Don't we all want to work with amazing people? There is plenty of research and real life experience that says investing in who decisions pays off. Finding the one for your company means achieving success or just getting by.
Enlightened CEO's place the importance of people decisions at the top of their list of important skills to develop and invest in. I grew up as an HR professional at American Hospital Supply (AHSC) - later acquired by Baxter Healthcare. From the first introduction to the company through thoughtful and interactive interviews, to a well articulated offer and then onboarding, I was fortunate to have a world class experience. I can say that now. After 20 years plus in the field and working with many companies as we help them find the one, they still struggle with this work and more importantly, in getting the process right.
Joining American at the time felt like joining a family. There was great care and planning on making us feel welcome, immediately connected to resources and people that cared about our success. Thank you Bob Ruh for inspiring me even with that high bar for performance! We were always clear on what the responsibilities were and where the challenge could take us. I was very early in my career and had come from a company that offered little development and almost no conversation about the business. It taught me to take initiative. AHSC prepared me for doing my best work with incredibly talented people.
It is important to find the one. And, it means getting the first part right and then ensuring that you have all the other parts in place; integrating the one into your culture, developing their skills, stretching them with challenging assignments and having a plan for development. Oh, and I almost forgot, scheduling conversations with key influencers and your boss about how it is going and what is needed to keep you on track and engaged.
Finding the one means;
having regular meaningful conversation with people. It seems many have lost that focus for there is so little time to commit to this today. There are way more initiatives on everyone's plate and little time to reflect and care for the ones that contribute.
looking at entirely new options for your workforce. Frankly, the one you want may get more excited about a gig, a project, an experience with you rather than the full time position you have posted. John Boudreau masterfully talks about these options in his book, Lead the Work. To continue to find the one, we now have to look at other ways for our talent to contribute.
This future of work offers a huge upside to individual workers and their leaders. Think about it; we see how younger professionals, mid-life or late stage careerists are taking on what they want, when they want it and where they want it. Let's get over the old model of employment and think more about what "the one" defines for themselves. You will be surprised how committed and aligned those workers will be if we ask, listen, share perspectives and help each other grow.
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