Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are undergoing financial, structural and cultural transformation. With the marketization of higher education, 'war for talent' is also gaining momentum. As bars are raised on evaluating academics' performance, the human resources and academic leadership need to rethink their approach to talent identification, development, and deployment. The staff development function needs some adaptations to sustain in this knowledge-intensive industry. In the light of literature review and professional reflection, I argue academics as 'the talent' for any higher education institution. This paper discusses talent development in higher education and advocates 'an exclusive' approach to their professional development. It unpacks the three levels of HEIs talent development needs and presents a framework to meet them. The paper also elaborates on the interventions that are favourable for the fulfilment of academics' and institution's talent development needs. It finally proposes areas for further research.