Attracting the Best, Part 1: The Employee Experience
John Elliott • Aug 19, 2021

Attracting the Best, Part 1: The Employee Experience

Attracting and retaining top talent starts from the inside out. In this – the first of a two-part series about getting the best employees on board – we look first at five critical elements of your employee experience.


When recruitment is your business, as it is ours, there’s one question that’s central to every conversation we have with our clients: How can we attract the very best candidates for every position?


Our work gives us uniquely valuable insight. Speaking with people every day about changing jobs, we hear why some want to leave their current employer, or why others choose to stay. We also hear what they’re looking for in their next company and job; the things that will attract and keep them performing at their best.


This is the first in a two-part series, focusing first on the employee experience. It makes sense to approach this from the inside out: if a company can’t retain great employees, it won’t be able to recruit great employees either. This was always true, to a certain extent, but it’s even more so now. Between social media generally, and employer-rating sites (like Glassdoor) specifically, word gets around more quickly and widely than ever before. This is great for transparency, of course, but it puts more pressure on employers to make sure that the experience they offer their employees is a good one.


When considering this question, it’s tempting to jump to ‘culture’. While it’s true that corporate culture is part of the equation, it’s a bit of a red herring, for several reasons. First, because it’s subjective: what constitutes a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ culture varies from employee to employee. Secondly, because culture is something that management can influence but not entirely control or create. Culture develops organically within an organisation (or within various parts of an organisation) as a result of day-to-day practices and decisions. Below are the five most controllable elements that influence culture and can create a great employee experience that attracts and retains top performing employees.


Compensation

Compensation and benefits are fundamental to the employee experience. Let’s face it, this is the main reason most employees work in the first place. Not every company can match the highest salaries in the market, and the good news is that no company needs to. Money is usually not the primary factor an employee considers when choosing to take a new job. To successfully recruit great employees, companies just have to be competitive. Above the median range for comparable positions, and offering decent benefits. These benefits can have monetary value like health coverage or a yearly training allowance, but increasingly, non-monetary benefits like flex time and the ability to work from home are equally valuable to many employees (and accessible even to organisations with limited budgets).


Communication

One hallmark of companies that attract and retain the best employees is the quality of communication throughout the organisation. Top performing employees want to know that they can speak openly about opportunities and challenges they see around them, and they want to know that they’ll be heard. Top performers also generally seek out more information about their own performance. Annual performance reviews may still be a necessary formality, but great companies and the managers in them know that ongoing dialogue is the best way to keep their best employees fully engaged.


Trust and Respect

These attributes are flip sides of the same coin. The best employees choose employers who trust them to do their work, and who show respect for them. Micromanagement is the fastest way to undermine a sense of trust; instead, great companies foster an environment in which performance is measured by clear expectations and results, and employees are trusted – and held accountable – to deliver those results. Great companies also encourage respect for results through recognition; bonuses and other perks can be part of the picture, but more often it comes down to simple acknowledgement. Whether verbally or in writing, public or one-to-one, a sincere ‘excellent work, thank you’ carries immense value for employees.


Opportunity to Perform

Getting the right people on the ‘bus’ is only half of the job. The other half is making sure those people are in the right seats. Top performing employees seek out roles where they have the chance to do their best work every day, and to get even better over time. Great companies provide them with this opportunity because they don’t just staff up to fill seats. They think more deeply about the skills and strengths of their current and prospective employees, they take advantage of opportunities to allow them to stretch the boundaries of their role and responsibilities, and in doing so they provide the opportunity for their employees to learn, grow, and develop their knowledge and abilities further.


Connection to Mission

Great employees at all levels of an organisation aren’t generally satisfied with being a ‘cog in the machine’. They want to know how their work connects to the bigger picture. Great companies, and the managers within them, make this connection clear to their people. They’re always looking for opportunities to show how each person’s daily tasks contribute to the mission and purpose of the organisation, helping to move it forward and achieve its goals.


If you’re not already doing so, it pays to keep your fingers on the pulse of employee satisfaction through well-designed surveys (the Gallup Q12, for example), and also by monitoring what people are saying about your organization – on Glassdoor, if nowhere else. Looking to sources of information like this can provide helpful direction about ways in which you can take your employee experience from good … to great.


In the second part of this series on attracting the best and brightest, I’ll focus on the element that some companies overlook entirely (creating great opportunities for companies that put focus there): the candidate experience.




Executive introducing new leader as part of executive onboarding process

Executive Onboarding in Food & Beverage: The Blueprint for Success

By John Elliott • 09 Apr, 2024
The arrival of a new executive heralds a period of opportunity, transformation, and, inevitably, challenge. The process of integrating this new leader – onboarding – is a critical, often under-emphasised phase that can significantly influence the trajectory of both the individual's and the company's future. So why do so many organisations fail to get executive onboarding right? The High Stakes of Executive Onboarding The adage "well begun is half done" resonates profoundly in executive onboarding. Harvard Business Review reveals a startling statistic: as many as 40-50% of new executives fail within the first 18 months of their appointment. This failure rate is not just a personal setback for the executives; it represents a substantial cost to the company – often up to five times the executive's salary. The reasons for failure? Poor cultural fit, unclear expectations, and inadequate onboarding support top the list. But what makes the consumer goods industry particularly challenging for new executives? It's a dynamic sector where consumer preferences shift rapidly, supply chains are complex, and competition is intense. Here, more than anywhere else, an executive's ability to adapt and lead effectively from the outset is paramount. The Multifaceted Challenges in Onboarding The failure of many organisations in the consumer goods industry to effectively onboard new executives is multifaceted: 1. Tailored Onboarding Versus Standard Processes The provided text emphasises the necessity of a tailored onboarding process for executives, distinct from standard employee onboarding. This is particularly relevant in the consumer goods industry, where executives must navigate unique market dynamics, consumer trends, and complex supply chains in Australia. Tailoring the onboarding process to address these specific industry challenges ensures that executives can hit the ground running with a clear understanding of the landscape they will operate in. 2. The Role of a Dedicated Onboarding Team The concept of a dedicated project team for executive onboarding, as implemented by Palo Alto Networks, could be highly effective in the consumer goods sector. Such a team could focus on providing industry-specific insights, facilitating connections with key stakeholders, and ensuring that new executives understand the nuances of the Australian consumer market. This team would act as a bridge between the executive and the unique aspects of the Australian consumer goods landscape. 3. Engagement During the Notice Period In the consumer goods industry, where market trends and consumer preferences can shift rapidly, keeping executives engaged during their notice period is crucial. This period can be used to familiarise them with current market analyses, consumer behaviour trends, and ongoing projects. This proactive approach ensures that the executive is well-informed and ready to contribute from day one. 4. Cultural Orientation and Familiarity Building a strong cultural connection is vital in any industry but takes on added importance in consumer goods, which often relies on understanding and adapting to cultural nuances to succeed. Regular touchpoints that orient the new executive to the company's culture, values, and consumer-centric approach can help in crafting strategies that resonate with the Australian market. 5. Collaboration Among Various Teams The need for collaboration between HR, Reward, Performance, and Talent teams is pertinent in the consumer goods sector. This collaboration can ensure a unified approach to addressing the specific challenges and opportunities an executive might face in this dynamic industry. For instance, understanding the compensation frameworks and performance indicators specific to different departments within a consumer goods company can aid an executive in making more informed decisions. 6. 'Just-in-Time' Resources The idea of providing ‘just-in-time’ resources is particularly beneficial for executives in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. Given the rapid pace of change in consumer preferences and market trends, having access to real-time data and concise, relevant information can be invaluable. This approach allows executives to stay agile and make decisions based on the latest market insights. 7. Understanding of Performance Cycles In the consumer goods industry, understanding the timing and nuances of performance cycles is critical. This is especially true in a market like Australia, where seasonal trends and events can significantly impact consumer behaviour. The onboarding process should include education on these cycles, preparing executives to plan and execute strategies effectively in sync with these fluctuations. The Role of the Board in Facilitating Successful Onboarding The board of directors plays a pivotal role in the onboarding process. Their actions, or lack thereof, can set the tone for the new executive’s tenure. What should they be doing? Pre-Onboarding Engagement: The process starts before the executive's first day. Boards must ensure clear communication about the company's vision, challenges, and expectations. This early dialogue helps align the executive’s mindset with the company's strategic goals. Structured Onboarding Plan: Developing a comprehensive, customised onboarding plan is crucial. This should cover not just the operational aspects of the role but also the cultural and interpersonal dynamics of the organisation. Mentorship and Networking Support: Assigning a mentor from the board or senior leadership can accelerate the integration process. Additionally, facilitating introductions and networking opportunities within and outside the company is invaluable. Regular Check-Ins and Feedback: Ongoing support doesn’t end after the first week or month. Regular check-ins to provide and receive feedback ensure any issues are addressed promptly. Performance Metrics: Clear, early-established metrics for success help the new executive understand how their performance will be measured. Enhancing Executive Performance through Effective Onboarding The correlation between effective onboarding and enhanced executive performance is well-established. A study by McKinsey found that executives who had a successful onboarding experience were 1.9 times more likely to exceed performance expectations. Furthermore, these executives reported feeling more integrated into the company culture and more effective in their roles earlier than their peers who experienced less structured onboarding. Effective onboarding leads to better decision-making, faster strategy implementation, and a more cohesive leadership team. It builds a foundation of trust and understanding that is crucial in the high-stake, rapidly evolving consumer goods market. Onboarding as a Strategic Imperative Effective executive onboarding goes beyond mere orientation – it is a strategic process that lays the groundwork for long-term success. As we've seen in the consumer goods industry in Australia, a well-planned and executed onboarding process can be the difference between a flourishing leadership tenure and a costly misstep. In an era where the cost of failure is high and the speed of change is relentless, consumer goods companies must view executive onboarding not as a perfunctory checklist but as a fundamental building block of sustainable leadership and organisational success. Remember, your new executive's journey is a reflection of your organisation's commitment to leadership excellence. Invest in their onboarding, and you're investing in the future of your company.
two men are sitting at a table with a laptop and talking to each other .

Talent Acquisition: Internal Strategies vs. Executive Search Partnerships in Australia's Beverage Industry

By John Elliott • 18 Mar, 2024
Explore the pivotal choice between internal talent acquisition and hiring via executive search firms in the food and beverage industry for optimal growth.
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