Bold Moves to Attract Top Talent

November 9, 2021

If I have been lucky enough to connect with you at a conference or chat via LinkedIn, you know that I’m a proponent of “one size does not fit all” when it comes to how cultures come to life. My passion is learning how different organizations create their best version of workplace culture. Almost every organization I encounter today is hyper-focused on defining how their culture will transform, especially in this period of Winning the Talent War. Below are just a few examples of bold moves these companies are taking in order to attract top talent.

American Express:
If we’ve learned one thing through the pandemic, it’s that many people now expect a workplace to be flexible when it comes to location. Remote work isn’t going anywhere and American Express is putting a creative twist on workplace flexibility.

The company’s self-described Amex Flex Model allows its hybrid, fully virtual and fully onsite employees to work up to four calendar weeks per year from a location other than their primary worksite, beginning next year.

Spanx:
If you’ve read the news lately, it’s likely that you’ve seen that global investment firm Blackstone is buying a majority stake in Spanx, which is valued at an estimated $1.2 billion in the deal. Because of this, Spanx founder, Sara Blakely celebrated the sale with her employees by gifting them with $10,000 and two first class airline tickets to anywhere they want to go. While this wasn’t necessarily a hiring tactic, can you imagine how many job applications are flying into the Spanx office now?

The moral of that story is not that you have to give away thousands of dollars to attract top talent, but instead when the top-level leaders truly value and celebrate their employees, it is felt all through the company. So often you hear about companies who have forgotten about the “little man.” Sara Blakely is a great example of someone who wanted to make sure that her entire team was able to celebrate this monumental moment, not just the top executives. Who doesn’t want to work for a company that truly values their people?

Venable LLP:
New York City law firm, Venable LLP, is one of many companies making headlines for their choice to move to a “trophy office.” “Trophy offices” are elite office spaces with top amenities designed to lure workers back to the office and attract new talent.

Venable LLP recently signed a lease for five floors in an overhauled Times Square office tower. Its new space boasts a private balcony overlooking the Empire State Building in a building with an updated Frank Gehry-designed cafeteria, complete with a menu overseen by star chef Charlie Palmer. Landlords and business owners are coming up with spaces that will attract and retain top talent, while also giving them no excuse not to show up to the office.

Yes, the above are bold moves, so what innovations are your adding? At Unstoppable Cultures, we would love to hear from you on how you are embarking on Winning the Talent War and charting the vision of your culture in this universal time of inflection. Click here to let us know how you are staying true to your values while winning the hearts and minds of current and future employees.

Together, we truly can build Unstoppable Cultures!

Ginger

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