If
You Want to Become a Talent Magnet, Focus On The
Fundamentals
By David Lee
Reprinted from Interface
Technology News
In the frenzy to
find high tech talent, it’s tempting to search for the Talent Magnet Silver
Bullet – the ultimate perk or program that will make you the employer of
choice.
This attempt to find the Holy Grail of
recruiting and retaining talent includes the misguided notion that being a
Talent Magnet also involves recreating the kind of workplace that gets media
coverage - the workplace where dot-com stock option millionaires engage in SuperSoaker water fights or dance on their desks to relieve
stress.
The answer to becoming a Talent Magnet
isn’t in gimmicks, the perfect enticement, or a contrived "we’re a fun
workplace" image. The answer to becoming a Talent Magnet is in the
fundamentals. The answer is in creating an organization that satisfies
fundamental human needs and the emerging needs of today’s workers. When
organizations do this, they create a workplace that is intrinsically motivating
and fun, a workplace that makes them a magnet for the most talented employees.
To become such an organization – a Talent
Magnet - here are some ways you can satisfy these fundamental needs of today’s
worker:
Engage Your Employees’ Hearts and Souls - People don’t just want to bring their
brains to work, they want to bring their hearts. They
want to feel passionate about what they are doing and be
part of something great. Leaders of Talent Magnets speak to this human need by
regularly communicating to all employees where the company is going, the
importance of what they are doing, and the significance of each employee’s
contribution. They share stories of victories and warn about imminent battles
with competitors.
The more you let your employees know they
are part of something great, and how they make it possible to be great, the
more passionate they will be about your company. The more passionate they are,
the more they will tell others about how great your company is - making every
employee a recruiter.
Keep People in the Know – It’s hard to be excited about something
you know nothing about. When employees understand the big picture, and are kept
in the loop about new developments, they feel part of the organization, and
therefore, more involved, more excited, and more loyal.
At ManagedOps.com,
CEO Dan Taylor keeps their 180 employees in the loop by holding a President’s
Breakfast each week. At these breakfasts, he meets with 10 different employees
to discuss new developments and listens to their ideas and concerns.
Respect Employee’s Right to Have a Life – Research shows flexibility and
work/life balance are top priorities of today’s workers, especially GenXers. At HCI Systems of Kennebunk,
With several employees at HCI Systems
being single mothers of young children, this kind of flexibility and respect
has a huge impact on morale and dedication. "Because of the flexibility
and respect employees are shown, we’ll have people willingly come in on a
weekend if need be. It pays to be flexible," notes Kathie Davies, HCI
Systems’ HR Manager.
Provide Opportunities to Grow – A study by the American Electronics
Association, the nation’s largest high-tech trade group, revealed that the
number one factor influencing employee retention was having challenging work
assignments. If going to work means grinding out the same task over and over,
employees will soon go elsewhere. Thus, keeping employees energized and excited
about coming to work requires making sure they are constantly being challenged.
As the head of HR for Sun Microsystems, Ken Alvares
says "our goal is to keep people so busy having fun every day that they
don’t even listen when the headhunters call." Apparently this strategy is
working, as Sun’s turnover rate is less than half of the industry’s average.
Show Appreciation – Many companies drop the ball on this
one. Decades of employee research shows that appreciation is one of the greatest
motivators. Yet, when companies remember to show appreciation, it is usually
with a gimmicky Employee of the Month or Employee Recognition Day programs.
Far more effective are simple, informal
expressions of appreciation such as saying "Thank you" to employees
as they are leaving for the day, as does HCI Systems’ president Jim Kavanagh.
Because managers and front line people
tend to treat each other the way they are treated, employees at HCI Systems
show the same kind of gratitude and appreciation to each other. "For
instance, I’ll have people in product development come up and thank me for
something I’ve done," notes HR Manager Kathie Davies. "That almost
never happens to the HR person in most companies."
The kind of goodwill created by such
gestures translates into tremendous synergy and the kind of
workplace people are excited about going to.
Showing sincere appreciation is a no-cost,
high return practice. Not showing appreciation is a high-risk behavior for
companies hoping to keep talented people. When the staff of a
Don’t Hamstring Your Employees – Putting obstacles in the way of
employees doing their work well is a great way to send them to the competition.
Whether its inadequate technology, bureaucratic
hurdles to leap, or a "Sorry, there’s nothing we can do about it" attitude,
making life difficult for employees is a costly endeavor. Not only does it make
them less efficient, it conveys disrespect.
Give People the Chance to Do Something
Great – The best, most
talented employees want the opportunity to do something great. Says BroadcastAMERICA.com’s CEO Alex Lauchlin,
"You don’t want to give them a job, you want to give them a
challenge."
"We don’t say ‘Go out and get 20 new
stations next week.’ We say ‘We want you to build BroadcastSports.com or
BroadcastTalk.com’ (two of BroadcastAMERICA.com brands)," explains Lauchlin. Such a philosophy has helped BroadcastAMERICA.com
become the largest online broadcasting network.
Show Employees That You Care – Although talented people want their
talent and expertise to be recognized and valued, they also want to know you
care about them as a person - not just a producer of high quality work. Leaders
like ManagedOps.com Dan Taylor or BroadcastAMERICA.com’s
co-founders John Brier and Alex Lauchlin address this
need by taking the time to get to know employees not just as programmer or
designer, but as people who have families, hopes, and dreams.
Says Laurie Murphy, HR Manager at ManagedOps.com "One of the most
frequent comments on our employee satisfaction surveys is how much it means to
employees that Dan knows who they are, who their spouses are, and the names of
their children."
To Become a Talent Magnet, Remember The
Fundamentals – Being a Talent
Magnet doesn’t require being clever or cute. It requires a sincere appreciation
of, and interest in, the people who work for you. It requires a willingness to
meet their fundamental human needs, and their needs as workers in a complex
world of competing responsibilities. By doing this, you will create the kind of
workplace that talented people love – and love to tell their talented friends
about.
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About the Author: David Lee is a
consultant, speaker, and executive coach. The founder of HumanNature@Work, he has worked with organizations and
presented at conferences throughout
For More Information:
David Lee, President
HumanNature@Work
P.O. Box 430
Bar Mills, Maine 04004
Tel: 207-929-3344
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