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Author name: Troy Saddler

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I’m Taking My Talents To…

Career Insight, Employee Retention, Inspiration, Leadership /

In my line of work, I am privileged to speak to a variety of professionals who are passively open to hearing about new opportunities or active in the market. This is of course good for business, but it’s boggling to the mind why business leaders are not doing a better job of providing a career growth trajectory for their best people. You shouldn’t be surprised when a top performer walks into your office with a letter of resignation. Oftentimes, counteroffers are seen as insincere and a tactic used by leaders to prevent a disruption to their business. A true professional will see right through it, thank you for the opportunity, and proceed to their notice period. But why are business leaders allowing it to get to that point and why aren’t they proactive in grooming their talent and finding meaningful ways to keep them motivated? Few companies have figured this out, and the rest are learning the hard way. People stay where they are wanted, appreciated, paid well, and most importantly, where they can see an evolution of their career in the short term. If you’re a business owner or leader of a division, realize that you have the ability to create a roadmap for your best people by engaging in conversations periodically and crafting a legitimate and tangible career path based on certain accomplishments being met along the way. Why should your talent have to look outside of your company to find that next level up when you have the autonomy to create a new role for that individual and pay them accordingly? You are foolishly allowing your superstars to take their talents to South Beach (🏀), and you’ve become a spectator like everyone else. Taking people for granted is expensive. If you think hiring comes at a cost, replacing your best people is even more taxing on your time, resources, and money. If you have the ability to move a top performer into that coveted Vice President role, why not do that? If you are not taking care of your best talent, someone else sure will.

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Try Something Different

Career Insight, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

I received a call from an executive leader of a company a few months ago. He wanted to enlist my help on a couple of searches that his organization was having trouble filling. These were not highly complex roles to fill by any means, but given the tightness of the marketplace, finding the right people and keeping them beyond a year is proving to be a challenge. My kickoff call went well, but ultimately, discussions stopped there. I was told during the call that they had a few recruitment partners that were working with on the searches, but for reasons unclear to me, they were not able to successfully fill their positions. Essentially, they wanted to add me as another recruiter since I was known to one of their executives in the company, under the pretense that more eyes on a search means greater odds of a successful outcome. I challenged the train of thought by suggesting that perhaps your approach to date is not working and maybe you should try something different. I realized today that most business leaders are afraid of change, and they are wired to engage in the same behaviour hoping that somehow circumstances will work out differently in the future. I think by definition you can call that insanity, yet most people are okay to remain in this state and this has somehow translated to be what’s best for business. It’s like repeatedly hitting your head against the wall and complaining about your headache. We are okay to have multiple recruiters working on a given search at the same time, yet we employ the services of one mechanic if our car needs an oil change or one law firm if we are being sued. I’ve never heard anyone say that they were going to use multiple surgeons to remove their gallbladder to increase the chances of a successful operation. Yet, this has become the dominate thought related to recruitment and then we wonder why positions are taking longer to fill and hires don’t make it past the first year of employment. Let’s try something different.

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Regular Maintenance

Career Insight, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

The courtship precedes any successful relationship for good reason and regular maintenance of that relationship is a must. Just ask anyone who has been married for more than 90 days or been in business for more than 10 years. Finding that great candidate or trying to build your team of professionals without healthy steps towards courtship is counterproductive. As a Recruiter approaching 15 years in the industry, I’ve facilitated many great relationships. Fortunately, I’ve witnessed hiring processes that were collaborative & just a joy for everyone to be part of, and others that would make you cringe. The onus rests on business leaders to create a good runway for those they are looking to hire. One of the worst things to do during the courtship is to make the other party feel like you are doing them a favour or leading them on a journey to nowhere. The best amongst us will be able to sniff this out early. If it’s not a fit or the timing is off, all parties should be able to understand so long as honesty and transparency were woven into the process from the beginning. If you’re a business leader overseeing a project team or product group, you will have to perform regular maintenance on those relationships. The camaraderie within the team falls entirely on your shoulders. Don’t make it easy for people like me to lure your best people away. Hire right, and treat your people well enough so that even the best offer they could receive won’t move them. This is the challenge because we are so narrow-minded, egotistical, and oblivious to what motivates our best people. One of the criticisms I received as an early driver was that I just drove my car. I did not do anything to take care of it. That explained a lot of the issues I had with that vehicle. I was reactive in the maintenance of my car when I should’ve been proactively checking the oil, tire pressure, coolant, and so forth. The cost associated with reacting far surpasses the cost of acting in the first place. Part of the maintenance on your team includes regular discussions about their goals and the career path they’d like to be on. Conscious at all times that this could be constantly evolving for some individuals. This is where not taking your people for granted comes into play. This could happen over lunch, bowling, or simply meeting as a team in your boardroom over coffee. This morning, I surprised my Wife with a bouquet of flowers, not because I’m a good husband, but because I’ve made a conscious decision to build a peaceful home and that requires maintenance in the areas that she finds meaningful. I am challenging business leaders to take regular steps towards building chemistry and trust within their team. The cost of not doing it is always bad for business (…but great for mine 😉)

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Excellence Goes The Extra Mile

Career Insight, Leadership /

I had a fascinating call with an engineer today… She’s pursuing an MBA which she’s looking to leverage into a career in management… It’s not everyday that I speak to an engineer who has MBA ambitions, so I probed… The “why” behind the pursuit of an MBA was admirable… There are good, great, and excellent engineers… Excellence goes the extra mile! She wasn’t content with just designing good products. She wanted to understand the bigger picture behind the product. It was a conversation with her then Manager that fueled the desire to go the extra mile… I’m paraphrasing and perhaps oversimplifying the story, but after inquiring into the delay in releasing one of their products, she was essentially told to focus on designing and to leave management activities to those who understood it. Fueled by curiosity and a desire to be more than just an “engineer”, she decided to enroll in an MBA course so that she could look behind the curtain… This reminded me of a conversation I had with another young engineer who learned sign language while working at his previous company because one of his co-workers was deaf… These are the types who refuse to be limited by a job description and will go the extra mile without being asked to. Excellence always has a compelling story behind it… …there is something attractive about scarcity!

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A Legacy of Leadership Excellence

Career Insight, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

Leadership is a dear subject to my heart. Having sat under my fair share of leaders, good & bad, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. This morning before Christmas breakfast, I stumbled onto an article about The San Antonio Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich. Coach Pop, as he’s referred to by his players, has been coaching the Spurs for 28 years, a tenure that is not common in sports these days. In this revolving door society, it’s rare for anyone to stay with one organization for that length of time, especially over the last few years while the organization has been struggling to rebuild after their championship run. So, why has the organization bought into Coach Pop’s style of leadership, and how has he remained influential amongst his players 28 years in? The answer is simple and the excerpt from the article below sums up what I believe to be at the heart of responsible leadership: “A cornerstone of his philosophy is balancing the human and sporting aspects of coaching; a method he has employed repeatedly to extract the best performance from his players.” Chris Paul, the franchises newest point guard and seasoned NBA professional, highlighted Coach Pop’s “human-centered coaching philosophy.” “This balance of performance and personal connection is what has made his method a benchmark for coaching excellence.” This is frankly where a lot of leaders fall by the wayside amongst their followers. Being tactical is great. Technical expertise builds credibility, but it doesn’t foster trust and an unwavering commitment from your team. Understanding how grueling and lonely the NBA season can be for his players has made Coach Pop take a balanced approach to leadership that emphasizes stepping away to unwind and refuel with your loved ones. The 5 championships and cruise control to retirement makes perfect sense now. Be as demanding as you need to be, but keep the well-being of your team at the center of your leadership. If you do, then you’ll never have to ask them to go the extra mile. You won’t have to wonder if that request for an afternoon off is really a need to slip away for an interview with your competitor. This brand of leadership does not mean that you won’t experience turnover. In fact, talent will always leave for what they believe to be greener pastures. What Coach Pop can hang his hat on is not his retention of talent, but the caliber of men he is cultivating. This translates to better Fathers, Husbands, & other life accomplishments beyond basketball. When I was courting my now Wife some years ago and going through some personal struggles, my then Manager told me to take an afternoon off to take her to lunch. That was a crucial moment in our relationship and that afternoon set the foundation for what is now a wonderful marriage & life together. My tenure under his leadership had it’s fair share of challenges, but that moment was solidified in my heart as human-centered leadership at its finest. X’s and O’s are necessary and part of the scheme towards success, but put your people first and you’ll never have to worry about being fired or losing the faith of your team.

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The Private Jet Experience

Career Insight, Recruitment /

Understanding the intrinsic value of a product or service is vital to getting the most out of it. A private jet is valuable to those who can afford it because of the comfort it provides and the speed at which it can travel, enabling a faster and a less congested experience to your destination. You as the consumer get your time in return by making this investment. It’s a service and a luxury that we are willing to pay for no matter the cost. My last boss told me on the first day we met that he prides his business on being able to allow its customers to sleep well at night. The greatest value you can provide to the end user is a return of their time. This allows you to remain timeless and insulated from the ebbs and flows of the marketplace & world. You become a sought-after service provider, and your product becomes a staple in many environments. Recruiters fall into the trap of thinking that they only provide resumes and fill positions. Start positioning yourself as a service that gives executives their time back and allows them to sleep better at night.

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The Secret To A More Productive Workforce

Career Insight, Employee Retention, Employer Insight, Inspiration, Recruitment /

It’s amazing when you think about the correlation between encouragement and labour… I don’t quite understand how this behavioural phenomenon works, but the results are always the same… A person who feels appreciated, will always do more – this is true 100% of the time. My Mother would often say to me as a child that a little encouragement sweetens labour. Wise words from a woman who understood that the real intrinsic motivator lies in appreciating the effort of others… This often came in the form of cooking lunch for a general contractor who was doing work around the house for us in addition to their regular monetary payment. She always went above and beyond, and some how that encouraged the people around her to do the same… Business Leader – try recognizing the contributions of that employee with a lunch or a gift card for Amazon. If a gift card is not your thing, then a verbal acknowledgement has an equally positive impact on behaviour – “I saw the work you did for this project, and you did an excellent job – thank you!” (followed up with an Amazon gift card 😉)… We’ve done a great job of normalizing excellence – let’s get back to openly recognizing the contributions of our employees and loved ones… Leadership does not need to be treated like a mathematical equation…..this will challenge a lot of engineers!

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We Want You In The Office 5 Days A Week, Or Else!

Career Insight, Career Preparation, Employee Retention, Employer Insight, Recruitment /

Talent retention remains a trending topic as we approach a new year. With over 14 years in recruitment, I’ve facilitated career moves at all levels. The common denominator in all of those encounters is a motivator. Motivators in this context are underlying reasons behind a prospects willingness to listen to what I have to offer and ultimately engage in the hiring process. The motivators expressed normally stem from a form of dissatisfaction with their current employer – dissatisfaction can take many forms and varies from person to person. As a Recruiter, understanding a candidate’s motivator is vital to a successful Candidate / Recruiter / Company courtship (yes, in many respects, it is a courtship or voyage to a long-term relationship). Any company can post a job advertisement, screen candidates, and onboard new talent. This process is pretty straightforward. Check out an earlier article I wrote titled, Thanks For Another Great Hire, Troy! So, How Do I Retain This Talent? In it, I tackle the inability of business leaders to cultivate a culture that grooms talent and promotes career path options for their top performers. Most say they have such a career path program in place, but it is seldom monitored and fine-tuned to keep up with market trends and the ever-changing needs of their people. While the motivator is important to my business, it is also a pain point for me as a professional who understands that people are an organizations greatest assets. I’ve seen my fair share of top performers and quality human beings leave companies for reasons that could have been remediated or altogether avoided if leaders cared enough about their people. If a better job was being done in this area, admittedly, I would need to find another day job. Thankfully for me, there will always be a disgruntled employee who wants nothing more than to change companies. Talent retention is just as important to me as talent extraction. My success as a Recruiter is measured against 2 metrics – fill rate and employment past a year. I had a conversation this afternoon with an exceptional candidate who I placed a few years ago who he told me that his employment with the company ended recently because of an internal struggle over them wanting him to be in the office 5 days a week, a condition that was not a requirement when he was originally hired. At the heart of this story and what is most disheartening is an organization’s callous parting with a good technical and character employee for something that could have remained a point of ongoing communication & negotiation. When it comes to working from home requests, I believe in a balance when it makes sense for the parties involved, especially when the performance of that employee warrants it. The point to leaders is for them to remain communicative with their people encouraging open dialogue about their career goals, and making sure that they are aligned with the resources, tools, and training to get to where they need and deserve to be. It is also important not to make all of your policies one-size fits all as it relates to retention. If you decide not to put your employees first, then I can assure you that your competitors will. Related Article – The Great Departure – A Recruiter’s Guide To Retaining Your Best Talent

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The Key To Selling Anything

Career Insight, Inspiration, Recruitment /

The mark of a good product or service is its ability to give you your time back. Time is our greatest asset in this life, yet it’s the most wasted and taken for granted. Retail sales representatives fail miserably when they follow a new customer around the store telling them repeatedly about items that are on sale. Rather than presuming what a customer is willing to spend, why not ask what type of experience they are looking for? If you sell the experience, then it doesn’t matter what a product or service cost. Sell the peace of mind and the benefit to their lives that a product or service can offer, and they’ll pay any amount for it. Focusing on the experience will buy your time back (and save you money in the long-run). I rule a candidate out immediately when their first question to me is, “how much does the position pay?” Your focus should be on the experience. Tell me about the opportunity and how it can benefit my career and my family. Everything else is low hanging fruit.

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4 Sales Tips From My Wife

Career Insight, Inspiration, Recruitment /

My Wife is the greatest salesperson I’ve ever met! …formally, she has never worked a day in sales, but she has all of the traits of an effective salesperson. We met at Church… She approached me after one of our services. Her opening line – “I heard you work in HR……………I could use help with my resume.” I agreed to help, but I sat on it for 3 weeks… I finally made the time to call her. Turns out she was actually happy with her resume and didn’t need help… She wanted to get to know me and the cry for resume help was her way of breaking the ice… …7 years of blissful marriage and 2 kids later…her method to gain my attention worked (deal closed). Lessons for all sales professionals (…and everyone else): 1️⃣ My Wife was fearless. She didn’t let the potential of a “no” hinder her. She knew what she wanted and pursued it 2️⃣ She sold without selling – “I’ll share my resume with you, and we can talk about it” (it contained her email and direct number)… 3️⃣ She did her research beforehand (“I heard you work in HR”) and she used something that was familiar to me (i.e., resume talk), which lowered my guard and made me receptive to more conversations with her…(I was also new to the Church) 4️⃣ She waited patiently for 3 weeks. Sometimes you have to let the deal unfold without being too pushy… The fact that I was oblivious to her true motive is secondary (most men are). It was her approach that taught me a great life and professional lesson Kudos to a good Wife, and the greatest salesperson this world has ever seen.

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