Abstract
The study argues that the development of Kazakhstan’s creative economy depends directly on the quality of human resource management (HRM) and on institutionalized, talent-supporting practices. Conventional industrial HR approaches do not fit the logic of creative labour; a flexible, human-centred and digitally supported HRM model is required. The aim of the article is to design a modular HRM model for creative-sector organizations and to empirically demonstrate its effect on key performance indicators. The scholarly and practical contribution lies in the operationalisation of employee experience (EX) and innovation-related metrics, which enables a shift from transactional to transformational HRM. The practical outcome is a “minimal” toolkit consisting of weekly check-ins, quarterly OKRs, mentoring, microlearning modules, recognition rituals and a basic HR analytics dashboard. Pilot implementation of the model in three creative organizations led to higher employee engagement, lower turnover and faster innovation cycles, confirming the need to combine flexibility with systemic HRM practices. Over the past two decades, research on the creative economy has moved from describing cultural industries towards conceptualising human capital as the core source of added value. While many studies address macro-level economic effects and cultural policy, substantially fewer examine HRM in creative sectors. This article addresses that gap by treating HR not as an auxiliary function but as a strategic condition for the sustainability of creative business in Kazakhstan.