Abstract

Businesses are putting increased amounts of time and effort into people. Employees
who can influence the success of a company are referred to as critical talent. The role of
critical talent is a new area of study and is crucial for both businesses and individuals to
understand. The aim of the research was to investigate the role of critical talent in the
fashion industry and discover if there is a way for individuals to become critical talent. A
literature review was conducted. It indicated that as the Australian fashion retail
landscape in under immense change, it is the people who determine the success or
failure of a business. In order to hire the right people, businesses need to have an
appropriate talent acquisition strategy that can determine which candidates will
contribute to the success of a firm. Businesses need to have a strong employer brand
and be active on relevant platforms in order to attract the right talent. Once a business
has the right talent, it is crucial that the business can retain the employee. This can be
done through leadership and training programs, career progression prospects or
rewards. Secondary data was collected in the form of peer reviewed articles,
management consulting publications and books. The proposed research design
includes collecting qualitative data through interviews and focus groups as well as
quantitative data in the form of online surveys. Interviews will be conducted with Jade
Redmond, a Human Resource (HR) area manager at H&M and a separate interview will
be conducted with a small business owner in order to compare the different levels of
importance regarding critical talent. The focus groups will be conducted with
undergraduates studying the Bachelor of Fashion (Merchandise Management) at RMIT

University to gain an insight into what fashion students believe future employers desire
in employees. The online surveys will be administered through social media to
undergraduates of fields other than fashion to determine whether there are any
similarities or differences between what charactertics and skills each student believes
employers are seeking. Whilst all research is being conducted, the researcher will
adhere to all guidelines in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human
Research (2007) - updated December 2013.

2. Introduction
Businesses are now starting to understand that it is the people who may ultimately
determine the success or failure of their business. This has resulted in many businesses
within a wide range of industries focusing on a phenomena called critical talent.
Businesses are trying to understand who is critical talent? What qualities or capabilities
make someone critical talent? What role should be held by someone who is deemed
critical talent? Businesses are also trialing new ways to attract critical talent primarily
through digital platforms. Once a business has an employee that is crucial to the
success of that business, it is important that the business knows the best way to engage
and motivate them, as this will lead to the retention of the employee. The fashion
industry is notorious for hiring people based who they know rather than what they know.
However with this new notion of critical talent, brands need to consider whether this is
still the best method for them.

Rationale
A literature review was undertaken. The analysis showed that there was a shortage of
information on the role of critical talent and the importance it has to the fashion and
textiles industry. It is imperative that Australian fashion businesses understand the
importance of critical talent as it will contribute to the growth and success of their
business. Many other industries have already secured strategies for acquiring the best
talent appropriate for them. Employees also need to understand how they can become
critical talent and develop the skills and capabilities associated with critical talent.