How prepared is your business for the War for Talent?

How prepared is your business for the War for Talent?

79% of CEOs in PwC’s latest survey say that the availability of key skills is in their top 3 concerns.

This problem is not going away!

Top tier consulting firm McKinsey tell us that “superior talent is up to eight times more productive” and that the correlation between quality of talent and business performance is “dramatic”.

The late, great Steve Jobs of Apple said “Go after the cream of the cream. A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players”. Think about that for a second, then ask yourself again, is your business set up to win the war for talent?

On a more personal note, to what extent does your own success depend upon your business’ ability to attract, secure and retain the best people? If, as you soul search and answer these questions candidly, you are not filled with joy at the answers, your follow up is “what can I do about this issue?”

We are seeing a growing impotence on the part of even pretty senior line managers to challenge their barriers to hiring. Budget constraints, internal processes, procurement barriers, routes to market etc. are leading to supposedly important hires taking months, or worse still to your A+ players never even being reached.

I recently asked a client in his 4^thmonth with 3 open, business critical hires, at what point the cost of these seats being vacant will outweigh the cost of paying a good recruitment partner. He said “3 months ago”, but he was powerless to change it.

So, what is the answer?

No idea. If McKinsey, PwC, 79% of CEO’s can’t solve it, then an ageing recruitment consultant with baby-led sleep deprivation stands no chance.

However, the first step is to ask yourself the questions above, then steel yourself for the fight and try to drive the change in your business from the inside.

If your personal success depends on the abilities of those around you, you’d be silly to just accept the status quo.