KPMG partner Tim Payne, who heads the firm's people and change practice and is former European HRD, said: "It feels as if talent has become a genuinely critical limiting factor for many organisations. CEOs are genuinely thinking about a lack of talent and a lack of the right talent in right places."
The webcast, Risky Business: Managing Talent in a Changing World, explored global talent risk trends and how businesses could future-proof against skills shortages and economic shifts to emerging economies.
Payne emphasised the importance to assess the critical roles within business. He said talent and succession plans sometimes overlook roles that are not the most senior, but still crucial to the success of the business.
"We came across a healthcare business a while back. They had a fantastic succession plan for their CEO and their CFO. They didn't have anything for their head clinician, even though their whole business model was predicated on him," he said.
Wendy Hirsh, principal associate at the Institute for Employment Studies, claimed she had seen an increase in companies taking important roles seriously.
"From research I carried out last year, 40% of companies said they were succession planning both for key professional groups and for critical roles, so I think it's definitely on the agenda," she said.
However, Hirsh warned that although these plans may be in place, organisations need to follow-up on them to make a difference.
"The issue in a global business is how to make sure that happens and it's not just an intention," she said.
The HR Most Influential webcast Risky Business: Managing Talent in a Changing World is available to watch on demand.
