Page 20 - Global Focus, Issue 2, 2018

EFMD Global Focus_Iss.2 Vol.12
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Attracting doctoral talent
However, attracting talent in this competitive,
hi-tech age is not easy. In addition to direct
competitors, business schools are also competing
for the brightest minds against other large
organisations with attractive graduate programmes
and generous terms and conditions in a diminishing
pool of traditional talent.
Janine Leschke, Head of the Doctoral School
on Organisation and Management Studies,
Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Denmark,
emphasises the benefits of attractive programmes
and school reputation to address this competition:
“At CBS we exploit our national and international Managing doctoral talent
networks to recruit doctoral students. When the The development of talent is an inherent part
research institutes or individuals have a good of any good doctoral programme and something
reputation that brings good-quality applicants. We potential students will assess. The combination
also have the advantage of offering programmes of courses, opportunities to work with experienced
in English and a good selection of PhD courses on researchers and possibilities to develop individual
relevant theories and methods”. research project can increase the attraction.
Nevertheless, schools not only need to go However, talent development is much more
beyond their borders but also expand their than the relatively narrow range of research
networks to meet the challenges of generational skills required to become future faculty.
and technological gaps. A co-ordinated social Future employers seek graduates with a range
media strategy can offer new opportunities to of skills including the potential to demonstrate
connect with potential talent but it requires impact and leadership. Doctoral programmes thus
engagement from faculty who may sometimes need to integrate training plans that go beyond
be reluctant to contribute. research methods.
It is important that schools use their faculty Emma Parry, Director of Doctoral programmes
in order to exploit their networks and provide at Cranfield School of Management, UK, underlines
content – for example, media-friendly research the importance of expanding this offer:
results – to attract talent who tend to rely on “Over the last few years Cranfield has taken a
new forms of media for information and to form longer-term perceptive in terms of thinking about
their opinions on schools. attracting the best students but also thinking about
In this way, social media may allow schools the longer-term impact of the research through the
to develop and expand their communities of development of Impact and Dissemination Plans.
stakeholders from which doctoral students may Then students leave not only with a doctorate but
emerge while exposing potential talent to the also a plan of how to use the research findings to
richness of their academic environments. create real impact on practice”.
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