Zurich breaks the chains that prevent the rise of talent : “Strategic‐hiring” budget makes everyone a winner

Purpose – Seeks to identify emerging trends in learning and development, focusing on how large, complex organisations manage and extend the competencies of their employees and the degree to which new technologies might alter the scope of people development in future. Design/methodology/approach – Presents the results of interviews with senior HR specialists at AstraZeneca, Atos Origin, BAE Systems, Barclays Capital, Barclays Wealth Management, Dow Corning, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Getronics, Hilton, Holcim, IBM, German financial‐services company MLP, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Schlumberger and Shell, and Zurich Financial Services. Findings – Reveals significant similarities in terms of the issues and concerns felt by these senior executives. Practical implications – Contains much to interest the HR specialist operating in the higher echelons of a multinational company. Originality/value – Provokes thought and encourages readers to adapt some of the ideas and best practices outlined.