Ducks in a Row: Hire and Hold
by Miki Saxon
In one way or another, I’ve been involved in staffing for more than 30 years; first as a recruiter, then as a coach and mentor.
I’ve worked with companies from earliest startups to Fortune 500; with bosses ranging from CEOs and other executives to first-line supervisors and team leaders.
The best and smartest companies/bosses never have an opening and almost never lay people off — the ‘almost’ being directly connected to the the bosses’ level of control within the company.
How they accomplish this is often a mystery to outsiders, but it’s simply the result of specific MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™).
I’ve listen to many bosses tell me why this approach wasn’t feasible, often using their industry as the reason.
Most of the ‘reasons’ fall apart when you consider Intuitive Research & Technology, which has never laid off an employee.
That’s impressive for any company, but it’s especially notable for a 16-year-old aerospace engineering and analytics firm that’s a contractor for the federal government.
Intuitive also never has job openings.
Harold Brewer, Intuitive’s co-founder, chairman, and president, says the company has avoided reductions by taking a unique approach to hiring. “We don’t really have job openings,” he says. Instead, the company operates like a talent agency—always scouting for skilled employees. (…) Brewer calls it a “speculation hire.”
His mantra is simple, “If it’s good for employees, it’s good for business,” so the company supports training, advanced education (unlimited tuition reimbursement) and pays substantial bonuses.
It’s what I’ve always said, hire great talent, instead of filling openings, cherish them, so they stay and watch your organization prosper.
Flickr image credit: Serena
