The Assassins lay in wait. The Ninjas hone their resolve. The Samurai sharpen their swords in silence. Yes, it is time — like the “White Walkers” on HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’, the Headhunters are coming.
As the new dawn awakes from the cold winter of the recession, there is one thing Organizations can count on – the Headhunters are coming … and unless they’re on your team (or you have them on your take), they don’t come in peace.
Headhunters are the modern day Mercenaries of the business world. The highest bidder is most usually the Victor; and to the Victor go the spoils. When it’s all said and done, it’s the Victor who writes history (accuracy and truth not withstanding).
This begs the question: Just how fortified are your defenses? How resilient is your network? How impermeable is your security?
Here’s a quick list to immediately bolster your armour and harden your Organization as a target –
1. Look at the roots of your Organization first. Are your Managers and Leaders those who instill trust and confidence in their teams? Can they define “integrity”? If not, you might as well get rid of them. Sure, feel free to dump more money into “training”, but remember this – leopards rarely change their spots. Upgrade your leadership and watch the impact on your retention. “Leadership Retreats” and seminars look great in marketing materials, but breaking a leg while jumping off a ledge into a group of co-workers (who don’t want to catch you in the first place) doesn’t make one a Leader. This isn’t easy and it takes time, but time and time again, it works. Hire Leaders that people will follow, not run from.
2. Do you have a Career Development Plan? What do your Employees have to aspire to? 20 years and a gold watch? Those days are behind us, and playing Frank Sinatra in the background still doesn’t make a superficial “Thanks for the years” ring any better. Instead, show Employees that caring about their development is more than just lip service – ensure you have a plan that is documented and accessible by all levels in the organization. And, oh yeah, stick to it.
3. Is “Black Friday” a term in your organizational vocabulary? Does your firm lay off 20% of the workforce every October so your numbers look a little better in January the next year? If so, good luck. The only talent you’re retaining is the Employee that either lives in a bubble or hasn’t heard of that “social media thing-a-ma-jigger” called LinkedIn yet. Sure, in a down economy, you can screw people – that’s life. But remember, once your employment brand becomes associated with hatcheting off employees to earn Executives an extra week of vacation at the Jersey Shore, it’s pretty darn tough to break that stigma.
In the end, it’s your call – fortify your defenses or watch your market share burn to the ground as the Headhunters pilfer and loot you of every HiPo you have. The choice is yours.
I like the description of a headhunter as a “modern day mercenaries of the business world”!
@HeadHunterBrian
http://www.HeadHunterBrian.com
As a Headhunter (I have always disliked that expression) er: “Personnel Consultant” myself, I cannot agree more. Companies need to realize there’s only two ways for us to make money: Either you take (hire) the people we represent OR we take yours; and place them with our exceptional clients.
But true enough: We’re on the ‘hunt’ for top talent, and were coming to your organizataion to find it – unless of course you are already our client and then we’re working for you.
Well said. Great Article. I’ve already retweeted it.
I think it’s telling that employee compensation doesn’t even make the list. It’s mind-blowing how out-of-touch most of these “experts” really are with what is going on for average employees.
As a search consultant I dismiss the fact that “headhunters” are coming to your company! Any top performer or person with high potential is keeping their eyes open for THEMSELVES. Whether they move via the efforts of search or on their own, if you don’t do things to enhance the workplace and work experience, they will find a way OUT! Additionally, most top talent doens’t land in places like you’ve described. They don’t take jobs without knowing what the career plan is, checked out the company’s reputation and interviewed the leadership! With Linked In, Twitter, Facebook etc, talent will find the right place. If a business leader isn’t doing the right things, they aren’t “afraid” of HH! They aren’t smart enough to begin with or too arogant to recognize it, even if it’s written.
I prefer the term, “Purveyor of Opportunity” myself.
To Kirk: Headhunters aren’t after “average employees.” And part of what keeps “average employees” average is they judge job satisfaction by the amount of their paycheck, not on the expertise or passion they bring to the job or the myriad things that position and experience with a company can provide them in return.
The amount of pay may tip the cart, but it isn’t the only thing that fills it up.
Great post, Josh. The best defense is a good offense. If you don’t want your employees to be vulnerable to headhunters, don’t give them reason to be.
The other factor he uses very often is what I call the ‘rollercoaster’. So he’s not just telling a story. The story goes up and down. And up and down. So when you listen to the story where he’s talking about the time he doubted himself, he’s going from being super confident and super cool to feeling like he’s not really that hot when he sees those photos on the wall. Then he drives home that fear, building it all the time (into a downward spiral). And it loops and yanks you along because you have no clue what’s going to happen next. And then up comes the rollercoaster again. Now he comes good on the second show without realising what’s happening. But Bill’s carefully pulling the audience along with the way in which the story goes up or down. And he’s also using very clear visual cues to keep you connected to the story all the time.