Perhaps we can compare the universe of talent to what’s happening in the football arena. Like the recent purchase of Manchester City by Sulaiman al-Fahim, the pressure on organisations to fight their way through these tough times means that it is those with the liquid clout who can summon up what is required to pay for the world’s best ‘players’ – the top talent. Strategically the way forward becomes more short-term in view.

Devyani Vaishampayan, principal of Global HR Consulting which focuses on emerging economies, is adamant on the benefits of tapping into the fertile talent pools of the emerging markets – some organisations have already reaped the rewards

Sigrid Erdmann, head of leadership and talent with BAT (British American Tobacco), discusses how they have managed to achieve a sustainable leadership pipeline across the organisation and how, despite the industry attracting a certain degree of controversy, attracting and retaining talent has not been an issue

There are many reasons that aspirational talent in your organisation would jump at the chance of a three-year secondment to the Middle or the Far East, not least for the financial benefits on offer but, as Stephen Hoare says, hold on to your sunhats, not all your brightest sparks will necessarily have the right credentials to be successful overseas

Lorna Bryson, head of resourcing and diversity UK, talks about how they hope to grow their senior women population with their Women’s Network initiative, as one of the ways Tesco is creating a workplace of diversity and inclusion

Over the last two years global animal health company, Merial, has invested in leadership development, and other recruitment and retention programmes, after recognising it was essential to ‘grow its own talent’. Tanguy Deglise, executive director (leadership development and global training), explains how they came to this decision, and the achievements so far

It is when times are tough that organisations need their top talent the most. Maria Yapp, CEO of Xancam Consulting, provides guidance on holding on to this powerful resource to help you navigate these challenging times

Paul Fairhurst, principal consultant at the Institute for Employment Studies, argues that perhaps we should stop trying to improve our weaknesses and instead focus on how individual strengths can contribute to the business

The techniques used to communicate at home can be just as effective with your colleagues. Katie Pattullo talks to Neil Roberts, an experienced actor and director of communications training company Partners With You – who spills the beans