Talent management and employees with disabilities: a systematic literature review in the context of COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is, first, to understand how employees with disabilities in the context of COVID-19 have been studied under the talent management (TM) approach; second, to explore what we know about the predictors and outcomes that have been linked to TM practices in that area; and third, to identify gaps in our understanding and provide insights for future research. Design: This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) based on 38 academic sources published in high-impact indexes from 2020 to 2023. Findings: The existing research shows COVID-19 as a crucial context that led organizations to more precarious and segmented TM practices, which had negative consequences for employees with disabilities, both at the individual level (reduced satisfaction and income, and increased health issues), and the organizational level (increased unemployment, turnover, and discrimination as well as declining performance and productivity).