The Second War For Talent

The opening shot in the First War for Talent was fired in 1997.

In the wake of the dot-com bust of the late 90's, "The War for Talent" was a seminal idea, an overarching concept business leaders paid close attention to while working out survival plans and long-term strategy. The phrase, initially coined by Steven Hankin of McKinsey & Company, eventually mushroomed into a book published in 2001. The notion that talent could prove to be a key performance driver and offer substantial competitive advantage (like technology, scale or brand) was an advanced, progressive way of thinking at that time. The war heated up again after the market crash of 2008. Companies that emerged victorious from those HR battlefields were those that played offence, not defence.

"Most 'crisis situations' are either opportunities to conquer new territory or stay huddled in trenches, praying for the shooting to stop."

Some might feel a bit squeamish using warfare as an analogy, but for business leaders determined to gain ground, it helps envision future fallout from the Second War for Talent. With hostilities declared in March of 2020, the global pandemic has been a forcing function like no other blitzkrieg in business history. Organizations that previously got by with (and content to settle for) 'warm bodies' are likely to be overrun by fast-moving competitors anxious to enlist "A-Players." Top talent has more options than ever before to work remotely and are less inclined to accept what's offered from a top-down perspective. The challenge to answer the question "why should I choose your company?" has escalated dramatically.

In the end, the victors will be companies like one Pennsylvania-based firm, fully armed to the teeth with the forces of creativity and digital storytelling. Determined to differentiate themselves, West Shore Home is on an audacious mission to attract not just any talented individual but those who are already aligned with their cultural beliefs and purpose.

Is your organization combat-ready? See what's required to triumph in The Second War For Talent on this segment of Leaders & Legends.

"The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand." SUN TZU

p.s… If you genuinely want to compete and win in this Second War For Talent, several questions need to be put on the strategic planning table right now. Gather your fellow executives, turn the boardroom into a war room and start asking:

1. If we wanted to attract the best talent in the world, what would we need to be and portray to be worthy of their time and consideration?

2. Do we have absolute clarity on our true identity as a business and brand?

3. Where is the digital proof to support those claims? Are we front and centre with our beliefs and values comparable to what West Shore Home has done with this video that headlines their YouTube Channel?

"Start With Why" author Simon Sinek has observed that when people in the workplace are emotionally invested, they want to contribute. In his original TED-X talk in 2009 in a room with 50 other folks in Puget Sound, Simon pointed out the universal secret to inspiring otherwise ordinary people to become deeply and extraordinarily invested. Engaging with their hearts, not just heads and hands.

"People don't buy what you do; they buy WHY you do it. The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who BELIEVE what you BELIEVE."

West Shore Home is a shining example of a company that has done exactly what Simon says. They have established a brand identity based on their true beliefs and values in a way that repels those who don't share their gung-ho spirit and attitude. Their clearly stated beliefs also magnetically attract those just itching to jump in and share their home improvement foxholes. CEO, B.J. Werzyn and a crack team that includes Chief Development Officer Josh Wood have spent considerable time answering these all-important questions crucial to cultural alignment and its role in long-term success. As Josh explained, "When we set out with LampHouse Films to make this project, I only knew one thing for sure: It had to tell the truth."

If he were alive today, the late Steve Jobs would have been giving West Shore Home a run for their money. Visiting with an Apple insider a couple of years back, I learned that Jobs was not the management monster that some best-selling books and Hollywood movies have made him out to be. In this interview before his passing, it's clear Jobs was miles ahead of his competitors with the way he thought about creating an environment for "A-Player" talent.

Winning the Second War For Talent is about much more than frenzied, spaghetti-on-the-wall recruitment to get bums in seats. It's also about the timeless principles of developing and retaining highly talented people who already share your core beliefs from the get-go. The business case is blindingly apparent. According to Gallup, the cost of turnover is often 50%-200% of the annual salary of a departed colleague. If you have an urge to study the numbers further, Gallup has plenty right here for you to dig into. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx#ite-285782

20-MINUTE DISCOVERY SESSION.

Throughout the pandemic, we have made every effort to serve small to medium-size business owners with an open heart and no strings attached. That's why we allot a certain amount of time each month for readers like you to schedule a 20-Minute Discovery Session via ZOOM. If you face a business or branding challenge that you are not quite sure how to handle and need to bounce ideas and gain clarity, we're only a click away.

YOUR BRAND. WIDE-OPEN. If now is the opportune time to differentiate, re-position and realign your organization, why not explore a metaphorical road trip called THE BRANDING HIGHWAY. Our in-person and virtual Executive Bootcamps serve as both journey and destination to help your brand emerge as an undeniable, undisputed "Category of One." Impossible to describe, this unpredictable journey is best understood when you take a quick peek at this Video Overview:

"The most important victory is the one which has to arrive" ENZO FERRARI

PLANNING A SPEAKING EVENT? The wheels of business turn faster each quarter, and your company or industry association may be anxious to stay ahead of the lighting-fast relevance curve. In that respect, we are scheduling many in-person and virtual programs for 2021 with customized content designed to inspire conference attendees to acquire a "STADIUM-SIZED PERSPECTIVE".

For more information on scheduling an In-Person or Virtual Speaking Program, please send us a note here: [email protected]

Every week someone asks a question about our videos and, more specifically, our media partner responsible for the storyboarding, production and editing. Headquartered in the shadows of the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Defiant Astronaut Media is uniquely positioned to help business leaders rethink what's possible with this art form and how it can help build your brand. If you are curious about what's involved in getting the proper gear to support your video publishing efforts, here are a few ideas to get started. Click here: https://kit.co/defiantastronaut

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"What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive" ARNOLD PALMER