According to Richard Branson, the most important thing in a business is its people. In this era of tight competition, quick turnarounds and narrow margins for error; finding the right talent and retaining them has never been a more significant challenge.
The world’s most successful tech companies have come to understand this. Some at a cost. From Google and Netflix to Amazon and beyond, big tech now deploys whole teams of researchers to learn how to get the most from their workforce.
So what do they have to say about talent management? And what lessons can we learn from them?
1. Be direct
“It sounds so simple to say that bosses need to tell employees when they’re screwing up. But it very rarely happens.” – Kim Scott, former director of Google and co-founder of Candour, Inc.
The key to radical candour is to care personally about employees, and to challenge them directly. Consider the alternative. Which is really better: telling someone immediately when they are performing poorly, or waiting until the mistakes pile up and have to fire them? Un-think the “if you don’t have anything nice to say” mantra.
2. Stop aiming for work-life balance
“I get asked about work-life balance all the time. And my view is, that’s a debilitating phrase because it implies there’s a strict trade-off.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon.
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Bezos’ view is that the relationship between work life and personal life is reciprocal. They should not be compartmentalised or allowed to compete for time constraints. If workers are happy at home, they’ll come to work full of energy, then go home happy. And so it continues to the benefit of everyone. For bosses this means setting realistic workloads, allowing breathing space and not invading an employee’s personal time.
3. Consider psychology safety
“The shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. A sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up.” – Amy Edmondson, professor, Harvard Business School.
“Teams which value one another’s input and ensure a safe collaborative environment will ultimately create more successful work.”
Google’s Project Aristotle, a research programme into what makes the perfect team, recently made a surprising discovery. It was not the talent, experience or IQ of team members that led to effectiveness – but rather each member’s freedom and confidence to communicate equally. The suggestion is that teams which value one another’s input and ensure a safe collaborative environment will ultimately create more successful work.
4. Give your team what they need
“Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t have to.” – Sir Richard Branson
Talent should be treated just as you would like to be. Give every employee the training, support and understanding they need, not just because it will help them achieve your business goals, but because they deserve it and it is the right thing to do.
5. Keep it small…
“My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each others’ negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts.” – Steve Jobs.
Apple is famous for keeping its team sizes small: always under 100, and smaller if possible. Steve Jobs was even known to kick people out of meetings if too many bodies were around. The idea is that smaller teams take ownership of their work. They stay focussed and organised, and help large companies replicate the energy of smaller start-ups.
6. … and keep in touch
“Development happens organically through effective one-on-ones, coaching, developmental conversations… our philosophy is that if you do [this] throughout the year, there really is no need for an annual performance review.” – Michael Kim, Head of HR, Spotify
“Employees respond well to small, informal, weekly conversations.”
The concept of speaking regularly with talent may not be revolutionary, but it is often overlooked. Employees respond well to small, informal, weekly conversations from managers who pay interest. This is particularly true of Millennial employees who feel strong pride and ownership in their work. So keep talking.
7. Shift power from employer to employee
“A company’s job isn’t to empower people; it’s to remind people that they walk in the door with power and to create the conditions for them to exercise it. Do that, and you will be astonished by the great work they will do for you.” – Patty McCord, Chief Talent Officer, Netflix
Within most companies there will exist procedural practices that are, in effect, pointless. Whether it be multi-level sign-offs, unnecessary meetings or heavy-handed restrictions – they leave everyone feeling hampered. Instead, by letting employees tackle projects the way they see fit – without managerial second-guessing or systemic roadblocks – companies will be surprised with the results that come their way.
8. A diverse team will provide diverse solutions
“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” — Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
If bosses only hire people they understand or recognise as one of their own, a business will never grow past them. Nor will it have answers to questions they’ve never faced. A diverse workforce allows a business to consider every angle and provide multiple solutions. Whether diversity of gender, race, disability or age – this can only be a good thing.
Conclusion
There are wise words from all the major players in tech. But while clever quotes look great on the page, they are much harder to put into practice.
Many of these firms talk a good game, but whether it’s controversies around Amazon workers’ pay and conditions, the secrecy of Facebook or Apple’s struggle to find new sparks post-Jobs… not every player in big tech practises what they preach.
The real key to talent management is company culture, honesty and true integrity. From these pillars, the above advice can flow and talent can flourish. But without them, employees are likely to see managerial efforts as little more than empty words and corporate niceties.
For more on recruitment, management and inspiring talent keep up with our blog or get in touch to see how our team can help yours.
