Focus on...

Building people | Selling culture | Building a World Class Company

“Congratulations you’re hired!”

These are the words each aspiring employee wants to hear following an interview. It makes all the nerves…the endless submissions of resumes…and the entire process worthwhile.

On the other side of the equation is a company looking to find the right fit. Individuals who can add value to an organizations bottom line…not just short-term but individuals who can propel the company mission and vision forward long-term. So…from an employer perspective…what are the keys to finding success in the recruiting and the retention process…?

In short…the answer is FOCUS.

The first key is to “Focus on building people.”

You accomplish this by engaging your employees and building a learning culture where information is effectively shared and employee’s feedback is both valued and requested. Did you know that of the 5 billion people on the plant, only 1.4 billion have a good job**don’t like this term… what is a good job?, and just 16% of those are engaged (2)? In fact, in the United States 51% of the U.S. workforce is NOT engaged, according to a recent Gallup poll (2). Engagement happens when employees feel like learning and development is taking place and their work is both fulfilling and challenging.

Learning and development should be offered to all employees regardless of their company role. According to Robert Half, companies with a strong learning culture find retention rates approximately 30-50% higher than companies that don’t foster a learning culture (2).

The reason why you want to focus on building people FIRST is because your employees are your greatest marketing tool. Did you know that happy employees tend to recruit other employees who have similar values and attributes? The bottom line is that part of your role… as a leader of your organization is to find the best people in the market place…period.

The second key is to “Focus on selling culture.

So how do you make your culture so SPECIAL people just want to keep coming back? We touched on the first part of selling culture…it’s about building a culture that’s worth selling! When you hire candidates with values and ethics that align with your culture then growth, productivity, cooperation, and all of the other key dynamics can be expected (1). Once you have a learning culture that is known for building people and providing learning and growth opportunities then that becomes contagious.

Now understand this…you have to literally be willing to go to the ends of the earth to share your story and recruit great people. They are not just going to show up at your door and say, “Hi...I am great, and I need to work for your organization.” Are you willing to take a red eye flight into London or New York to meet with a potential software engineer who you have been corresponding with via social media, love their skill set, and even had a great skype session with last week?

Although there is always a risk involved…and you can come up empty handed, when you are building a strong culture…sometimes you have to be willing to take that risk. When you take that risk and people know how much you care…how much you value their contribution and what they could bring to your organization…sometimes that is the key step to push the need to the point where a deal is made.

Remember, people need to feel like leadership within an organization is supportive and the environment is someplace where they can grow and achieve success.

The third key is to “Focus on building a world-class company.”

Ultimately you want to build a company that produces results. If your company is a winner then naturally it will be the type of place prospective employees want to work.

Forbes put out a great list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies back in 2012. Ranked #1 is a company called ServiceNow which experienced a 39.02% 12-month Sales Growth and 89.22% Innovation Premium (3). Another great company on that list is Workday which has a 36.07% 12-month Sales Growth and 82.84% Innovation Premium (3).

Ummmm…so….. what is innovation premium? Great question!!

Innovation premium is the premium the stock market offers an organization because investors expect it to launch new offerings and enter new markets that will produce greater revenue (4).

By remaining focused on the 3 keys discussed, who knows…perhaps one day your company can be on the Forbes list…or at least have a sizable innovation premium. And by the way… if your goal is not to eventually qualify to be included on a Forbes list like that…then frankly, business just might not be for you. Because mediocre companies typically, don’t last very long.

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