Read almost any book or article on leadership and you will find that one mark of a great leader is their ability to select talent – to attract, retain, develop and motivate other leaders. Whether our business mentality falls under Corporate, Entrepreneur, Small Business Owner, or Non-Profit & Government, our ability to attract the best talent with the right mindset defines our future success. The following points will help you in this process.
I. Define your cultural values
What is company culture? It is more than a set of policies, a working environment or an atmosphere. It defines common beliefs and behaviors as well as the way we view and value relationships. An easy way to define these traits is to simply look at the behavior of the top leaders, particularly the founders or the President/CEO. The strongest cultural influence in any company is the behavior of these leaders. No set of rules will have a fraction of the impact that the example set by the top leaders of the company will have. It is critical that values guide everyday work.
II. Understand what motivates people
Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? It can easily be applied to attracting and retaining top talent. There are basic needs that have to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied.
1. Security: Regardless of the business mindset you seek, you have to be able to address both job and financial security. Study after study shows that the greatest influence on an employee’s commitment to the company is senior management’s interest in the employee’s well-being.
2. Inclusion: People want to feel like they are “in the know”. Goals have to be understood and shared.
3. Control: Many develop a sense of self-worth related to their range of control
4. Ego: People must feel that they play a key role in the company’s success. Their work must be challenging and have importance.
5. Doing the Right Thing: People want to do what’s right. The question is not only “Are we doing the right thing?” but “Who are we doing the right thing for?” The social value of the work needs to be shared and understood.
III. Make sure your message attracts the right people. There are four kinds of messages to which people respond.
1. Go with a Winner: Typically there will be multiple advancement opportunities such as in a large corporate environment.
2. Big Risk, Big Reward: A person will receive good compensation for considerable risk, but their career can advance rapidly such as in an entrepreneurial environment.
3. Save the World: A person has an inspiring mission and an exciting challenge such as in a non-profit environment
4. Lifestyles: A person receives more flexibility and better lifestyle benefits such as in a strictly small business environment or government environment.
IV. Build an engaging workplace
The Gallup Organization has developed a dozen questions that measure the engagement of your employees. These questions, listed below, can be categorized into four main points of interest including: “What do I get from this role?,” “What do I give?,” “Do I belong here?,” and “How can we all grow?”
- Do I know what is expected of me at work?
- Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work properly?
- At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday?
- In the past seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
- Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
- Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?
- At work, do my opinions count?
- Does the mission or purpose of my company make me feel like my work is important?
- Are my coworkers committed to doing quality work?
- Do I have a best friend at work?
- In the last six months, has someone talked to me about my progress?
- In the past year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?
In the end, a leader will achieve greater business outcomes in the areas of retention, profitability, productivity, and customer engagement by:
- Having a clear definition of the company’s values and business mindset;
- Understanding the values and mindset of each employee;
- Recognizing each employee’s true motivation to work;
- Helping each employee connect that motivation back to company goals; and,
- Maintaining open and honest communication
It is all about how an employee feels about their work experience. Commitment to the company is becoming much more of an emotional-based decision with employees searching for deeper meaning in their jobs.
