This study aims to research the relationship between perceptions of talent management and work engagement behaviours of academicians in Turkish Universities. The survey method was conducted in the study and data were gathered by means of online questionnaires. The sample of research consists of 335 academicians who completed the questionnaires. Because of normally distributed data parametric tests were used to make analyses. Results of the study show that there is a positive, linear, and moderate relationship between talent management and work engagement behaviours. Talent management predicts 27.8% variances in work engagement. It is determined that there is a difference in work engagement level between public universities and private universities in favour of private universities. It is also determined that there are differences in carrier evaluation and institutional evaluation dimensions of talent management in favour of private universities. According to gender and educational status talent management dimensions and work engagement do not differ. The relationships between dimensions of talent management and work engagement are shown with structural equation modelling. In this context, it should be stressed that administrators of universities should increase activities supporting the development of academicians to promote work engagement behaviours.