Hiring and Retaining the Best and the Brightest

- by Colle Davis

Hiring and Retaining the Best and the Brightest

– by Colle Davis

Hiring and Retaining the Best and the Brightest

- Colle Davis, a Senior Executive Coach

The common refrain from leaders today is, “I only want the best candidate for the job.” True, but that premise has an interesting flaw built into it.

• How does a company find qualified candidates to transition and assimilate into their new position? While they may have a degree, a steady work history, or a nice smile, how does anyone know they are flexible or capable of fitting in with their new team and customers?

• What does a company want their new employee to do when they show up for work? Attend meetings in other departments? Network?

• What does the company expect from their new employees? Work forty hours per week and another twenty from home?

• Is the new hire informed enough to accept the position within a company, or are they painted a distorted picture of the position? Do they understand they’ll be required to bring in new business or become proficient in other industry standards and practices?

The Power of Tiny Adjustments

Consider this: can you make your life more thrilling and prosperous by tweaking just one or two small behaviors this week? If the idea intrigues you, read on; if not, consider yourself warned — the road to change is strewn with challenges.

Begin with a habit that has a low impact on your daily life. Morning rituals offer a fertile ground for observation and modification. For instance, try altering the sequence of your bathing routine. Use your non-dominant hand for washing. The confusion that ensues highlights the subtle resistance to change.

The goal is not a revolution in your washing routine; it’s about recognizing your ability to make minute adjustments. A revelation that might or might not revolutionize your life.

Breathing: The Ultimate Act of Control

During external chaos, there is one thing you can control entirely — your breathing. Take a moment to inhale deeply, hold for ten seconds, exhale, pause for another ten seconds, and resume normal breathing. For a more advanced exercise, hold your breath for ten seconds both in and out, repeating for three to five rounds. This practice places control back in your hands, especially useful before bedtime to quiet the mental chatter.

Now the Downside

Now, the downside: The best and brightest employees are demanding retention because star new hires are so good their tenure within a company is often tragically short-lived. They leave, and HR gets mad and hires an idiot with excellent credentials and lacks people skills. The star employee gets recruited to another company where they repeat the process, or they become entrepreneurs and get rich.

This next is so sad; please look away. A company with second-string teams of employees now has people who can do their jobs, keep the peace, and are relatively intelligent. These mediocre employees show up most of the time and are loyal (read too lazy to look for another job). Their productivity is acceptable, and the worst are awful whiners dampening office morale. They are slowly weeded out and often moved to other divisions after some training because it is a checkbox requirement of the HR department.

Bottom line: You either push to get the best and brightest hired and keep them happy, or the workforce becomes, as described above, a sea of commonplace people with no vision or mastery to grease the wheels of growth.

Contact me if you or someone you know needs help in these areas. I am a Senior Level Master Coach and Certified Hypnotist with nearly 40 years of experience helping corporate clients. Reserve your free thirty-minute Zoom call with me; your life will never be the same. 804-467-1536 EDT cdavis@mycoach.com