Definition
A process, covering all employees with no entry threshold, that surveys the distribution of talent and the internal succession situation; the paired organization review assesses each function's execution capability against each strategic initiative.
In detail
Talent Review is a process for periodically assessing talent pipelines and succession status, aimed at identifying development needs and key-position risks. It addresses the problem of broken talent pipelines and ensures that key positions have qualified successors. Unlike performance evaluation, talent review focuses more on long-term potential and role fit. In the primary material, it is an all-employee process (with no entry threshold), reported upward level by level across five stages, and its output is a talent bridge (a funnel addition/subtraction table) organized by level and function; the organization review paired with it assesses the capabilities of each function against each strategic initiative, producing a three-color capability matrix and a succession plan for the top two levels.
Example in practice
A multinational group holds an annual talent review meeting where each business unit leader reports on the performance of incumbents in key roles and the readiness of successors. During the review, it is found that a regional sales director is about to retire, but the successor is not yet ready. An accelerated development plan is therefore created, arranging for the successor to join a strategic project and be assigned a mentor; the organizational review in the same period marks this gap as a red cell and attaches a countermeasure.