From our recent The Business of Digital: Chapter One -Currency of Talent seminar, this is a look at Attracting Talent in the Canadian Digital Marketing Industry with Bruce Powell (IQ Partners).

1. How to Attract & Retain
ROCKSTARS
(even if you aren’t Google)
IAB Currency of Talent - 2015

2. The War for Talent.

3. The War for Talent is over.
Talent won.

4. Why we know:
• We launched Canada’s first digital-focused recruiting
practice (1996)
• We’ve recruited more digital talent than any other
search firm in Canada
• We’ve met, interviewed & assessed over 71,000
digital media, marketing & eCom execs

5. Surprise!
This didn’t turn out how we forecast…
Boomers aren’t retiring as expected
Marketplace needs aren’t growing fast
(especially in Canada!)
There is a healthy supply of people available
for every job

6. Then why so hard…
…to attract (and retain) Rockstars?
Employees regularly resign with no new role
on the horizon
51% of all employees will leave their job
within the first 2 years
Hundreds of jobs unfilled every month

7. Is it those…
‘Millennials’?

8. ‘Millennials’?
“Lackadaisical, narcissistic, job jumpers”
“Lazy. Coddled. Even a bit delusional.”
“The Me, Me, Me, Me generation”
“Trophy Kids. They want it all but don’t want
to work for it!”

9. They’re also…
Intelligent
Confident
Creative
Expressive
Selective
…and EXTREMELY digitally savvy!!

10. What about ‘Gen X’?
“Highly educated, active, happy, balanced and
family oriented”
20-30 years of hard work & now want to
reclaim ‘balance’ in their life
Business savvy, digitally savvy but now
they’re more selective

11. “I couldn’t find a good argument to tell [my wife] we
should wait any longer for us to grab our backpacks
and hit the road.”

12. And ‘Boomers’?
The original “me” generation!
And they’re not going away!
Boomers aren’t retiring – they’re just working
less - and they’re now selective!

13. The Issue:
1. Good people (whatever demographic!) are
selective
2. Most companies don’t know how to
attract and retain the ‘good people’

14. So how do you attract & retain
Rockstars?

15. Your employees tell us…
Why they want to leave your company.
What changes would make them stay.

16. Verbatim on Uncertainty
IQP:
How did you do on your last performance evaluation?
Candidate:
‘I’ve been at this company for 3 years and I’ve never had
a performance evaluation.’

17. Verbatim on Recognition
IQP:
What would your boss say is your greatest strength? Your
most valuable contribution to the company?
Candidate:
‘My boss doesn’t give me that kind of feedback. I’m not
sure his boss even knows who I am.’

18. Verbatim on Opportunity
Candidate:
‘I have not learned anything new in months, and I feel like
my digital knowledge is aging.’
‘I don’t know what my options for advancement are at my
company. Which means I don’t know what I should be
working toward.’

19. Verbatim on Opportunity
Candidate:
‘I feel that I’ve earned a promotion, but my boss isn’t going
anywhere anytime soon.’
‘I know more about digital than my boss does and he’s
clearly threatened by me.’

20. Verbatim on Culture.
Candidate:
‘I don’t feel like I’m doing anything meaningful. I want to
contribute to the social good.’
‘They fired my closest friend at work. There isn’t anyone
else I feel connected to. Plus, now I have her work too.’
‘I’m putting in 12 hour days. I could live with that, but
there are other people who leave at 5:00 and really only
work about 3 hours a day.’

21. Verbatim on Culture.
Candidate:
‘My company is really quiet. No one socializes with each
other. We’re all geeks you know.’
‘I’ve recommended a bunch of people we could hire - they
haven’t met a single one of them.’
‘I asked to take a course, to upgrade my knowledge. And
the company would not give me time off, let alone help
pay for it.’

22. Verbatim on Money.
Candidate:
‘The person they hired to report to me is earning more
than I am. They think I don’t know.’
‘I got a promotion, but no raise. They must think I’m
really stupid’
‘We’ve had a salary freeze for 2 years. I’ve read the IAB
Salary Survey. I’m underpaid. Plus, the network’s
annual report says they made 24 million in profit.’

23. Why they stay:
• ‘I like the intellectual challenge of the job.’
• ‘I have an excellent relationship with my boss’
• ‘Feel like my contributions are valued.’
• ‘I like the people I work with. We’re friends.’
• ‘Believe my career opportunities are here.’
• ‘Love what we do, it’s great work’
• ‘I feel like I have a voice in the direction of the
company. They listen to me here.’

24. Notice…
Nobody says…
‘I stay because I’m paid well.’

25. 10 steps to attract & retain
Rockstars
1. Hire the right people.
2. Fire the wrong people.
3. Get to know them.
4. Help them get to know each other.
Community = Engagement = Retention
5. Activate their social networks when you’re hiring;
reward them for referrals.

26. 10 steps to attract & retain
Rockstars
1. Clarify expectations.
2. Regularly review performance / progress.
3. Show appreciation. (say something nice!)
4. Keep people challenged / learning.
5. Commit to everyone’s career path.

27. Most importantly…
• Give them a sense of purpose – a cause, a reason for
coming into work everyday and giving you their
hearts and souls
• If you can’t engage them in the corporate good –
engage them in the social good.
• Inspire them and you’ll never struggle with
attraction/retention again.

28. And remember…
It's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just want to make the world dance
Forget about the price tag.
Ain't about the (uh) ch-ching ch-ching
Ain't about the (yeah) b-bling-b-bling

29. IQ PARTNERS Inc.
We exist to help companies hire
better, hire less and retain more.

30. How can we help you?
Bruce Powell, Managing Partner
IQ PARTNERS Inc.
416.599.4700 x223
Powell@IQPartners.com

31. Bruce Powell
Managing Partner
• As co-founder of IQ PARTNERS, Bruce oversees our offices nationally in
Toronto and Vancouver. Bruce began his career at Procter & Gamble and
progressed into senior management roles in marketing and communications
before finding his true calling in executive search.
• Driven by a passion to improve what the search industry offered he established
IQ PARTNERS to help companies hire better.
• His personal background includes hands-on management experience in sales,
marketing and marketing services. He has built management teams for a wide
variety of marketing, communications, financial services and technology
companies.
• Bruce is an advocate of ‘smart people’ and humble intelligence. He believes
true leaders forge their own success and he derives great satisfaction helping
ambitious individuals achieve their goals. He’s a passionate entrepreneur and
eternal optimist and he enjoys exploring unique business strategies with
innovative thinkers.