A research project to explore the state of talent management in the UK has begun.

The six month project by InfoBasis will examine talent management practices among a range of British companies to draw out a set of good practice guidelines.

The research will involve interviews with a range of organisations of different sizes and across a variety of sectors. The final report, to be published in September, will identify what companies understand by talent management and how they are implementing it. It will also establish the most effective methods used by organisations in understanding, planning and developing their talent pools.

"There's a great deal of interest in talent management right now," says InfoBasis CEO Ashley Wheaton, "but very little agreement about what it is, or how to do it well. This research will go some way to answer those questions." And, adds Wheaton, there is no better time than now to understand talent management. With the economic situation likely to worsen, this is the right time to begin engaging, developing and deploying your employees to reach their potential, he said.