Winning the Silicon Valley Talent Wars

CIO Magazine Nikko Hotel, San Francisco, May 21st

The Problem

The Employment Offer

4.3

3.723.26

0

3

6

Base Salary & Other

Benefits

5.02

3.523.16

2.88

Recognition &

Coworker Quality

Challenge &

Caliber of Work

Clarity of Role, Responsibility

& Mobility

3.77

2.95

2.08

Bus. Travel, Hours & Location

Vacation &

Flextime

Telecommuting &

Child Care

Compensation & Benefits Work Environment Work-Life Balance Organizational Environment

3.643.28 3.2

2.3

Company Reputation

Sr. Team &

Development Reputation

Tech. Level & Risk Taking

Co. Size & Fit with Co. & Industry

3.82 Average Category

Importance 3.40 Average Category

Importance3.06 Average

Category Importance

3.03 Average Category

Importance

401K & Internal Equity

Stock Options & %based Bonuses

Mgr. Quality

Source: Corporate Leadership Council

4.3

3.723.26

0

3

6

Base Salary & Other

Benefits

5.02

3.523.16

2.88

Recognition &

Coworker Quality

Challenge &

Caliber of Work

Clarity of Role, Responsibility

& Mobility

3.77

2.95

2.08

Bus. Travel, Hours & Location

Vacation &

Flextime

Telecommuting &

Child Care

3.643.28 3.2

2.3

Company Reputation

Sr. Team &

Development Reputation

Tech. Level & Risk Taking

Co. Size & Fit with Co. & Industry

401K & Internal Equity

Stock Options & %based Bonuses

Mgr. Quality

Source: Corporate Leadership Council

The single most important attribute in career decisions is manager quality: least likely to be traded away for any other attribute

Not focused on winning!

What her coach says

Say that again…

• Her response to adversity? Work harder!• Approaches skiing like art: works toward

perfection (impossible)• Deals with pressure? Focuses on being her best• Competes to ski the best she can (not to beat

others: not to win)• Coaches need to make a difference and feel an

emotional connection• Human potential is limitless: How far can you go?

Nature or Nurture?

PM is changingToday – Infrequent formal steps Tomorrow – Frequent coaching

Adobe – eliminated its PM review

Cargill – abandoned ratings/reduced formal steps

GE – similar reforms

GAP – launching new monthly PM discussions

Source – PRDI/CEB

• 95% of Managers are dissatisfied with their PM systems

• Most employees feel reviews are not worth the time

• Most employees do not receive feedback on what to improve

• Almost 90% of HR Heads report their PM systems do not yield accurate information

E for Effort?

Human potential 2.0

What CAN be done to develop the talent we already have?

Some questions1. How much of the potential skill and motivation in your organization do

you think you have tapped? 2. How many of your managers are acting as great coaches? 3. How many of them realize and act as though it is their JOB?4. How many of the positions/roles in your organization have clearly

defined skills & competency expectations?5. How many of your people have personal development “Growth” plans?6. How many of you are reliant on HR groups to provide talent

development, skills assessments, and organization building? 7. And how many of you find yourselves dealing with HR groups who are

treated as a cost center and therefore squeezed to the point that they are unable to lead on pragmatic Future State building?

8. How many of your people are doing the hard work it takes to learn and perfect their skills?

Table exercise

1. Talk about an individual or a group in your organization that have really improved their ‘Talent’ and share your experience of what helped

2. Prepare to share/report out on one successful effort

In spite of what Mikaela says, everyone wins when we focus our efforts on improving; the Leader as coach wins with a stronger team, the individuals being coached win with learning and career advancement, and of course our organizations as a whole have a much better chance Winning the War for Talent.