How do you attract stars to your organization? What tools do you give your A-players to help them succeed? A good business will provide their stars with the ammunition they need to win. Often times, we are focused on the dollar signs as a way to attract the best in the business. But the players we really want are not only attracted to the potential income – they also want to win, and win often! The ability to feel like a winner is what will keep those A-players working for you. So, what ammunition are you providing to help your key people win as often as possible, and to attract other winners?
Ammunition can come in many forms – brand strength, quality of products/service, quality of systems and back office, and quality of management, just to name a few. Having a competitive advantage is what A-players seek in an employer. If you can’t answer the question – “What makes you better than your competition?” – you haven’t created enough ammunition for those A-players to join you. Being better, doesn’t only mean in the market with your customers. It can also refer to how well you develop your people, how well you partner with your suppliers to innovate better than the others, and even what the culture of the company is like.
I do some work with a bank client, along with McDermott & Bull partner, Brandon Biegenzahn, which is one of the best organizations in banking. The company doesn’t necessarily pay more for their talent on a commission basis than other banks, but because they win more deals more often, their bankers do too – and it shows up in their paychecks because they close more business.
Another McDermott & Bull client is a well-known assisted living company that is famous for the outcomes it has achieved with the segment of the geriatric community they serve. In short, they win more often for their people, by changing the lives of those they serve. Their culture is unique among the industry and has become a calling card for their employees at industry events. In fact, while they are not even close to the largest in their field – yet – their reputation has made it easier for us to engage talent to talk about potentially leaving their current employer and joining our client. When we call candidates about a search for them, candidates don’t hang up because it was the 7th search firm call that week – they listen.
We need to be constantly providing our A-players with the ammunition to win as often as possible.
What’s your ammunition?
