Recruiting good people has always been one of the basic tasks of a manager. And that goes all the way up the ladder. Recruiting is an important task for CEOs. To be successful, most are aware that they need to know how to figure out a role description, responsibilities and interview. However, Sunday's Times interview of Susan Lyne, the CEO of Gilt Group, a seller of luxury good, had an unusual take on the recruiting process. Certainly one worth remembering.
There are plenty of reasons to be a good manager, but here's a unique reason to treat your employees well (no assholes allowed in this firm). Adam Bryant, the Times writer conducted the interview and his question was open-ended: Let's talk about hiring.
I do think that the key role for a C.E.O. is recruiting. I mean, you can be the smartest person in your industry, and if you can’t attract talent, you’re never going to succeed.
Something that I have learned over time — and that I think not enough people recognize — is that when you are trying to recruit somebody, the first thing they are going to do is call someone you’ve worked with before, usually multiple people. And if they say it was a great experience, then half the job is done. If they say it wasn’t a great experience, you’ve lost them. So making sure that you do take care of the people who work with you along the way is such a great investment.
That's a new idea that makes a terrific amount of sense. You can't recruit good people unless you manage and treat your people well.
What do you think?