many underdeveloped countries in a talent shortage. While talent emigration may not be completely controlled, below are some ideas on how organizations can implement strategies to mitigate its effects. These are called the ABCDs of managing talent emigration.
A - Accept the current reality.
There’s little or nothing that can be done by organizations to completely prevent talent emigration. The economic realities in underdeveloped countries are becoming increasingly challenging, especially for younger demographics - hence, the mass migration into foreign countries. The sooner this reality is accepted, the sooner organizations can begin to create plans and execute actionable steps in reducing the amount of talent moving abroad.
B - Build Talents.
The era of wholly relying on ready-made talents is gradually ending. Organizations need to build their talent pipeline, such as Graduate Trainee programs, Internships, etc. Investing in Learning & Development, and Succession planning has also become a non-negotiable; these must be prioritized for business continuity.
C - Create a healthy work culture.
More than ever, talents have come to realize that they now have a variety of options.
If you wish to retain them, you need to create a culture that will provide and endorse a healthy work culture. Organizations need to prioritize employee well-being, appealing wages or salary, meaningful or valuable work, mentorship, and career growth.
D - Division of Talents.
This is a term I recently coined. For centuries, we’ve heard about the “division of labour” but this new era is ushering us into the possibility of the “Gig move,” where employees are working for different organizations simultaneously.
Organizations should be willing to adapt to this reality to maximize their chances of success.
It must be noted that these prescriptions will not completely shield any organization from the negative effects of talent emigration, but they will certainly decrease the impact of talent emigration.