Are you building a company for the future or stuck in the past? Part II
This is the second article in our two part series with Dr. Uma Gupta. Dr. Gupta was our featured speaker
on 2 April of this year and she spent a solid hour discussing what companies need to do to become a
talent magnet. This is particularly important for the high tech & manufacturing industries. Adapt now
or be relegated to the dust bin of history.
Just as people need to prepare themselves for the future, so too much organizations prepare
themselves for the future. In order to create a better means for people to fulfill their own desires, they
need to write better resumes, to accept jobs they are qualified to do and to create a means to find those
jobs. Likewise the organizations who are recruiting and hiring need to be prepared to retain those
people that they hire.
The first step in that future success of course is to ensure that you're hiring the right people for the job.
According to Dr. Gupta the first way to accomplish that is to write a better job description. The talent
pipeline helps your organization to survive and getting the talent that you need isn't going to happen if
your job description isn't relevant to the job.
Job descriptions can influence people to either apply or to steer clear of your company. They can also
offer the wrong information to the person who is applying and give them a job that they are not
prepared to do and may not be able to do. According to Dr. Gupta, talent branding is also imperative.
Some of the most successful companies in the world are using talent branding.
When we hire, we hire because we need to have something accomplished. Sometimes, according to Dr.
Gupta, we hire someone who may not be qualified to do all of the things that we need done. Talent
branding will help to prevent that and allow us to hire those who are well qualified to give us the things
that we need.
Once we've hired them, we need to understand the relationship between motivation and rewards
according to Dr. Gupta. Understanding the company culture too and hiring only people who will fit that
culture is going to give them the best chance to succeed.
In some cases, motivation may not be only financial. Look at the individual. Workers today require more
than financial reward. While that is certainly motivation, it is not the be all and end all for workers.
Personal satisfaction often fills a greater role to them. GIving them some semblance of control, some
kind of input into what's happening at the company may be a better motivator. Look at every angle to
see where the person fits and what they bring to the table.
Ask yourself if a given person will fit into your company well and have the kind of personality and the
kind of background that tells you they will fit well. Then hire only that type of people--but look closely at
every applicant.
Set away the old time look at things such as age or race or even political partisanship. Quite often the
best recruit for your company and the person who will best fit your culture may not be the person that
you think they are.
As an example, we often overlook those who are 40-50, seeing them only as retirement prospects, when
in reality a longer life span exists today and many people are working into their late sixties and early 70s
and offering real value and real insight to companies.
Many workers of that age also bring a forward thinking trend that a person of 40 may not offer. Putting
aside old prejudices is going to be an absolute necessity today in order to succeed in business and attain
the talent that we need.
Once you've hired them, motivate them not only with rewards but also with other motivating methods
such as good communication and strong interpersonal skills. Be willing to work with them to help them
to fit into your culture so that they-- and ultimately your company can succeed.
If you want to learn more feel free to view the webinar in its entirety at:
http://www.whmeanor.com/events/
You can also review past articles and register with us so we can keep you updated on our next webinar
and training event as well as future industry articles.
James Kemper is the president of W. H. Meanor & Associates, an executive placement & training
company specializing in engineering & manufacturing careers. He can be reached at:
jms@whmeanor.com or 704-372-7640 #102 or visit at www.whmeanor.com