Roberta Chinsky Matuson - Evergreen Talent: A Guide to Hiring and Cultivating a Sustainable Workforce

Roberta once again gives us a smart, sensible approachfilled with practical ideas and tipsto win the war for talent. Without a plan for developing and growing your talent, you will spend countless resources and money on recruiting and hiringonly to see them walk out the door soon after. Thank you, Roberta, for a clear plan for growing our talent!

Sandy Rezendes, head of strategic onboarding,
Citizens Bank

This edition first published in 2020 by Career Press, an imprint of

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

With offices at:

65 Parker Street, Suite 7

Newburyport, MA 01950

www.redwheelweiser.com

www.careerpress.com

Copyright 2020 by Roberta Chinsky Matuson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers
may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-1-63265-161-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
available upon request

Cover design by Kathryn Sky-Peck

Cover illustration by iStock

Interior by Scriptorium Book Packagers

Typeset in Minion Pro and Frutiger

Printed in Canada

MAR

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

T his book is dedicated to my husband, Ron, whose love and support for me is evergreen. When other spouses may have said, No way, not another book! you said, Why not?

I also dedicate this book to my children, Zach and Alexis, who are standing tall every day as they make their way through college. Finally, to my parents, Sy and Jeanette Chinsky, and to my sister Debby McClain, who always supported me. And to my brother, Mark Chinsky, for, without his tech talent, this book may never have been finished.

I t takes a village to get a book published, and I'm fortunate to have lots of great people in mine. First, my agent Linda Konner, whose belief in me pushes me to pursue the next book. Her tenacity ensures that someone is actually reading what I'm writing. Thank you to my editor Michael Pye, who eagerly agreed to publish this book, and to the whole team at Career Press. A big thank you goes to Tanya Savas, who helped me immensely behind the scenes.

My deepest gratitude goes to my mentor Alan Weiss, who keeps challenging me to think big and encourages me to share my thought leadership with others. I'm slowly catching up to him in terms of the number of books written!

Thanks to all my clients who have entrusted me with their businesses. It's a responsibility I don't take lightly.

Finally, thanks to my friends and colleagues who have been with me throughout this process and have pushed me to continue to soar: Noah Fleming, Hugh Blane, Gail Bower, Marlene Chism, Graham Binks, Dorie Clark, Linda Popky, Simma Lieberman, and Lisa McLeod.

Chapter 1
Debunking the Myth: Talent Will Grow Where It's Planted

Chapter 2
Surveying the Terrain: The Five Essential Elements
Needed for Evergreen Talent

Chapter 3
Tilling the Organization: Preparing Your Environment for a
New Approach to Talent Cultivation

Chapter 4
A Matter of Climate: Identifying the Right
Saplings for Your Environment

Chapter 5
Abundant Hiring: Sustainable Hiring Practices
for Optimal Growth

Chapter 6
Corporate Regeneration: Reinvigorating Dormant Workers

Chapter 7
The Need to Weed: Making Room for New Growth to Flourish

Chapter 8
Growing Talent from Seedling to Redwood

Chapter 9
Replenishing Talent: Ensuring Your New Crop
of Talent Takes Root

Chapter 10
The Canopy of Mature Workers: Why Evergreen Employees Are
Vital to Your Company's Survival

Chapter 11
Nurturing Employees to Greatness

Chapter 12
Corporate Pruning: Getting Rid of Dead Wood to
Make Room for New Growth

Conclusion
Some Parting Words

I n my life, I've been fortunate to have traveled around the world. As you might imagine, my adventures allowed me to see some truly amazing things. However, nothing could have prepared me for the experience of walking through the majestic Muir Woods National Monument, located north of San Franciscoredwoods standing tall, with their crowns stretching to reach the brilliant sun and the misty coastal fog.

It's easy to get lost in thought as you meander through the forest. I remember thinking, These trees have been here forever. In doing some research, I discovered that a handful of these breathtaking trees may have grown from a seed that's only roughly the same size as the seed of a tiny tomato plant! However, the majority of redwoods grow most successfully from sprouts that form around the base of a mature tree, utilizing the existing nutrients and root system of the older tree. In ideal conditions, a coastal redwood can grow two or three feet in height annually. But when the trees are stressed from lack of moisture and sunlight, they could grow as little as one inch per year. As I walked through the forest, I realized that the secret to creating, growing, and sustaining an organization filled with world-class talent was rooted right beneath my feet. We'll call this evergreen talent.

You see, we tend to look at organizations that appear grandjust like the Muir Forestand forget that they too started out as nothing more than a bunch of seedlings. Somewhere along the way, the leader searched for the right people to plant in the organization. The leader made sure the conditions were fertile for growth. Care and attention were given to new hires to ensure they thrived where they were planted. As the workforce matured, other successful employees sprouted and flourished under the guidance of seasoned veterans. Collaborations between new and experienced talent grew a prosperous, vibrant organization at every level.

As a consultant, I have witnessed similar growth patterns with my best clients. I've worked with hundreds of organizations ranging in size from Fortune 100 companieslike General Motors and Microsoftto midsize and emerging businesses whose names you haven't heard of (at least, not yet!). All of these organizations have one thing in common: They need talented people to run their businesses. Nowadays, the biggest challenge my clients face is attracting talent that will stick around.

I find myself consistently pondering the same question: How is it that some companies appear to effortlessly hire and retain people, while other companies seem to be in a constant state of hiring because they can't fill positions or their people leave so soon after they arrived?

Having worked across all industries, I'm in a unique position to answer this question. Most companies say their employees are their greatest assets, but that line is about as old as the tallest redwood in the Muir Forest! When you dig past the surface, you see where these organizations fall short. Many companies invest a ton of money into building sustainable relationships with their customers, yet fail to do the same with their employees.

World-class companies treat their employees as well as they treat their best customers. They take the time to nurture relationships with prospective employees before needing to add to their headcount, and they continuously work to strengthen their bond with current employees. As a result, the company reputation of these organizationsalso known as employer brandis as strong as some of the world's top-selling consumer products.