| y"> | | | | can be pivotal in finding and retaining talented people. |
| Good people are hard to find, the saying goes. For | | | | Corporate culture is one area smaller companies have |
| example, by the year 2000 over 190,000 computer | | | | an edge - that "hell-bent-for-leather" attitude makes it |
| programmer and other information technology jobs | | | | exciting and challenging to come to work, and there |
| will be vacant, according to a Bureau of Labor | | | | are fewer layers of bureaucracy people find so |
| Statistics report. (This is now a bit out of date, and | | | | stifling. Real teamwork, where success is shared and |
| although the dot-com bustups and the 2000-2001 | | | | the team affirms a common commitment, will draw |
| recession has eased things a bit, it is still difficult to | | | | other top professionals. |
| lure top talent.) It may be easy to fill these empty | | | | Having a smart, talented staff will captivate more |
| positions if you are a software giant like Microsoft, | | | | smart, talented people. So will a collegial atmosphere |
| but there is a tremendous challenge attracting (and | | | | which values the opinions of the rank-and-file along |
| keeping) top performers if you are smaller and less | | | | with open-management policies keeping the troops |
| well known. This article will provide a framework for | | | | informed on the state-of-the-company. |
| positioning your company to attract and keep the | | | | A training plan, designed career paths and |
| top performers who will help your company flourish. | | | | professional conference attendance are more ways |
| According to chief executives and industry recruiters | | | | to attract and keep people. Other small but significant |
| who were interviewed for this article, there are three | | | | options include dress code, flextime, telecommuting, |
| main areas on which to focus: the quality and market | | | | offices with walls - these all help. |
| position of your product or service, environment, and | | | | Last is the issue of compensation. The big salary |
| compensation. | | | | problem is no matter how much you pay, a |
| Leading edge technology and a high perception of | | | | competitor can pay a little bit more. So in terms of |
| quality will lure top technical and design people, | | | | salary level itself, you simply have to be at or near |
| salespeople and support people, all for different | | | | your market rate. |
| reasons. Technology people relish the challenge of | | | | Pay-for-performance however, can take |
| developing something new, plus they need ongoing | | | | compensation much higher while avoiding salary |
| opportunities for skill enhancement to remain fresh. | | | | inflation. A system of carefully designed bonuses and |
| As for top sales people, a strong product means | | | | incentives will enable you to pay people for |
| they can earn bigger commissions, and their egos are | | | | exceptional production. |
| fulfilled by being on the leading edge. And top support | | | | Equity - stock grants, options and equity-like phantom |
| people are smart enough to know that a quality | | | | stock - is a powerful way for smaller companies to |
| product makes everyone's job easier, and it enables | | | | entice people at all levels. Plus, smaller companies can |
| them to earn their incentives. For everyone, superior | | | | grant equity without the usual waiting period required |
| products will earn your company better returns, | | | | by public and larger companies. (Just remember to |
| enabling more reinvestment in R&D, providing | | | | include a forfeiture clause in case of early |
| challenges and adventure for your technical people, | | | | termination.) |
| and more and better product for your sales and | | | | What does all this mean in real terms? Some of the |
| marketing team. | | | | ideas in this article are harder to implement than |
| What if your product is not cutting-edge, or your | | | | others, and some describe conditions you simply can't |
| quality not up to snuff? Appealing to top performers | | | | achieve. Must you arrange for every item mentioned |
| is not going to be your only problem. Unless you | | | | above? Of course not, but systematically providing |
| control a mature market niche, your company will | | | | your people with the challenge to be their best, the |
| need to update and upgrade to remain viable - this | | | | opportunity to learn, the freedom to be creative, the |
| requires high caliber people. If you want to survive in | | | | incentives to perform and produce, a feeling of |
| the marketplace you must concentrate harder on the | | | | ownership, and the respect as professionals - these |
| next two factors. | | | | are the things that will make top technical and sales |
| Environmental factors - the corporate culture, the | | | | people want to join your company, and have them |
| caliber of co-workers, the attitude of your | | | | stay. |
| management team, and your physical environment | | | | |