Competing for top talent - it's only going to get worse
Bitter battles are raging to attract the best of the best graduates plus the elite of the more experienced.
Traditional career paths favoured Law, whilst today this ultra-elite have a broader range of subjects to seriously consider. It comes as no surprise that it's become far harder to recruit and retain at this heady level. What surprises me is that this vacuous quest seems set to continue in spite of the current spate of international political upheaval and economic uncertainty. This would normally spawn a glut of talent following indiscriminate firing squads elsewhere. Niche technologies continue to consume an increasing number of these elusive superstars. Lack of top-notch manpower continues to stifle growth potential across technology - cybersecurity, new frontier technologies, neuroscience, gaming, city trading - as well as law - to name but a few. The situation has become critical, and the barometer is stubbornly set at stormy.
At a time when selective redundancies are being quietly admitted, many of my clients are hunkering down to invent new ways to attract the topmost 0.5% of talent. There's even talk about focusing on the top 0.1%. Don't gasp - there's good reason behind this apparent madness. There's a terrifying gulf between the bright and the brightest; the good and the absolute best.
Natural tendency is to throw money at the problem.
Hard cash on the table has to be reasonably competitive in order to be taken seriously, though I argue that not everyone is as money-driven as some hard-pressed CEOs and and wrung-out talent scouts believe. Each prospective candidate deserves to be treated as an individual and not tarred with the same monied brush.
Every body, every face and every mind is positively unique. If we all wore the same robotic faces, we'd soon get wiser at understanding each other's minds, behavioural foibles... and personal values... as these would become our only differentiators. So, before we allow science to get the better of us humanoids, we can benefit by crafting better open questions to dig deep into what everyone truly values - what turns them on and what turns them off. Newly found knowledge can lead to an altogether more attractive proposition that you can leverage for years to come, enabling you to successfully retain your top talent that has been so hard fought for.
Otherwise, your much-prized appointment may stomp.
Results of OvationXL's VALUES survey
SCOPE OF SURVEY: 250 business leaders were interviewed ahead of their 1-2-1 coaching initiatives between January 2012 - September 2017.
OvationXL's research indicates that personal values develop over time, though rarely deviate a great deal. That may offer clues towards more drawing up more sustainable battle plans.
I am a big fan of value-linked talent recruitment and retention processes, carefully configured to ensure that diverse needs of these highly sought-after employees are carefully nourished so that their pabulum of weekly job offers remain offers and not acceptances.
METHODOLOGY BEHIND THE SURVEY:
I have developed a clever process for uncovering:
1. What an individual likes to believe (conscious beliefs)
2. What an individual actually believes (subconscious beliefs)
The findings frequently come as a revelation to each candidate. Almost invariably there's acknowledgement that the process is frighteningly accurate. Only now and again are both lists the perfectly aligned - it's rare though it happens.
In my survey results below, I have pooled these values. Be aware (beware) that some of these values are going to seem entirely alien to you and that's exactly the point to take away, since it is all too easy to inadvertently force feed one's one heart-felt values down the gullet of some innocent potential employee (or partner) to ill effect.
1. INTELLECTUAL VALUES
• Using my powers of intellect Fuelling my burning desire to self-improve. Solving complex problems with processes or technology that did not exist from the outset. Stimulating and stretching environment. Understanding progress
• Thinking laterally Confidently knowing I can cope with solving the complex issue in hand and boosting my morale and self-esteem along the way
• Working with other bright minds Involved with stimulating tasks and working alongside other interesting people with the same or different skillsets to my own
• Forever challenging/demanding, progressive, cerebral, achieving
2. VALUES FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE
• Making a positive difference Making genuine impact. Improving the lives of others. Doing good. Demonstrating my worth. Sharing knowledge
• Legacy Shaping the future for tomorrow and beyond. Getting to the root of stubborn problems and solving them
• Believing in education Opens the world to everybody as it is the basis of society. Changing one's working environment – making work a better place
• Sustainable working - projects consider any impact on the environment
3. COLLEGIAL VALUES
• Influencing others Having a profound impact on helping colleagues develop - they are our future
• Application Expecting one's team to deliver full potential. Understanding the true meaning of motivation and how that impacts on the realisation of individual and group performance
• Collegiate spirit Social life, enjoyable, less work like - a culture of interaction with colleagues/working together as one. Active support for colleagues
• Community/environment Open door policy/creating a genuinely open environment - earning the right to question and re-evaluate. Committed shared goals. Loving and compassionate community
• Empowering and trusting Bringing confidence to self and team. Allows colleagues to work straightforwardly
• Diversity and flexibility Understanding of others. Actively encouraging diversity of thinking. Comfortable with different people/situations/industries making for a healthier environment. Less silo-based decision taking which can be risky
• Teamwork Collaborative environment. Caring about collective recognition of the strength of the team. Getting you further faster. Satisfaction gained from reaching a common goal with others
• Enthusiasm and enjoyment Approaching tasks with due diligence and a positive attitude - self and team
• Solving problems/supporting others Helping others achieve goals
• Meaningful, purposeful, and worthwhile shared goals Sense of all being in it together. Creating change that is helpful to others (and the world). Whole team working to the same end.
• Love Sensitive to the needs of others
• Collective work Contributing towards a single aim. Engagement in the core beliefs and values of the organisation
• Reinventing society in the broadest meaning of the word
• Personalising and understanding Acceptance of people in their roles. Treating others as individuals. Recognising the contribution that others make. Suspension of natural scepticism, which can produce a barrier to progress
• Social justice and fairness Respecting all mankind and not just the privileged few. Encouraging and sharing greater awareness
• Enhancing the rights of the weakest Improving legislation
• Internationalisation and diversity Improving exchanges between different religions, cultures, and education
• International character Solidarity goes further than individual approaches
4. LEADERSHIP VALUES
• Timely clear communications Enabling good working relationships at all levels/leading others. Free-flowing - upwards/downwards/sideways
• Collective navigation and information sharing Genuine contribution from staff at all levels - not just an isolated few
• Strategic influence Operationally creative. Building systems, structures and organisation, gives me added richness
• Opportunity to be creative and learn throughout my career Whole life learning
• Responsibility Others rely on me for their benefit. To be in charge of a job within my natural capabilities. Morality. I am here to help others
• Leading the team Enjoyment of people, reliable leader, achieving what I have promised. Fun, fair, inspiring, fulfiling
• Public face Tangible appreciation. Acting and speaking in an ethical way Power and control - being autonomous in the decisions that I make
• Believe in product Implicitly believing in the core values of the environment/organisation. Publicising what we do well
• Bravery Taking initiative, imagining a different future. Pushing out the boundaries. Innovating with new techniques applied. Not accepting the status quo. Never phased by the trite phrase "We tried this before and it didn't work"
• Exciting blend of curricular and co-curricular
• Decision taking Making me feel good inside. Wise coordination of decisions from gut, skin and my brain (to validate/justify my chosen direction of travel). Decisive once all the facts are known - active avoidance of peremptory action
• Creating a beacon of excellence Configuring policies and practice of imitable high quality
• Empowering role model - I act as I say
• Competitive Loving the idea of winning and I won't change
• Efficient Managing administration with least interference to my 'day job'
• Appropriate balancing challenge and support
• Proactively and positively linking with the wider community
• Taking seriously our educational and charitable responsibilities Striving towards greater equality to help reduce unfairness in society at large
• Taking out those who don't sufficiently contribute or whose values are misaligned with what the rest of us have set out to do Too many have been allowed to fester and it has become distracting from what the rest of us are striving to achieve
5. PERSONAL QUALITIES
• Integrity Consistent and making right judgements. Being the same person with everybody honest with self and others - we have to face God. Integral to how I work.
• Mutual respect Treating others as I want to be treated, when they deserve it. Have top people hanging on my every word
• Honest, authentic and straightforward Being truthful. Knowing where I stand and others do too. Communicate directly. Believing in my organisation’s ethical values
• Dedication Hard work ethic – being committed, defines my self-esteem. I am one of the hardest workers in the room
• Kindness, fairness, compassion, caring empathetic and tolerant Making people’s journey easier. Colleagues recognise things that matter to me
• Enthusiasm and enjoyment Approaching tasks with due diligence and a positive attitude - self and team
• Opportunity and commitment to progress Giving my all
• Exuding pride in everything I do High quality of output. Feeling fulfilled – getting job satisfaction, enjoyment and sense of wellbeing
• Love of people Personable. Easy to talk to
• Humility Fine about discussing my failures and what I learnt from the experiences
• Excitement drives me Don't give me routine. I thrive on variety
• Belief that the product is going to succeed I am a glass half full
• Ability My contribution has to be positive
• Determination and perseverance - my ‘buy-in’ Willingness to work
• Ability My contribution has to be positive
• Acceptance that people around me are professional
• Sense of humour Keeping me sane enough to retaining perspective Value-driven - working in an environment that is value-driven.
• Meaningful life Purposeful
• Energetic Enabling me to be on my feet all day
• Punctuality It’s polite
• Discretion
• Loyalty Being reliable to others and being able to rely on others
• Decency and thoughtfulness Being a trustworthy person. Putting others first
• Generosity Giving time to others
• Technology Innovating to some complex problems of previous generations. Envisioning a future before it happens perhaps with technology that didn't exist at the outset
• Laughter Needing to find cheer and positivity
• Self-reflective Being open minded to review systems ands procedures
• Using my musical talents
6. PERSONAL NEEDS
• Being well paid Making me feel valued, personal ambition, easier lifestyle, safe and secure, means to provide for my family. Financial freedom - achieving a standard of living that gives me choice
• Training and support (technical and soft skills) Self-improvement, life-long learning, personal enrichment, adds professionalism, enables me to develop, grow/ progress/develop expertise in my chosen role
• Recognised and appeciated Internally/external validation by clients and colleagues alike who choose me first. Valued contributor. Galling to work as hard as I do if unrecognised
• Autonomy After setting the compass, being given a free hand. Able to independently define the scope of my team's focus and activities in order to generate game-changing results
• Travelling Getting out and visiting clients and member organisations, which helps me properly understand the context in which they are working
• Successful, progression, self-fulfilling, dynamic and rewarding Sense of ambition and achievement - onwards and upwards. Getting a kick out of the job. Needing to make people feel proud. Able to move things forward. Feeling 'current'
• Health and fitness A healthy body = A healthy mind
• Flexibility of working Able to work at hours that are flexible and at places that are flexible. I may work more hours... though this is the run up to 2020...
• Variety of high quality work Doing different activities each day. Getting out to be a part of the wider organisation
• Work/life balance Being free to enjoy other things besides work. Allows me to pursue other interests instead of working excessive hours Pleasant welcoming work environment to enter on a daily basis - making me feel that I want to come to work Family time - time with wife and kids - becoming a better parent and partner
• Systematic routine Setting an example to others. Not wasting time. It helps me, by being orderly to achieve set objectives
• Goals Setting and achieving relevant targets. Clear direction. Delivering - doing the job they pay me to do. We are clear what we are working towards
• Clients Mutual confidence, trust/security, loyalty. Developing real and long-lasting relationships
• Unlimited opportunities No ceiling
• Feeling part of the organisation Understanding of the value that I add and how it impacts positively on others
• Freedom of responsibility Needing to be highly accountable. I receive direct (undiluted) feedback from member organisations – good and bad
• Being busy Liking to feel productive at all times
• Selling successfully Making me feel good and successful. Fully supported
• Managing my time The world has changed. Need for flexibly e.g. fitting in my charitable work around work. It doesn't matter so much where and when we work any more so long as we over-perform
• Pacing myself Needing to pace my energies to make my career long-lasting
• Stability I have bounced around a lot in my career and have lost my appetite for doing this – perhaps too much? I find myself resisting change which is wrong
• Traditional and academic environment That's where I feel most comfortable. I enjoy the company of other academic people
• Architecture Working in beautiful buildings is a delight
• Religious environment Giving the place a soul
• Proximity to my home In a place I want to be and have a pleasant commute. I'm done with commuting
• Not-for-profit sector Feeling more adept managing the philosophical needs of nfp organisations relative to competition for profit
• Bringing new audiences to poetry even though this is not a part of my job
In summary, it is so easy to focus on what you or your business/organisation needs at the expense of extrapolating accurate data about a prospective candidate's core value structure. Performed in the right way and peace might break out.
Please comment on how attracting and retaining talent has changed for you, even compared to just nine months ago.
For more information on the above or about my behavioural changing four x two hour 1-2-1 leadership coaching of your leaders and rising stars, please contact Robin:
E: robin.johnson@OvationXL.com
M: 07774415561