Having been in the digital industry for almost a decade, I’ve worked with a LOT of talented individuals. I’m still working with many of them now and some I consider my ‘work family’.
As a business, inevitably you need to grow your talent pool to move forwards. So do you acquire talent or nurture talent? For me the priority is to nurture AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
It probably seems easier to acquire talent, but there’s always a risk.
“Talent in one environment may not always translate well to another.”
Nurtured talent an obvious investment
It takes longer, more personal investment in training, time and guidance – but the rewards are worth it. Someone you nurture, who grows with the business is far more likely to feel valued, enjoy what they do, and feel a sense of accomplishment. The reward to the business would hopefully be loyalty and in most cases unprecedented output (sorry had to get that one in).
As a leader/manager/boss, your responsibility is to bring the best out in everyone. I’ve worked with some real superstars – by this I’m not just referring to their twitter followers or their on stage charisma. People that go the extra mile to investigate that research piece or build that tool not because they’ve been asked to, but because they want to. These are the individuals that will ultimately fuel business growth and foster a positive culture.
It’s about opportunity
Last week we asked everyone about why they had joined the connective3 journey. Not a single response mentioned the soft perks such as flexible working, office fruit etc.
A common theme was around Opportunity
- Opportunity to help shape the business
- Opportunity for growth
- Opportunity to work with a talented, slick team that work seamlessly well together
I may have embellished the last one a little, but you get the idea! Partly this is testament to the awesome talent with us on this journey, but ultimately, we need to recognise that most people don’t want to be doing the same thing 1 year, 2 years down the line.
Opening opportunities, encouraging personal growth, foster a great working environment full of positivity, lay these foundations and results will follow naturally.
