Tips for Nurturing Talent for Career Success

The Dust Bowl of Talent Management Just like the perfect storm of a tough climate and poor agricultural practices of the 1930s led to the migratory and wasting effects of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, companies are not making strategic adjustments to the talent market and internal talent management, and it leaving them barren, frustrated, and weighing their future direction. About once a week, I have that conversation with at least one business leader whose company is on life-support, severely short-staffed, and praying for a candidate who is "plug and play" capable in rural, metro markets. It's like going to Walmart the day before snowfall in the south, there are 1000 people fighting for a dozen cases of eggs and milk, and you're hoping you get lucky. This scarcity of talent isn’t just frustrating; it’s a clear signal that we need to turn inward and nurture our own gardens of talent. 🏡 A Pain Point Close to Home The most biting issue we face is the talent gap. It’s like watching a plant wilt for lack of water. We scramble to fill positions with external hires, overlooking the fertile soil of our existing team. This oversight not only costs time and money but also saps the spirit of our workforce. 🧑🏽🌾 Cultivating Our Garden: HR Meets IT Here’s how we can start watering our own garden, bringing HR and IT together to cultivate a thriving talent ecosystem: 🪴 Spot the Sprouts: Begin with open, honest conversations within our teams. Identify who has the spark, who’s hungry to grow, and what skills we need to foster. 🗓️ Tailored Growth Plans: Like crafting a garden, we need to customize our approach. Let’s work together to create growth plans that fit each individual, nurturing their unique talents and aspirations. 💧 Nurture Constantly: A thriving garden needs regular care. Similarly, we must commit to continuous learning and growth, making it part of our daily routine. 🎉 Celebrate Growth: Every new skill learned or project milestone reached is like a bloom in our garden. Recognizing and celebrating these achievements fosters a culture of appreciation and motivation. 👏 Keep the Conversation Flowing: Like gardeners exchanging tips, regular chats between HR, IT, and team members can keep our talent cultivation efforts fresh and relevant. Through these steps, we can transform our approach to talent. Instead of constant external searches, we nurture our existing team, encouraging them to grow roots and flourish. This isn’t just about filling gaps; it’s about building a resilient, innovative community that grows together. Fox Search Group is not only a white-glove IT and executive recruitment partner, but we also provide talent management consulting services to companies facing issues like this and others. You can either try to wait out the Talent Dust Bowl, hoping you survive, or you can take proactive steps today to begin cultivating your own precious talent farm that will feed your company for generations.

Recognizing and elevating your team members' skills is crucial for fostering their growth and maximizing their potential. I didn't always have the budget to send team members to various conferences, workshops, etc., but I have years of experience, including successes and challenges. I utilize my experience as a source of learning opportunities for my team members. Here are some suggestions: ✨ Start with identifying the skills your team members are passionate about and support their professional development. Provide resources, training opportunities, or mentorship to help them enhance their abilities. ✨ Assign tasks that align with your team members' strengths and give them opportunities to showcase their skills. Granting autonomy and responsibility can boost their confidence and help them further refine their capabilities. ✨ Create a clear career path within the organization and discuss growth opportunities with your team members. Provide challenging assignments, promotions, or additional responsibilities that align with their skills and aspirations. ✨ Be sure to recognize and celebrate your team members' accomplishments publicly. This can include praising their skills during team meetings, acknowledging their contributions in company-wide communications, or organizing team-building activities to appreciate their efforts. ✨ Encourage a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing within the team. Promote collaboration, offer platforms for idea exchange, and encourage team members to share their skills and expertise. #professionaldevelopment #keeplearningkeepgrowing #peersupport

My growth as an Individual Contributor across Amazon, Uber, PayPal, and Google wasn't an individual effort. It was a journey shaped by phenomenal leaders who invested in my development every step of the way. Working at some of the most inspiring companies, I've been truly blessed to have amazing guides along the way. From my first agency internship with Susan Elmore, to Becky Zavala, MBA Zavala at Dow Chemical, Natalie Domond in Amazon Operations, Christina Sorenson who gave me my first corporate role on the Amazon Incentives team, Ricky Rios my first manager in NYC leading our team through a new Amazon product launch, Nancy Joyce Ghosh at Uber and Purva Bhandari at Paul Murray Google. Each of these leaders took a chance on me and came from such different backgrounds. Their guidance allowed me to gain exposure to diverse strategic approaches, learn how to tailor communication for different audiences, think outside the box to solve tough problems, confidently promote my skills, and engage effectively with senior leadership. Having strong managers has played a monumental role in my career, and I am truly grateful for the lessons learned from their unique leadership styles. Here are some key tips I've learned that you can apply with your managers: - Structure Your 1:1s: Use your one-on-one meetings to highlight areas where you need clarity on prioritization or where your manager can help remove blockers for you. - Seek Exposure: Volunteer to shadow or sit in on meetings with your manager. This is invaluable for gaining additional exposure to what that next level looks like and how decisions are made. - Communicate Your Goals: Clearly articulate your career goals and the skills you want to develop. This enables your managers to actively seek out opportunities for you when they arise. - Ask for Real-Time Feedback: Always ask for open feedback in real-time. This allows you to course-correct immediately and continuously improve your performance and approach. A huge thank you to everyone who's been instrumental in my career journey! Your guidance has made all the difference. #Mentorship #CareerGrowth #Leadership #InterviewSuccess #CareerAdvice #MyJourneyToTech #ProfessionalDevelopment

Without active career management, your remote career will be just as doomed as that of your on-site peers. 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲.   Here are 10 ways you can stay "top of mind" and be seen as an important, dependable and accessible part of the team who will be considered for important projects and promotions:  1. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 The introverts among us find more solitude in their work day appealing, but that can quickly backfire. Opt for video meetings where possible. Otherwise, you're out of sight, out of mind.  2. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 "𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬" In the absence of a watercooler you have to create moments of connection outside of your meetings. Tag a few minutes on to your meeting and offer a coworker to "hang out". Focus on genuine interest in the other person, their interests, challenges, ideas, etc.  3. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 If people don't know what you're doing or why you're on the team, you should be frightened. It's your responsibility to change that. You can create a simple overview page or dashboard to share which projects you're working on. Add a segment showcasing the types of questions you can help with so others can see how you add value.  4. 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 Identify projects that have high internal visibility, allow you to grow and/or showcase your skills and deliver high value. Cross-functional projects can be great to widen your reach and to get a better understanding of the big picture.  5. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Plan your career development with your manager. You can seek regular feedback and plan stretch goals to further your growth.  6. 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 Work doesn't speak for itself. It doesn't have a voice. And people are too busy remembering everything you do. So, humbly share how you are qualified and share how your team solved similar problems or removed roadblocks.  7. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬  You don’t get what you don’t ask for. If you want support from your manager, ask for it. Be specific about the support you want, e.g. floating your name for a specific project or socializing an idea that needs buy-in.  8. 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭  Ask your manager if there are meetings they’d like you to sit in on or take over. This adds direct value and is a great opportunity to raise your profile with stakeholders you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.  9. 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 Set a weekly goal to connect with your colleagues. Your goal is to keep in touch. You can send them a helpful resource, or simply ask how things are going.  10. 𝐁𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  Use your messenger status to build trust through transparency. E.g. you can state "out for lunch, back at 1:30PM" instead of just "Away". #remotework #leadership #careerdevelopment

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? . . . 🔆As a manager, you can't always promote someone just because they ask—even if they're a top performer.   🔆When talented team members feel demoralized by slow upward advancement, managers need to develop interim strategies to help these team members get their underlying needs met.   ❓So, how can you engage and retain talent when you cannot offer them immediate career advancement?   👇Below are some interim strategies to help meet these team member's underlying needs:   ✅First, let them know there's nothing wrong with requesting a promotion. Then provide some honest insights on the following questions: ❓What skills or experience must they acquire to be qualified for a promotion? ❓How can they address and remedy these gaps?   💫Share your thoughts candidly on these and other relevant developmental questions and make some suggestions.   ✅Next, ask them what's behind their desire for advancement. ❓Are they hungry for more status and responsibility, an opportunity to manage people, or just a bigger paycheck?   💫By better understanding what's driving their ambition, you can develop a tailored solution that can help relieve some of their anxieties in the short term (for example, new stretch assignments, the chance to manage an intern, or a raise).   🔷Throughout my career, I have found conducting frequent one-on-ones and comprehensive mid-term performance reviews with my team members incredibly helpful. These reviews allow me to better understand their expectations and perspectives at that point in their career and what they hope to achieve by the time year-end performance reviews roll around. Additionally, these reviews provide an opportunity to set expectations for the remainder of the performance period, especially in the case of unexpected circumstances such as promotions of senior or peer team members. By doing so, we can avoid any surprises when such events occur.   🌟Establishing this trust and transparency with various realistic scenarios gives team members a grander and more confident sense of what the professional landscape entails as opposed to being left in the dark and completely shocked when someone else receives a promotion or is ranked higher.   💡 It's worth noting that while it's essential to collaborate with your team to create work experiences that align with their motivations, it's not fair to expect them to wait indefinitely for a promotion. 🌟To truly help your team members design a career that works for them, it's crucial to have open and honest conversations about what drives them. This approach helps high performers feel heard and positions managers as active partners in supporting career success. 🌟By focusing on underlying motivations, managers can take a more nuanced approach to career development and avoid being seen as gatekeepers.

One of the greatest privileges a leader has is the ability to elevate those around them. Whether you are the leader of an entire function or just a few people, I believe there is no greater proof point to a leader’s impact than when their teams achieve their greatest potential. For many organizations, Thermo Fisher Scientific included, Q1 is highlighted by annual goal setting. But a priority for us throughout 2024 is to ensure career conversations are bigger than simply checking a box once a year. When I think about actively supporting the careers of my team and our HR function, a few strategies come to mind: - Check in often. Use regular 1:1s to assess progress and pivot where needed so the colleague feels they are continuing to progress toward their aspirations. - Use your tools. Many companies offer robust talent planning resources; use what is available to coach your team along the way. - Invest in your own development. Coaching others is a learned skill so do not assume you are always doing it right. - Champion the wins. Use your voice to shine a light on the success of others, fueling them to maintain the momentum. - Be the matchmaker. Keep an eye open for new projects or stretch opportunities based on the colleague’s aspirations. With ever-competing priorities, we all have room to grow when it comes to actively supporting careers. But when do this well, it is a win for everyone– for our companies, our teams and ourselves. #careerdevelopment #lifeatthermofisher

𝗜𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 - 𝟱 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝗧𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 - Employees often assume (wrongly) that their hard work and results will be enough when leaders make decisions about their future growth and promotion opportunities. Performance is critical for advancing your career, but it is far from the only reason employees get promoted. 𝟱 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫: 𝟭) 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 - Clearly communicate that you desire guidance, feedback, and coaching to improve your performance and development. If you and your manager do not have ongoing conversations about your career development, it is your responsibility to initiate these conversations. Take the responsibility to ask your manager if you can set up quarterly meetings that focus on your performance and ongoing development. Show up prepared to engage with them about your performance, future development, and career aspirations. 𝟮) 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 Visibility matters, when you have occasion to mention accomplishments to your leaders, do so. Clearly let them know that you enjoyed being involved and that you were excited about your contribution. When you receive compliments from clients or customers, request that they send a note to your manager and their manager. It is okay for you to be an advocate for yourself! 𝟯) 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 - The benefits of receiving feedback include increased self-awareness and improved performance. For you to truly receive honest feedback, they must be deliberate about creating a safe environment by actively giving permission and expressing openness and desire to receive feedback. 𝟰) 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 - To be recognized as an individual who can take on greater responsibilities, employees need to demonstrate advanced social and emotional skills that are necessary to navigate important, complex, and relational situations. Companies need employees to be effective at their tasks, contribute to others' performance, and use others' contributions to improve their performance. 𝟱) 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 - A senior-level mentor can have a broader view of potential future opportunities, introduce you to their peers, and advocate for development opportunities. Being strategic about navigating your career is not manipulative or inauthentic. If you expect someone else to care about your career more than you do, you will always be disappointed. Being an advocate for your career is essential to achieving your professional aspirations. Do you agree? Share your COMMENTS below. ⬇️ 𝗛𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 🔔 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 | Tony Gambill   #leadership #management #careers #humanresources

"I can say with confidence that in my forty years working with people who really are in the very top category of talent, I haven't met a single truly talented person who is solely or even highly motivated by compensation. And that brings me to an alternative model for thinking about talent: feeling special is more important than compensation.... When it comes to managing high-end talent, the secret to success is making people feel like valued individuals...." Roger L. Martin, A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness. I've met talented people who are motivated by compensation so I'm not as interested in arguing if Roger Martin's observation is completely true. But I'd love for you to reflect on the idea of how you can make all of your team members truly feel like valued individuals. 👉🏻👉🏻What are some specific things that leaders of teams and projects can do to help their team members feel special and valued? Leave a comment below. Here are four ideas: 🔹 Regularly acknowledge their contributions: A simple 'thank you' can go a long way in making someone feel valued. Pro tip: It's easy to forget to do this with your best performers--we get used to them doing top work so we can forget to thank them regularly. 🔹 Give constructive feedback: One way to show you value them is to give them specific, personalized feedback to help them maximize their potential. Pro-tip: I've found that top performers want more than just a "good job!" Since they're performing so well, it's easy to forget to challenge them to continue their growth. 🔹 Offer opportunities for professional development: This can be anything from additional training, attending conferences, or taking on a new project. Pro-tip: consider challenging them to give a presentation (company meeting, conference, etc.). 🔹 Promote work-life balance: Show that you value them as individuals with lives outside of work. Pro-tip: unless they don't want to share, know the names of loved ones and what's going on in their life (e.g. daughter Charli is playing softball this summer). Compensation matters. But magic happens when you make it clear how much you value each team member. For more from my discussion with Roger L. Martin, check out episode 363 as we talk about his latest book A New Way to Think. #projectmanagement #hapmo #management #leadership #pmo #freePDUs #PDU #teams

Retaining top-performing employees is crucial for long-term success in any organization. While factors like work-life balance and a positive work environment are important, there are other strategies that can be implemented to ensure employee satisfaction and commitment. Every person on your team might have a different motivator so implementing all or several of the strategies below will increase your chances of employee retention: 1. Invest in Career Pathing and Growth Opportunities: Provide a clear roadmap for advancement within the company. Offer opportunities for continuous learning, upskilling, and professional development. This allows employees to envision a promising future with the organization. 2. Recognize and Reward Excellence: It is important to regularly acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of top performers. Include things like work anniversaries, personal achievements, and milestones. This can be done through personalized shout-outs, rewards, or bonuses. Recognizing their hard work shows that their efforts are valued and appreciated. 3. Foster Empowerment and Autonomy: Give employees the freedom to take ownership of their projects and decisions. Empowering them fosters a sense of responsibility and pride in their work, increasing their commitment to the organization. 4. Maintain Open Channels of Communication: Encourage open dialogue and feedback. Employees should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions, as their contributions can shape the company's success. This also helps in identifying areas for improvement. 5. Implement Mentorship and Leadership Programs: Establish mentorship initiatives to facilitate knowledge transfer and skill development. Such programs create strong bonds and a sense of belonging within the organization. 6. Provide Challenging Projects and Responsibilities: Assign projects that align with employees' strengths and aspirations. Engaging and challenging work keeps them motivated and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. 7. Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits: Stay updated with market standards and provide competitive compensation packages. Additionally, comprehensive benefits beyond salary, such as healthcare or retirement plans, are crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. 8. Focus on Continuous Feedback and Improvement: Regularly assess and improve employee retention strategies based on feedback and data. Adapt and evolve to meet changing expectations, ensuring that employees feel heard and valued. Remember, your employees are an investment, and it is essential to prioritize their satisfaction and growth within the company. By creating an environment that nurtures top talent, you not only retain valuable team members but also save on job ad and recruiting costs in the long run. #EmployeeRetention #InsuranceIndustry #LongTermSuccess #TopPerformers #EmployeeEmpowerment