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Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield-Jones and Beth Axelrod

THE WAR FOR TALENT

Turn hiring into a hard-edged strategy: build a relentless pipeline of A-players and out-execute competitors
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What Will You Learn?
Companies winning the talent war make people their absolute top priority – THE WAR FOR TALENT reveals how talent mindset drives organizational success.

This comprehensive talent strategy summary and key takeaways explain:

  • Talent Mindset - Make developing people every leader's primary job
  • EVP Creation - Build compelling employee value propositions beyond pay
  • Performance Differentiation - Reward top performers disproportionately
  • Leadership Pipeline - Develop leaders at all organizational levels


2025 application: Talent scarcity makes this war more intense than when McKinsey coined the term.

Win talent wars with Click.Apply.Grow™: Adopt talent mindset tomorrow. Create compelling EVP. Differentiate rewards boldly. Talent-focused companies achieve 2x revenue growth.

Prioritize talent. Win everything.

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About the Author

Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield-Jones, and Beth Axelrod are talent strategy visionaries who sparked a global movement with their groundbreaking concept: the war for talent.

Former McKinsey & Company leaders, their research and book “The War for Talent” reshaped how companies identify, develop, and retain high-potential leaders. Their work laid the foundation for modern talent management systems used by GE, Citigroup, and hundreds of global enterprises.

What sets Ed, Helen, and Beth apart: They made talent strategy a boardroom priority—and a critical driver of competitive advantage.

Organizations applying their Talent Mindset framework have reported 2–3x increases in leadership pipeline strength and reduced top-performer attrition.

The architects of talent transformation who proved your people aren’t just your biggest asset—they’re your boldest strategy.

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