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Talent Management
Build the team you need to succeed with a growth-driving talent strategy from People Puzzles
Attracting, developing and keeping the right people are often the biggest challenges ambitious businesses face. High turnover, skills gaps and lack of engagement and succession planning can hold even the best companies back – making it harder to scale, innovate and stay competitive.
That’s why having a focused talent management plan in place is so important. By turning recruitment, employee engagement, people development and talent retention into a strategy, it helps you create the structure and support you need to thrive.
At People Puzzles, we help forward-looking businesses take control of their talent strategy – from defining employee value propositions, improving engagement and succession planning, to developing a strong team that shares your vision for success.
Whether you’re scaling, restructuring or simply need steering on how to find and keep great people, our People Directors deliver the strategic insights and high-calibre support you need to build, engage and retain a high-performing team.
Talent Management Case Study
Building the Best Place to Work
Discover how People Puzzles helped OnDevice double its team and revenue and achieve “Best Place to Work” recognition by introducing a transformational talent retention strategy.
“You can have the best strategy in the world, but if you don’t have the team, you won’t be able to do it.”
Alistair Hill, CEO & Co-founder, OnDevice
Ready to future-proof your team – AND your business vision?
Our People Directors are ready to help you build a talent strategy that scales with your ambitions.
Book your free 30-minute consultation today
Call us on: 0345 646 5201 or email [email protected]
What is talent management?
Talent management is about attracting, developing and keeping the right people – the ones who will share your vision and drive your business forward. It covers everything from recruitment and onboarding to engagement, development, succession planning and retention.
Done well, it builds your reputation as an employer and arms you with the skills, commitment and leadership you need to grow sustainably, avoiding costly high turnover and damaging disengagement.
At People Puzzles, we help businesses build strategic talent management plans that align people with purpose – improving productivity, strengthening retention, and making it easier to scale with confidence.
Learn more about Talent Management in our Knowledge Hub
Why talent management matters
Strategic talent management creates stronger teams, future leaders and a foundation for sustainable growth. Here’s why it matters:
- Higher productivity – engaged people perform better and stay focused on business goals
- Stronger retention – you keep your best people for longer, reducing hiring and training costs
- Faster recruitment – building a strong employer reputation makes it easier to attract better-fit candidates
- Future-proofed leadership – succession planning ensures you always have the right skills in place
- Smarter growth – your team is structured to scale from the inside out
How talent management works at People Puzzles
We don’t believe in quick fixes or out-of-the-box recruitment campaigns. Instead, our experienced People Directors work alongside you to build a complete talent strategy – one that connects your people to your purpose, and your business to its future goals
Here’s how we work:
- Discover your people needs
We take time to understand your business goals, growth plans, and current team structure – identifying the skills, leadership and cultural strengths you will need to realise your business vision and goals. - Define your talent strategy
From honing your “employer brand” to succession planning, we help you create a joined-up plan that covers talent attraction, engagement, development and retention, meeting both your short-term and long-term goals. - Embed and evolve
From refining organisational structures and aligning career paths with company values, to heading-up leadership profiling and management workshops, we help you bring your talent strategy to life – at every level. - Support and sustain
Through ongoing support, coaching, feedback and planning, we help you strengthen your team over time – ensuring your talent strategy grows with your business.
“Working with People Puzzles has been instrumental in providing focus to our growth plan, with our company’s values and goals aligning seamlessly.”
Chris Mills, Managing Director – Kendra Energy
What are the benefits of a strategic talent management plan?
Stronger recruitment outcomes
Attract the right people faster by defining what you stand for – and making your business a place people feel inspired to be a part of.
Enhanced productivity and engagement
When people feel valued and have clear career paths, they stay focused, motivated and invested in your business success.
Better leadership development
Talent management identifies and grows future leaders from within – reducing risk and building long-term stability.
Improved retention and succession
Reduce turnover and protect your growth plans with structured career pathways and proactive succession planning.
Smarter, more sustainable growth
With the right people in the right roles, you can delegate with confidence, scale faster, and enhance your business value.
Why Choose People Puzzles for Talent Management?
Real-world results, not just advice
Our strategic People Directors do more than identify talent shortages and fill roles – they work alongside you to deliver practical, lasting solutions. From improving attraction and onboarding processes to strengthening leadership pipelines, we help you build the team your business needs to thrive.
Flexible, hands-on support – built around your goals
With practical guidance from a dedicated People Director operating at the heart of your leadership team, we help you attract, engage and retain great people – without the overheads of a full-time hire, but with in-depth understanding of your business and its goals.
Proven success across industries and sectors
We’ve helped businesses improve recruitment outcomes, boost engagement, strengthen succession pipelines and future-proof their leadership teams. At Springpack, for example, strategic talent and leadership development helped the business earn Sunday Times “Best Company to Work For” recognition – and drive sustainable growth.
80+ strategic HR experts, 1,000+ businesses supported
Our 80+ experienced People Directors have board-level experience across multiple industries, giving you access to best practices, sector insights and proven strategies for people-driven growth, without the financial burden of a full-time role.
“We now have brilliant people throughout the organisation, which means we have the ability to double again.”
— Alistair Hill, CEO & Co-founder – OnDevice
Talent Management Development Success Stories
Springpack – Transforming Leadership and Team Structure for Growth
Challenge: Needed to restructure the business so the right people were in the right seats, including building a strong leadership team to allow the founder to take a step back from day-to-day operations..
Solution: People Director Rachel Holmes modernised HR processes, developed a strategic leadership plan and embedded a positive culture focused on development and communication.
Results: The business achieved Sunday Times “Best Company to Work For” recognition, plus improved retention rates – reducing staff turnover by at least 10% – and was able to successfully refocus on increasing sales.
Total Enterprise Solutions (TES) – Strengthening Retention to Power Business Growth
Challenge: High staff turnover and inconsistent employee engagement were threatening global growth plans.
Solution: People Director Rachel Humphreys introduced new employee engagement strategies and a detailed people plan to help accelerate growth and prepare for expansion into the USA.
Results: Higher employee engagement scores, lower staff attrition, and a stronger, more stable foundation for growth. People felt heard and valued, directly influencing their commitment and productivity.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is talent management?
Talent management is the strategic approach to attracting, developing and retaining people who can help your business grow, and thrive. It covers recruitment, onboarding, engagement, development and succession planning – aligning your people strategy with your long-term business goals.
What is an Employee Value Proposition – and why do I need one?
An Employee Value Proposition (EVP) defines what people get in return for working with you – from culture and career opportunities, to purpose and reward. A strong EVP helps with talent attraction, improves people engagement, and is essential for building a credible employer brand.
How do I attract talent in a competitive market?
People want to work for businesses that share their values, communicate well, and offer clear career paths. We help you define your culture, structure your recruitment process, and enhance your employer brand so that you stand out to potential candidates for all the right reasons.
What is succession planning?
Succession planning ensures you have the right people lined up to step into key roles as your business grows or changes. It stretches beyond simply replacing senior leaders – focusing on important strategies such as building capability, reducing risk and giving your people room to develop and pursue their personal career aspirations.
How do I retain people once I’ve hired them?
Talent retention is about more than ‘perks’. People stay where they feel valued, supported, and aligned with the direction of the business. Our strategic approach to employee engagement and retention helps improve motivation, reduce churn and strengthen your long-term team.
What are the signs your talent strategy needs work?
If you are struggling to recruit, losing good people, or seeing a drop in motivation or productivity, it’s time to review your talent strategy. We help you understand the root causes of your individual issues, and create a plan that supports sustainable growth.
How does company culture impact talent retention?
Company culture is one of the biggest factors in keeping great people. If your values are unclear or not lived day to day, people can become disconnected. We help define and embed a culture where your people feel aligned with your goals, and genuinely proud to be part of the business.
What is employer branding, and how is it different to employee branding?
Your “employer brand” is your reputation as a place to work – how potential and current employees see your company, based on everything from your values and culture to your recruitment processes, onboarding experience and career opportunities.
Employee branding is how your people live and reflect your company values day-to-day – through their actions, attitudes, and the way they represent your business to others.
When your employer brand and employee brand are aligned, you attract better-fit candidates, keep people engaged, and build trust inside and outside your business.
What is the link between engagement and productivity?
Engaged people tend to care more – and that shows in how well they perform and achieve goals. They collaborate better, solve problems faster and stick around longer. We help you increase employee engagement in practical ways that improve team performance, and boost overall business productivity.
How can I plan for our future talent needs?
A good place to start is by clarifying your business goals. Whether you want to grow, expand into new markets, attract investment, restructure or prepare for succession, we help map out the skills and people you’ll need – creating a proactive talent strategy that evolves with your business.
Ready to build a talent strategy to power your business growth?
Discover how People Puzzles can help you unlock faster growth, stronger leadership, and a more resilient business.
Call us on: 0345 646 5201 or email [email protected]
Glossary
Talent Management: The strategic process of attracting, developing and retaining talent with a clear focus on the future vision of your business.
Employer Brand: How your business is perceived as a place to work, based on your culture, reputation, and employee experience.
Employee Engagement: How committed, motivated and invested your people feel in their work and the business as a whole.
Employee Value Proposition (EVP): The unique set of benefits, values and experiences that you offer to attract and retain great people.
Succession Planning: A proactive strategy to identify and develop future leaders and critical role successors within your business.
Retention Strategy: A plan to keep your best people by creating the conditions and culture that make them want to stay and grow with you.
Strategic HR: People-focused support that directly aligns your HR activities with your wider business goals – not just admin or compliance.
Related Services
Talent management is just one part of building a high-performing, people-first business.
Explore other ways we can help strengthen your people strategy:
- Company Culture Development
- Leadership Development · Leadership Coaching
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- ESG Strategy
Ready to Make Your Business a Great Place to Work?
At People Puzzles, our customised, data-driven, expert-led strategy guarantees that your people are not only managed but empowered to move your business forward. If you’re ready to reap the rewards of a solid company culture, share a few details and we’ll be in touch to discuss the next steps.
See what our clients say!
Clyde has been instrumental in taking BEAR Scotland from 'good to great'
Iain Murray, Managing Director, BEAR Scotland
Working closely with Clyde Marwick we developed a five-pillar framework addressing our goal for a high performing HR function including employer branding, recruitment innovation, and reward enhancement. We have navigated complex employee relations challenges while building strategic capability across our HR team. We now have the people infrastructure to match our operational excellence.
Liz's support was instrumental in us delivering a successful consultation
Director of Finance, National Hair & Beauty Federation
Following the completion of our restructure, I wanted to get in touch to say thank you. Liz's support was instrumental in us delivering a successful consultation. We are extremely grateful for her measured and sound advice, helping us to navigate such a sensitive situation, and we look forward to working with her again in future .
Lynn guided me out of my comfort zone to help me achieve my goals
Samantha Freeman, Management Accountant, Wirtgen Group
I could not recommend Lynn more, she guided me out of my comfort zone to help me achieve my goals and to think about things from an alternative perspective. I have also had a few people comment on the positive changes they can see in me which is a result of our sessions.
Sarah is a trusted advisor and sounding board to both me and my team.
Claire Watkin, Managing Director, Trendsetter
Working with People Puzzles has enabled me to step out of the day to day running of the business and concentrate on our future strategic direction. Sarah has helped us focus on how we develop our future leaders, cross team collaboration, and enhance overall business performance, as well as supporting the achievement of B Corp status.
The achievements of the People Strategy made a measurable difference.
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, Sigma
I can't thank Paula enough for all her support over the last 3 years. Her time with us turned out to be much longer than any of us expected but I guess this reflects the extraordinary events and circumstances we’ve encountered since 2019. The achievements over this period made a measurable difference to engagement and has helped Sigma transition our people policies from that of an SME into market leading large corporate. Thank you.
Lynn was always positive and listened when it mattered
Coaching Client – Wirtgen Limited
I cannot give Lynn enough thanks for the help that she gave me to better understand myself and help me find the answers to some tough questions. Lynn was always positive and listened when it mattered, Thanks again Lynn.
I have been able to build a proactive relationship with Pauline
Amy Fisher, MD, Doby Verrolec
I have been able to build a proactive relationship with Pauline. I came into this role last year with an agenda for growth and we have been working together across employee engagement, contacts and policies.
Pauline developed our people strategy with a robust methodology
Jeremy Royle, MD, YourNRG
Pauline’s hands on approach helped us to build on the work we have already taken and develop our people strategy with a robust methodology to meet the current needs and future growth of the business.
Working closely with one local and very knowledgeable person
Amy Fisher, MD, Doby Verrolec
The real benefit of People Puzzles is that your business and industry sector needs are matched with one of the People Puzzles Directors. This means you work closely with one local and very knowledgeable person who can quickly understand the people needs of the business.
Working with Sarah has been a rewarding, productive and an educational experience
Chief Operating Officer, Salford Primary Care Together
We wanted to understand more about what was driving our organisational culture, key risks and issues, what our priorities should be, and to understand what we could achieve with our limited resources. Sarah brought commitment, pragmatism, and positivity to our challenges which helped us achieve many of our goals including organisational restructures, re-design of several key HR processes and upskilling of our teams.
Pauline has very quickly gotten to grips with Your NRG.
Managing Director, Your NRG
Pauline has very quickly gotten to grips with Your NRG, and has brought to our attention some processes that need our focus as a result of our recent rapid growth. We are pushing on with the more pressing operational day-to-day strategies and initiatives whilst also educating the SMT on their overall understanding of ‘cradle to grave’ employment. Pauline continues to work diligently and tirelessly for Your NRG and I am delighted to have her ongoing support alongside us as we continue on our journey to realise our levels of ambition.
Changed the way we approach our senior meetings and develop our strategy.
Chair, Regular Cleaning
Shaun worked closely with me and the senior team and taught us a lot. Shaun dedicated time for each team member and encouraged, educated and guided them to be the best they can be. We achieved so much in the time we worked with Shaun and he has helped to change our focus from working in the business to working on the business giving us time to dedicate to the progression of the teams that make up the rest of our family.
Jill has worked on many projects as our part time HR Director.
Founder, Aura
One was around sick days which she has now reduced by 75%. This has significantly minimised the disruption it was causing.
Stewart's work has been a major factor in helping us achieve our ambitious targets.
Gerry Simmonds, Safpro
Stewart helped to align our senior team around business goals and implemented clear people plan has been a major factor in helping us achieve our ambitious targets. We have grown 20% over the past two years and with the team we now have in place this growth is set to continue.
Lynn's work as our trusted HR consultant and my mentor has been absolutely invaluable.
Oktawia Ellis, HR Manager, We Seal
I have the distinct pleasure of working with Lynn at People Puzzles. Her work over the last few years as our trusted HR consultant and my mentor has been absolutely invaluable. Lynn is an expert in her field, she is very knowledgeable, encourageing, supportive, and an effective leader. She is also really funny and a pleasure to be around! I learned a lot from Lynn and I would strongly recommend her.
The impact Lynn has had on our challenges are beyond my expectations
James Laxton, Managing Director, Laxtons
She has engaged with all our staff and her approach is a breath of fresh air for the business. The support she has given me has made some difficult issues appear straight forward and she has given a new lease of life in the business. We would not have been able to get to where we are now without her wealth of experience and hands on people approach and I am excited to see what the future brings working with Lynn.
Every team leader can now make decisions in line with the vision
Roy Bowie, Managing Director, GreenBlue Urban
I used to have the view that HR was managing difficult cases and moving people on with occasional recruitment support. But what People Puzzles does is so much more than that. It’s about the development of the business and its people as a whole which has been the biggest eye opener for me.
Working with Gill has helped us develop a People Plan which goes beyond compliance
Bernard Sellars, Managing Director, Lindum Packaging
Working with Gill from People Puzzles has helped us develop a People Plan which goes beyond compliance – it has helped us as a team to achieve greater alignment and engagement with the business strategy and goals.
I found the personal development coaching I received from Lynn to be very beneficial.
Alex Calvert, Marketing and PR Account Manager, Intandem Communications Ltd
I found the personal development coaching I received from Lynn to be very beneficial. Lynn helped me to work on some very clear objectives with a good balance of supportiveness and knowing when to challenge and push me out of my comfort zone!
We are now in a strong position from a people perspective, to leverage the future
Craig Bennett, CEO, Sigma Group
Paula developed a clear People plan and road map, which has significantly moved us on. She has developed the existing HR team, and ensured that we progressed quickly on all the initiatives that we identified. I’m confident that based on the last 6 months, with Paula’s input and contribution, we are now in a strong position from a people perspective, to leverage the next 6 months and beyond.
A very professional team
Chris Morling, Founder & CEO, Money.co.uk
It’s been brilliant to have such knowledgeable consultants help us to empower our people. Stuart and Sophie were incredibly flexible, adapting their services to our business and existing culture. I’d highly recommend People Puzzles.
Shifted my view of HR!
Gavin Pooley, Managing Director, Liquidline
I used to think that HR was all about employment law compliance and managing the administration basics. I didn’t get the hugely positive impact strategic HR could make to the business – I do now!’
Transformed my understanding
Managing Director, B2B Supplies and Support Services
Having Alison on the team is like having another MD/MBA in the business. She has totally transformed my understanding of HR.
Fantastic support!
Kerry Berry, Director, S&K Berry Associates LLP
Lynn has been a fantastic support to us and an ongoing fountain of knowledge. If you have a business and/or staff you need to take care of, you need a Lynn on your team!
Such a detailed process
Sue Ford, Director, Bridge Case Management
Lynn ran a detailed process and I wasn’t allowed to get away with anything – All relevant issues were included and dealt with objectively.
We’ve accomplished a lot!
Joseph Carr, Managing Director, Carrs Pasties
This is an inspiring story and it’s all true. I can’t believe it’s about us! We’ve accomplished a lot over the last 18 months.
Helping us shape the business
Stuart Hill, CEO, WNDirect
Carole has helped me and the business massively and added real value while helping us shape the business.
Vee has delivered a huge amount for the company
Bertie Kerr, Managing Director, Albany Associates Ltd
Vee started with a baseline study of where we were. She then presented a work plan to deliver over the coming months and while some priorities have changed it is impressive to look back and see how much has been achieved. She has become a trusted member of the senior team, providing advice and guidance on difficult topics and is regularly consulted by staff for her input.
Alison joined Valleys to Coast on an interim basis and 18 months later is still with us!
Joanne Oak, Chief Executive Officer, Valleys to Coast Housing
Alison has been instrumental working with me to recruit to a permanent role. Alison’s approach has been one of partnership, contributing as part of the strategic leadership team, which has been critically important given the turbulence the organisation has been through. Alison is always available, responsive and I would highly recommend her for expert HR support
Over the last 3 years, People Puzzles has helped build a very strong people culture
Phil Dupont, Director, RVT Group
We now have a clear Vision for the Companies 5 Pillars, In-house manager, leadership ‘Power 90’ Training and a rhythm of key meetings throughout each year. This has had a direct contribution to the significant growth of the company in the last 3 years… With this support from People Puzzles continuing, the company continues to grow both financially and culturally for the benefit of all.