What is it about?
This study looks at how the local government of Agam Regency manages its civil servants, especially in identifying, developing, and placing talented employees in the right positions. Managing talent well is important because government employees play a key role in delivering public services and supporting local development. The research shows that talent management in Agam Regency has not yet been fully implemented. While some employee assessments and training programs exist, they are still limited and not applied consistently across all government offices. Many career development opportunities are based on individual requests rather than long-term organizational needs. In addition, employee placement and promotion are often influenced by seniority and political considerations instead of skills and performance. The study also finds that limited budgets, weak leadership commitment, and a lack of understanding of talent management practices make it difficult to improve the system. As a result, talented employees may not receive enough support, and the government risks losing skilled workers to other regions. This research highlights the need for a more transparent and merit-based approach to managing civil servants. By improving talent management, local governments can strengthen employee performance, improve public services, and better prepare future leaders.
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Why is it important?
This study is unique because it provides an in-depth, real-world look at how talent management policies are actually implemented in a local government setting in Indonesia. While many studies discuss talent management in theory or focus on national-level institutions, this research examines day-to-day practices, challenges, and decision-making processes at the district level, where public services directly affect citizens. The research is especially timely as Indonesia is preparing for Indonesia Emas 2045, a national vision that emphasizes high-quality human resources and professional bureaucracy. At the same time, recent reforms to the civil service system and the increasing demand for transparent, merit-based governance make it crucial to understand why talent management has not yet worked effectively in many local governments. This study makes a difference by identifying the gap between policy and practice. It shows how limited budgets, leadership commitment, political influence, and weak understanding of talent management can undermine merit-based systems, even when regulations already exist. By highlighting these practical barriers, the study offers valuable lessons for policymakers, local leaders, and public sector managers who face similar challenges. The findings can help local governments design more realistic and fair talent management systems, improve employee performance, and strengthen public trust. For researchers, the study adds empirical evidence from a developing-country context, which remains underrepresented in public governance literature. Overall, this work contributes to better governance by showing how managing people more effectively can improve public services and long-term development outcomes.
Perspectives
As an author, I see this publication as more than an academic exercise—it reflects real challenges I have observed in local government human resource management. Talent management is often discussed as a policy requirement, but in practice it is shaped by leadership commitment, organizational culture, and political realities. Through this research, I wanted to capture those everyday dynamics that are rarely visible in formal policy documents. Working on this study reinforced my belief that improving public sector performance does not always require new regulations, but rather better implementation of existing ones. Many of the problems identified in Agam Regency—such as limited assessments, weak career planning, and non-merit-based placements—are not unique. They represent common issues faced by many local governments in Indonesia and similar contexts. Personally, I hope this publication encourages policymakers and practitioners to reflect honestly on how talent decisions are made and to place greater value on fairness, competence, and long-term development. I also hope it motivates future researchers to explore local-level governance issues more deeply, as meaningful reform often begins at the level closest to citizens.
Associate Professor Septiana Dwiputrianti
STIA LAN Bandung
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Model of Talent Management Implementation in the Government of Agam Regency, TOFEDU The Future of Education Journal, February 2025, Yayasan Baitil Ashwatul Quran,
DOI: 10.61445/tofedu.v4i2.440.
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