FINDING TOP TALENT

Top talent expects to receive fair pay which means 10% above or below what they would make doing the same job anywhere else. This removes money as a major motivator.

The association’s purpose needs to provide challenging and meaningful work. The association needs to be a place that makes a difference. The work needs to be engaging, challenges the talent and pushes their best to improve. They need to feel like they made a difference.

Top-level talent only wants to work with other top-level talents. They want to work with people who are bright, sharp, smart, talented, with high integrity, passionate about what they do and are great team members. Top talent on a mediocre team will either drop performance down to the level of everyone else or they will get frustrated and leave right away.

They want to go someplace where it’s fun to work, with a family-like atmosphere and people who they would consider their friends, sometimes their best friends. They do not want to be micromanaged but given freedom to do their job well with the resources they need. They need to be treated fairly, beyond pay, but if there’s a problem or issue, they need to feel like their voice will be heard. They need to receive genuine, honest and sincere praise at least every two weeks.

They need to feel like they have meaning and results. This means a strong, important and inspiring purpose and the ability  to point to something they completed and can take pride in.

These are atmosphere issue … they don’t cost money or need a budget. Just focus on creating an amazing culture that attracts, inspires and keeps the very best people.

Personal Development: They need to know that the organization is investing in their growth. They go to training and seminars. They need to receive coaching and mentoring and exposure to bigger projects. They need to feel that they are smarter at the end of the month than at the beginning and are equipped with new skills and new abilities because the organization is investing in their personal development.

Professional Development: Seeing a place for themselves in the association in five years. People will leave if they don’t feel like they are growing, being challenged and learning new things or ir they don’t see  a place for themselves somewhere in the association in five years.

This is the single most important reason talent stays in a company. They need to work for a leader they trust, respect and admire because 88% of people quit their boss, not the job, pay or hours.