Talent is the lifeblood of every successful business — but today, the best talent does not need any particular company, including yours. That’s because geography no longer bounds workers, and the world’s largest corporations are now fishing in your talent pool.
Today there is a war over human resources. There is only one thing that can prevent fresh talent from joining the ranks of MAMAA (Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet).
Make Your Company Attractive
Good talent is hard to acquire, and great talent is harder still.
Peter Thiel suggests businesses start by asking themselves this vital question: “Why should the 20th employee join your company?” The answer lies in making your company a magnet for the right people.
Once you generate and nurture an application, you must sell your company to the applicant during the interview process. You have to demonstrate that your team consists of top performers and that they have a grand vision for the future.
Build A Team Of Top Performers
The first step to adding top talent to your team is ensuring that only top performers make up your current team.
Steve Jobs used to say, “A players attract A players. B players attract C players.” The reason is that A players want to surround themselves with other A players, and they do not tolerate B players. Thus, any team member who is not exceptional will repel top talent.
As top performers attract talent by word of mouth, the team grows naturally. Members, as a result, tend to share specific and unique skills, traits, or beliefs. The unifying qualities vary from team to team, but they are often essential for the group to achieve its goals.
One characteristic of every star player is that they know how to do things better than you and don’t need micromanaging. They thirst for independence so that they have full ownership of their success. Are you confident that each team member performs better when you are not looking than when you are?
Shape A Bold Vision Of The Future
Only a vision that is clear and ambitious can excite the best talent.
Such a vision requires wisdom. You must be able to look further into the future, seeing its opportunities and pitfalls better than anyone else. Having perspective allows you to make bold claims about where your industry—or even the world—is heading and how to change its course.
You must also possess the courage to convey that grand vision honestly to team members. Do not shy away from stating your bold objectives, even to potential recruits. For it is the bold objective that motivates superstar talent.
A clear and ambitious vision ensures that each team member knows how and why their work is essential. They must understand that what they do every day—in fact, every hour—brings the world closer to the reality they seek to build.
The Bottom Line
Making an attractive company is the most crucial element when acquiring talent. Having a top-performing team with a bold vision for the future is the only way to guarantee the 20th employee will join your company. When that objective is being met, all else will fall into place.
