New Dilemmas In The War For Talent

Apart from the dilemmas between traditional organizations espoused orientations, there are also dilemmas adhering to the image of a large organization, and doubts whether these orientations can be put into practice. So, what makes an organization attractive to a young, ambitious and talented employee?

At the end of the last century, McKinsey and Peter Drucker introduced the concept of the “War for Talent”. As the most important factor in competition shifted from scarce capital and product to the talent of workers, the major question became “How can an employer attract and retain scarce talent for his or her organization?” I don’t believe that mature organizations have ever thought any different about the importance of recruiting gifted employees. However, the values with which organizations have tried to entice these scarce human resources are very different now, than before.

I can still remember which values attracted me to Shell thirty years ago. First and foremost was the “name”. Shell, Heineken and Unilever were at the top of the list as most attractive companies: Shell because of its international reputation and high-quality jobs, Heineken because of the attractiveness of the product and Unilever for the kind of organization it was. Then my father would also add, “Son, working for these three will ensure you a job-for-life”.

It is no coincidence that in the late nineties there was a shift in the thinking about how to recruit and retain young talent. The employment market was tight. The Internet boom was approaching its highest point. Many young people thought that there was a direct connection between their limitless talent and the results of their own start-up companies. This was particularly the case within the financial services and the high-tech fields. Although the ‘heyday’ for this generation, accustomed to making the “easy” or “quick-buck” is slowing down, the tension between the demand and the supply of well-educated and talented personnel has not diminished.