What Talented Employees Want
by Allen Jones

The bar for recruiting and retaining top talent is continually on the rise. Resent research points strongly to some trends in what employees seem to be looking for the most.

In a 2000 study by McKinsey and Company, it was found that highly talented employees are typically 50-130 percent more productive than average performers. These individuals are usually aware of their value in the marketplace and if their needs are not met with their current employer, they will tend to look elsewhere quickly. When surveyed, 20 percent of these high performers said there is a strong chance they will leave their current employer in the next two years. Another 28 percent said there is a moderate chance of leaving.

So what do they want? What will it take to keep top people in the new economy? What do talented people look for when deciding which company to join? Well it’s not a few more perks, casual dress, or a more generous health plan. The research points strongly to five main areas: exciting work to feel passionate about; a great company with a great culture; inspiring leadership; wealth and rewards; and growth and development.

Exciting work to feel passionate about

Top talent wants to work somewhere that offers interesting and challenging work that they can feel passionate about. For some of the sexier, cutting-edge companies, that mandate seems simple enough to fulfill, but what about those that are considerably less glorious or seemingly less exciting and interesting?

The answer: They have to make their business and jobs exciting. Innovate faster than anyone else, start new businesses, launch new products. Create a mission that is inspiring. Challenge the employees to transform the business.

Great company with a great culture

Beyond the work that they are doing, employees want to be a part of a great company. They want to like the culture and values. Different people prefer different types of corporate cultures. Almost all top employees, however, want to work for a company that has a performance orientation which includes an inspiring mission, stretch goals, accountability for results, and a tight performance system, as well as an open, trusting environment. Although these two cultural characteristics may seem at times mutually exclusive, they are not. In fact, they make for a powerful combination.

Inspiring leadership

Employees want to feel they are part of a well-managed organization. They want leaders who inspire them with their integrity, character and principles. The want managers who share the corporate vision and seek to make them successful while all the while executing sound business decisions based on best practices and a desire to earn high returns on their efforts. The want a supervisor who will challenge them while allowing them a high degree of autonomy and the opportunity to be coached.

Wealth and rewards

Talented employees expect to be well compensated, and they want it sooner rather than later. The dot-com gold rush, although it didn’t last long, left an indelible image on the minds of many people. Today, many employees view money as a scorecard for how well they are performing and how much the company values their talent. Employers have to pay for the person, not for the position.

Growth and development

In today’s uncertain market, people have learned that security no longer rests in the corporate nest egg, but in their own skills. For that reason, talented people are drawn to companies that will help them develop new skills, knowledge and experiences. This is best accomplished through offering challenging job assignments, as well as coaching, feedback, mentoring, and training.

Of course, it would be a remiss to not also address the need for community and the sheer pleasure of working with colleagues. The very nature of working in a corporate environment means being plunked into the messy, marvelous path of human traffic. For so many people the most enjoyable part of work is the other people with whom they work. Colleagues can vex and peeve and disappoint, but mostly, if luck holds, they engage and stretch and inspire. Each person at work has the opportunity to learn upward, downward, and laterally, and that often seems to be the real reason people enter the office each day. Companies should realize that one of their most valuable offerings is the pleasure of other great colleagues and co-workers—teaching and learning from them, sharing with them, and simply being with them.

Yes, talented employees expect a lot today. They also create a lot of value for their companies. Organizations that want to attract and hold onto great talent have to satisfy their expectations and out-compete their alternative options.

Allen Jones
640 Glen Iris Drive #301
Atlanta, GA 30308

404.881.6120
Email: ajones@mindspring.com