--- title: What is critical talent description: Learn what critical talent is, why it matters, and how identifying key employees helps reduce dependency risk, build succession pipelines, and ensure business continuity. --- [Skip to content](https://help.engagedly.com/what-is-critical-talent#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [Contact us](https://help.engagedly.com/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [Customer portal](https://help.engagedly.com/tickets?hsLang=en) ![Engagedly dark.png\]](https://help.engagedly.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Engagedly%20dark.png?height=31&name=Engagedly%20dark.png) - [About Us](http://www.engagedly.com/about-us) Show submenu for About Us - [Management Team](http://www.engagedly.com/about-us/management-team) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [About Us](http://www.engagedly.com/about-us) Show submenu for About Us - [Management Team](http://www.engagedly.com/about-us/management-team) - English Show submenu for translations - [Contact us](https://help.engagedly.com/kb-tickets/new) - [Customer portal](https://help.engagedly.com/tickets) - [Our Website](https://engagedly.com/) [Our Website](https://engagedly.com/) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Help Center](https://help.engagedly.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Talent Mobility](https://help.engagedly.com/talent-mobility?hsLang=en) 3. [Manage Talent](https://help.engagedly.com/talent-mobility?hsLang=en#manage-talent) # What is critical talent Critical talent refers to employees who are essential for business success or future leadership. If these employees leave, the organization faces dependency risk. Marking talent as critical signals dependency risk and ensures succession planning begins. ### **Examples of critical talent** - A rare-skill architect - A key regional leader ### **Why critical talent matters** - They hold unique skills or knowledge. - Their absence can slow down projects or affect strategy. - Identifying them helps build strong succession pipelines. ### **What happens when talent is marked critical** - The employee appears in the STAR grid. - The system prompts to create a succession pipeline. - If no pipeline exists, the employee remains flagged as “Critical with no pipeline.” You can also mark an employee’s role as critical. 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