What is 'talent debt' and why do boards and C-suites care about it?

Talent debt is the future cost of short-term people decisions. Similar to technical debt, it accumulates when organizations delay critical hires, allow capability gaps to grow, promote managers without preparing them, disregard employee engagement or neglect succession planning.

Read this Resource

If you've enjoyed this content, subscribe today for our exclusive governance insights.

Subscribe
BDO logo in blue and red on a white background
October 26, 2026
BDO’s 10th annual Nonprofit Standards Benchmarking Report found that nonprofits have their footing back and are using it to build resilience.
Russell Reynolds Associates logo in navy blue on a white background
October 21, 2026
RRA and EqualAI set out to understand how organisations are governing AI today - and which actions appear to build the most confidence, literacy, and alignment across their teams.
Odgers Berndtson logo with blue square grid icon and blue text on white background
October 20, 2026
Odgers spoke with a select group of CEOs and CROs to understand how geopolitical risk is changing the leadership agenda.
Egon Zehnder logo in red on a white background
October 19, 2026
Read insights from Egon Zehnder's 2026 Global CEO Survey, based on responses from more than 840 global CEOs navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.
BDO logo in blue and red on a white background
October 19, 2026
Insights from US directors show boards are racing to keep up with emerging tech, AI, cybersecurity, geopolitical volatility, regulatory change, & growth priorities.
Spencer Stuart logo in blue text on a white background
October 8, 2026
The 2026 South Africa Board Index analyses board composition, director remuneration & board governance among the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) top 50 companies.
Heidrick & Struggles logo in black text on a white background
October 7, 2026
Boards of public companies that constitute the Straits Times Index (STI) are seeking different sources of talent as they adapt to change.
Odgers Berndtson logo in blue on a white background
October 1, 2026
The first year of a CEO’s tenure is treated as a test of leadership when, really, it is a period of organisational integration that can shape long-term performance.
More Posts