Business leaders say finding great people is one of their most common challenges. And even when they’re able to hire great people, leaders often don’t know how to keep and continue developing them.
Joining us to talk about this topic is Dee Ann Turner. She spent 33 years at Chick-fil-A, Inc. as the Vice President of Talent. As the company’s first female officer, she was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems.
She's going to talk to us about how to keep and develop extraordinary talent while building an organizational culture that attracts world-class talent and delights customers.
Here are some takeaways:
1. To retain great talent, you have to have a great culture.
People love to work for organizations about something bigger than themselves. Be the “it” company that people talk about and want to work for. Sure, it’s always going to be about a paycheck, but it’s also much more than that.
Your employees want to have a purpose and meaning behind the work they do every day — especially younger generations of workers now. And, not only that, they want to have a lot of fun while they’re working! When those things are in place, it’s so much easier to retain quality talent.
2. Remarkable culture is attainable remotely.
A remarkable culture has a meaningful purpose, a challenging mission and a set of core values that are demonstrated by everybody in the organization, particularly leadership.
The idea that a company culture can be strong only when everyone is in the same building is a myth. Culture isn’t about proximity – it’s about purpose.
Companies with a defined and well-articulated “why” – with employees who are on board with that why – will have a strong culture whether they are all in-house or remote.
3. The best companies aren't just the product or service.
The best companies realize they’re in the people business. Make sure you have a clearly defined purpose that goes way beyond just what you do. What is your why and why does it matter to the people who interact with your brand?
When your team understands that – as well as your clients and partners – then you are really in a great place to begin making a huge impact as a business.
Chick-fil-A is a great example of this. They're not just a quick-service restaurant that sells chicken sandwiches. They're in the people business.
Regardless of what they sell or provide, every organization is in the people business as well. Clearly defining what your purpose is can help set your employees on the right path to know what you’re all about and why they show up every day.
As you think through how to source talent for your company, consider these questions:
What are some of the most effective ways you’ve been able to find talent for your business?
What are some new ideas about finding talent you would like to try?
Do you have a company purpose that goes beyond just a product or service? If so, what is it? If not, how would you define it?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your company culture?
Now, take things a step forward and check out Dee Ann's Top 25 Questions to Select Extraordinary Talent. This valuable resource will help you find and develp the right people who will help your organization thrive.