6/5/10

Are You Winning The Talent War?

June 6, 2010

Q: All the indications point to a continued war on talent acquisition. Is there really a war on talent? (Sarah F., EVP, Manufacturing, Northern Iowa)

A: I recently read a survey printed in the Harvard Business Review and it suggests that only one of five companies claims to be winning and one in ten claims to have lost. Here are there stats:

• 18% of companies claim to be winning the war for talent
• 72% portrayed it as an endless struggle in which they were neither gaining nor losing ground
• 10% declared that the war for talent was winding down in defeat for their companies

I can easily argue one of their conclusions that indicate, “….many companies are losing the war on talent because they really have little basis on which to make decisions about who they want to hire.”

From the recruiting side of my company we see and hear the following from company executives:

 Extremely indecisive hiring managers
 Job orders that are only designed to fill the resume database (Not really a job)
 We’ve hired internally (after weeks of interviewing)
 Human Resource recruiters not understanding the need of the hiring manager
 Candidates that are perfect but just a little too pricey
 Candidates that are perfect from a compensation level but don’t have the experience level
 Candidate seems perfect but procrastination sets in for hopes of finding another candidate just a little better

Then from the candidate side we experience the following:
 A friend of a friend said he/she heard that it wasn’t a good place to work
 I’ve changed my mind and I’m not willing to relocate
 Why are they taking so long to decide?
 It’s a perfect job for me but I’ve got 3 weeks’ vacation here will only get two there. Will they negotiate?
 Even though I’m unemployed, I was making more at my last job
 Why haven’t they communicated with me/you (either way) since my interview?
 The members of the hiring team said I was perfect for the job, but no follow up
 Why did they waste my time?
 Yes it’s a good job and a good company but do you have anything else for me that I can compare it to this offer?

The assumption that one can never go too far wrong hiring really smart people is a flawed strategy. Without a clear and consistent strategy, a company will be hard pressed to begin to amass the kinds of talent and experience needed to meet emerging challenges. It is not necessarily high IQ, but a mixture of people with high EQ; Experience, contacts, growth potential and COMMON SENSE!

As always, please accept my wishes for a prosperous and personally rewarding week. If I can assist in any week, call or write and I will respond immediately! Your comments and/or questions are always welcome here.

Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.