The talent magnet

Organizations, especially large ones, need talented people much more than talented people need organizations.

Every time I meet a client I ask one simple question. Why would talented people want to work for you? Other than a few inspired souls, most respondents span 4 equally lame categories.

1. The 'we provide' response. A list of things (pay, time off, work-life balance, challenging opportunities, monday morning massage blah blah...) that will numb your senses as you listen. By the time the long list of 'provisions' draws to a close, you are inclined to suppress a yawn and move on to other, more meaningful, topics.

2. The 'how-dare-you-ask-do-you-not-know-who-we-are' response. Steeped in arrogance, often based on history, size, or reputation, this response is a classic. It flies in the face of evidence that talented people are attracted to companies not becuase of what they have done in the past but what they are looking to do in the future.

3. The 'we care' reponse. I admit, this one might work with some people out there ... not the sharpest or the most talented. It helps if you care, even better if you can show exactly how and how much. But care-bear companies are likely to show up on the top destination lists of B and C team talent from competitors. Not sure you want to be there.

4. The 'whatever you want it to be' response. Characterised by infinite flexibility to tailor everything around talent that they need to pull, these companies are often successful in their initial push to bring talent in. Soon the realization dawns that you can't be all things to all people all the time (sorry Abe!). Often leads to a curious mix of highly competent but incompatible teams pulling in different directions and having watercooler conversations on ' do you know how much they paid the new guy?'

So, is there really such a thing as a talent magnet - something your company can use to attract the best? There's an answer and a catch.

The answer is yes, there is. That magnet is basically a combination of who you are as a company and who you would like to be when you grow up.

The catch is that the magnet has 2 poles - it doesn't only attract, it repels as well.

The best magnets for talent involve 3 things:

1. Your story, told well - this involves a clear, simple narrative of your company's roots, its dreams and aspirations and the many challenges that are getting in your way to reach your dreams. The story must be personal, honest, simple and uplifting ... and the narrator must be believable.

2. The human face, literally - this part is about putting a human face, or faces, on the kind of talent you already have. Examples of people one can expect to work with. Picking the ones who most intimately represent the talent you need for the future will ensure the right people are attracted to you ... and the wrong people are repelled, naturally.

3. The 2 sided confession. The third, and possibly, the strongest magnet for talent is a confession. An honest, open disclosure that cuts both ways. It gives the talent you are trying to attract a view that your company's brand is edgy, not neutral. There are people who love your company, and people who aboslutely hate your guts. You then proceed to share what kind of people love your company and what kind of people are likely to hate you. In the process, you are subtly asking the candidate to take sides, make a choice, and build up some emotional stakes. If the candidate really identifies with the kind of people who love you, he / she will likely love you as well. If not, you spare yourself a wrong hire.


So, the next time you think about why talented people should join you, make sure you also think about why they shouldn't.