Great Companies

For those of you who don’t know me or don’t know me well I am a trainer for Monster Canada. I have an amazing job that is absolutely perfect for my personality – I get to talk for a living! I am passionate about my brand, my company, candidate experience and improving the recruitment process. Even with all of this wonderfulness I too get sucked into the daily grind from time to time. But then I have these days, these amazing days when I walk away from a training session or a best practices seminar completely re-inspired by the company and the people I have spent time with. Today is one of those days!

I just spent two days with a client who’s employees are completely engaged and passionate about their people, their brand and their guests (customers). When I asked the team one of my favourite questions, “What do you love about coming into work every day?” - (a question that too often takes probing and time for me to get an answer) – I got the opposite response! Everyone got so excited that they actually had trouble containing themselves. I probably heard at least 10 great, inspiring, real stories about how amazing their company is and the value it puts on the employees. All this is without even mentioning the great benefits and work life these people live. Reaction like this is a rare occurrence in these days and I can’t help but ask why?

So many companies “pride” themselves on valuing their employees as their #1 asset, but then do nothing to back that up. In fact, they pour all their time, energy and resources into what they think will grow the bottom line. I for one think that is short sighted. I can’t and won’t pretend to be a business expert, but I do know what I’ve seen and I have worked with a lot of companies over the last 7 years. Great companies are made up of great people and I can’t help, but ask myself, ‘Why don’t they get it?’ Get - that by focusing on having the best people and keeping them engaged and passionate will inevitably grow the bottom line. It’s just that simple! Once you make the decision nothing can stop you.

The answer to the questions ‘How do I get the best people?’ and ‘How do I keep the best people?’ are one and the same.

That’s my rant for today. Let me know what you think.

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Comment by Jennifer Pedde on March 9, 2010 at 2:12pm: EXCELLENT Article. I'm a recruiter, but still hoping to work for one of those "Great" Companies out there soon.

Comment by Samantha on March 9, 2010 at 4:42pm: Thanks so much for the great feedback Jennifer! I am new to blogging, so it's great to hear.

I am certain with your positive attitude you will absolutely be sought out by one of the GREAT companies soon.

Comment by Ken Forrester on March 10, 2010 at 8:39am: Samantha, your post reminded me of a client that had difficulty recruiting quality talent on their own!

It was obvious that the HR person did not have a good handle of the role, skill requirements, or hands-on experience in recruiting passive candidates based on the responses to a series of questions.

However, when I asked, “what attracted YOU to this organization and what has kept YOU there, it was a totally different story. Here is her reply:

The people, their energy; it’s a fast pace environment, with a family feel. There is a culture committee that is run by employees to maintain and promote our culture.
Work is challenging and fun; the focus is on career development.
Managers make quick decisions and put them in operation.
They give you room to grow and challenge you to exceed your own expectations.
You are surrounded with other bright minds that encourage collaboration and thinking outside the box.
Employees sincerely believe in the company and are excited to pitch in and help each other.
Lots of room to grow professionally because the company grows along with our clients.
The company’s focus is employees first; clients second; revenue will come with happy employees.
What we look for in new Employees that:
• Have Courage
• Dream Big
• Take Initiative
• Are Accountable
Our motto: Mistakes made with good intentions can be corrected.
We are building a working environment where you can compete successfully and still have a heart.

This information was provided in less than 30 seconds!

So, why does a company that has so much to offer have difficulty attracting talent?

They don’t have their best people in the right positions, and recruitment is a good example!

Comment by Samantha on March 10, 2010 at 10:31am: That's awesome Ken! I come across the same thing over and over again when meeting with companies. I think all to often HR/recruitment departments are stretched so thin that they don't have the time and are rarely encouraged to be/think proactively. They are constantly forced to put out fires. I don't believe for a second that what I preach is brain surgery. I just think that sometimes it takes someone to ask the right questions that help to point them in the right direction. This is a trend that I think is starting to change especially with all the social media buzz, but it's a slow process.

Comment by M A on March 10, 2010 at 12:29pm: Okay Samantha, what's this company's name, and how can I get in there!
As a consultant, I have worked with many companies, and when I think about my best experiences, it's when I worked with people who loved their work, the company, and KNEW why they did. And as a recruiter - and I agree with Ken,- you need to know these reasons, feel these reasons, and be able to relay those reasons to the potential employees you speak with, both by words and attitude.