Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm speaks at a working session with the Government's Party Committee on talent acquisition held in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm on Monday called for strategic talent acquisition and retention in line with the country's development goals, as well as an open work environment, strong empowerment and remuneration packages commensurate with talent's capabilities.

The top leader was speaking at a working session with the Government's Party Committee, regarding the national strategy to attract, utilise and develop talent in key sectors and fields.

The draft strategy was presented by the committee, followed by an assessment by the Ministry of Home Affairs.  

In his concluding remarks, the top leader emphasised that as talent acquisition and use constitute a special strategic national resource, they should go hand-in-hand and and are attached to specific development missions of the country.

He also noted that the most sustainable source of talent must be cultivated from the Vietnamese people.

"Talents must be identified and evaluated primarily based on their character, practical competence and creative thinking, as well as the tangible outputs of their achievements, professional reputation and the value of their contributions," he said.

"Talents should not be equated merely with high academic degrees, titles, managerial positions or seniority."

Commenting on the draft strategy, he stressed that it should tailor talent attraction goals to specific sectors, fields and national tasks, and specify the employing agencies, expected deliverables from the talents and evaluation criteria.

The Government, ministries, sectors and agencies must clearly define the major challenges in talent acquisition, propose remuneration packages commensurate with capabilities, and ensure the necessary research infrastructure and working conditions for talents to excel.

Each key talent should be empowered to set objectives for the project they are assigned, to make decisions, form teams and propose what they need in terms of equipment, data, budget and remuneration. 

“Moreover, each strategic talent should bear the responsibility of building organisational capacity by training successors, transferring knowledge and standardising processes, as well as generating data and intellectual property,” Lâm said.

They should be provided with opportunities for contribution and mobility, an open working environment and clear development pathways that are also substantive and effective for the country's development, he added.

Việt Nam's representative missions abroad should actively identify and connect with experts and build partner networks aligned with the country's specific needs and priorities.

In addition, the strategy should also consider introducing a 'Việt Nam Talent Visa' featuring a transparent, one-stop processing mechanism with clear timelines, while addressing procedures and policies regarding key issues for attracting foreign talents and their families to Việt Nam,  including salary, residency, employment, taxation, housing, healthcare, education and qualification recognition.

Heads of agencies and organisations must take responsibility for identifying, selecting and assigning tasks to talents and for the creation of a conducive work environment. 

"They should also be held accountable for misuse of talents or losses of skilled individuals due to poor or unfair working conditions or acts of jealousy, obstruction or victimisation in the workplace," the top leader said. 

Universities and research institutes in Việt Nam should be given greater autonomy in resource management, coupled with accountability for research quality and academic integrity, Lâm added. Enterprises should directly participate in identifying needs, training, research and investment in the nation's talent ecosystem. 

The Party chief reiterated that while national talent management must operate under the unified leadership of the Party, roles must be clearly defined for the organisations and agencies responsible for the strategy's implementation.

"Multiple agencies may collaborate, but a single entity must bear primary and ultimate responsibility," he said.

Lâm urged the continued refinement of the strategy to ensure it is concise and focused, while delivering substantive breakthroughs in talent acquisition frameworks and implementation. 

The top leader added: “The ultimate goal is to generate new projects, technologies, enterprises, policies and values, and to build a workforce capable of driving the country’s rapid, sustainable and autonomous development, while creating opportunities for every capable Vietnamese citizen to be discovered, developed and contribute to the country.” — VNS