2021: the great talent crisis
It's funny to write about this now, but pretty soon, we will be in a talent crisis.
While the pandemic left many talented people looking for work; many people also reconsidered the companies they wanted to invest their time and talents. Me included.
Once normalcy is close, the revolving door of talent will become even faster. And this is a significant issue. Finding and onboarding new people is damn expensive, and people actually might not want to work for your company.
The multi-talented Derek Walker recently wrote, "Sometimes a business or agency doesn't deserve you as an employee."
I agree.
Why do you want to work for us?
During my stint at Amazon, I became fascinated with why some companies continue to grow while others plod along. Every company has the same access to the same talent, the same technology, the same systems and even the same buildings. So what's the difference?
Post-Amazon, I spent time researching Tesla (now the #1 valued car company), Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Toms, Allbirds, Facebook, Hoka, and other fast-growing companies. I was fortunate to have 1:1 meetings with key leaders. And I learned two things:
All of these companies have clearly articulated Purpose and Values (we don't have to agree with them), and these Purpose and Values bleed into everyday activities.
During the hiring process, these values are investigated. In fact, early in the pandemic, when I was poking around for work, all recruiters and hiring managers knew why they worked for the company and what it meant to them - thus aligning to the business.
Why should I work for you?
Recruiters have two key questions:
What's your story?
Why do you want to work here?
I think talent should have one key question (there are others, of course):
Why should I work for you?
And if that question is not answered clearly, from the heart, and why the interviewer works at the company, run for the hills. (I'm not talking about benefits or paid time off).
At the end of the day, humans are social creatures and we all want to belong. It’s tribal. And work is no different. Leaders and managers need to give existing and new team members a reason to belong to their company. It’s pretty simple: give them a reason beyond Culture (and Fuze ball) and people will stay, prosper and help the company grow.
Growth Companies: why some rise!
As we speak, I am working on my next keynote presentation; it's center around 'Growth Companies: why some rise!' It's a culmination of years of hands-on experience and being a part of Amazon during a massive pre-pandemic growth spurt. What I learned was amazingly simple, so watch this space.
“Let’s build a world where people wake up inspired, feel safe to tackle whatever they want, fulfilled by the work they do and go home happy.”
Stay safe. Stay Sane. And have a great Thanksgiving!