无论是备受瞩目的高科技企业雅虎公司（Yahoo!），还是规模更大的集团公司通用电气（GE）和家得宝（Home Depot），都曾一度陷入“精英难留”的窘境。近日，知名科技博客GigaOM就针对雅虎所遇到的相关问题进行了一些讨论。股价平平，于是他们之中的一些优秀人才，便被某些风险投资公司花高价吸引去做创业型企业的开国元帅。
然而，像雅虎、通用、家得宝，及其他一些大型企业，在留住人才方面却同时具有明显的优势和劣势。我见识过很多大公司管理员工的方法，其中有成功的经验，也不乏失败的教训。以下总结10条大公司通常易进入的误区，也是优秀人才流失的原因所在：
1、大公司官僚主义作风盛行。
这几乎是我所听过离职员工对原公司抱怨最多的头号理由了。然而，这又往往只
是一层粉饰真实原因的外衣而已。没人喜欢不合情理的规章制度。然而，当精英人才开始抱怨这些条条框框的时候，却往往代表他们不只是“说说而已”了。他们只是需要强制性的遵守一切规章制度，而包括精英本身在内，也没有任何人附加一句“劳驾”之类的客套之词。
2、“英雄无用武之地”浇灭精英激情。
大企业往往同时进行多个大项目，然而，这样一来，最优秀最聪明的员工往往就被忽略了。没人关心他们是否满意当前职位，也没人过问他们是否想尝试一些新鲜挑战，或者个人兴趣更倾向于哪些有利于公司业绩的项目。人力资源部人员往往忙于其他事务，而顾不上这些细节。而对于日理万机的老板来说，他们的时间是异常宝贵，对于他们来说，这样的对话只是“可以有”，而非“必须有”。然而，除非你把它视为“必须有”，否则，你只能同优秀的精英人才say goodbye了。顶尖精英往往不是用金钱或权利就能收买的，他们更看重将自己作为重用之才的机会。在他们眼里，那是一股改变世界的力量，足以激起他们的奋斗激情。然而，大企业往往不愿花过多的时间在这些事情上。
3、年终总结工作缺乏力度。
说到大多数企业都没有在年终总结工作上做到位，也许你会不相信。或者说，有些企业即使做，也没有做够力度。大多时候，员工顶多都是拿一张表快速的填几下就上交给HR，然后继续手头的工作。归咎原因，员工们大概想着，老板和公司并不关心我在这里的长远发展。所以，既然你能力很强，那为何要留？（这一条直接导向第四条。）
4、职业生涯规划欠讨论。
在这里向广大的老板阶层透露一个小小的秘密：大多数员工并不清楚自己5年之内要做些什么。以我之经验，当被问到该问题能够明确答上来的人应该不足5%。然而，每个人都希望谈论自己的未来。而大多数老板并不关心员工的职业规划——即便是顶级的精英人才。所以，这实际上是一个机会。如果老板能够重视起年终总结大会的作用，并认认真真的同精英人才讨论他们的未来发展，相信每一个员工都是愿意将自己的热情和青春奉献给企业的，自然也不会轻易离开。
5、一时心血来潮，决策不够成熟。
企业不断推陈出新，是值得鼓励的行为。比如，给精英人才一些施展才华的机会，让他们负责新项目的启动案。这种机会往往是十分难得的，而精英最忌“被耍”。所以，如果只是因为一时的心血来潮，还是不要轻易许诺。否则，无法兑现承诺的时候，他们便会义无反顾的离职而去。
6、缺乏责任心及导向性。
即使你不能“耍”顶级精英，也不代表他们是“神圣不可触犯”的。我的意思并非建议你干涉精英的工作内容，告诉他具体应该怎么做。而是精英也需要他人的有益导向，也希望上级对他负责。所以，在他工作的过程中，老板最好适时的与之进行交流。他们会感谢你的潜心观察及热心建议的——只要你不会把他狠批一顿。
7、顶级精英也需要与顶尖人才共事。
除了顶级精英以外，其他员工能力如何？在一个大集体中，为了确保留住珍贵的顶级精英，环境营造也很重要。至少其他人员也应该是质量不错的人才。
8、迷失愿景及方向。
这个提法似乎略显平淡，但是，企业的未来之路通向何方？你的发展策略是什么？你希望精英帮你实现什么样的企业愿景？他们在这部分做出的努力足够吗？如果这一连串的答案都是“No”，那么，该做的功课可多了，而且，当务之急。
9、心胸不够开阔。
顶级精英都乐于同他人分享很棒的点子并期待被倾听。然而，有些时候，这些很棒的想法可能与企业的发展策略“背道而驰”。在这种时候，如果企业主一味的独断专行或心胸狭窄，那么，即使剩下的人非常顺从，精英依然留不住。
10、谁是老板？
如果一时之间，几个向同一位上司汇报工作的下属集体辞职，千万不要觉得纯属巧合。因为这很有可能是他们把顶头上司当老板了。那么，谁才是企业真正的老板，这一点必须明朗化。
精英和企业的关系从来不是单行道。精英与企业的责任可谓各执一半。然而，职场上精英人才还是稀有品种，属于较欠缺的资源。所以，聪明的老板是不会成天幻想着他们来到自己身边为己效力的，而一定会在如何留住他们不离开这一点上下功夫。
Whether it’s a high-profile tech company like Yahoo!, or a more established conglomerate like GE or Home Depot, large companies have a hard time keeping their best and brightest in house. Recently, GigaOM discussed the troubles at Yahoo! with a flat stock price, vested options for some of their best people, and the apparent free flow of VC dollars luring away some of their best people to do the start-up thing again.
Yet, Yahoo!, GE, Home Depot, and other large established companies have a tremendous advantage in retaining their top talent and don’t. I’ve seen the good and the bad things that large companies do in relation to talent management. Here’s my Top Ten list of what large companies do to lose their top talent :
1. Big Company Bureaucracy. This is probably the #1 reason we hear after the fact from disenchanted employees. However, it’s usually a reason that masks the real reason. No one likes rules that make no sense. But, when top talent is complaining along these lines, it’s usually a sign that they didn’t feel as if they had a say in these rules. They were simply told to follow along and get with the program. No voice in the process and really talented people say “check please.”
2. Failing to Find a Project for the Talent that Ignites Their Passion. Big companies have many moving parts — by definition. Therefore, they usually don’t have people going around to their best and brightest asking them if they’re enjoying their current projects or if they want to work on something new that they’re really interested in which would help the company. HR people are usually too busy keeping up with other things to get into this. The bosses are also usually tapped out on time and this becomes a “nice to have” rather than “must have” conversation. However, unless you see it as a “must have,” say adios to some of your best people. Top talent isn’t driven by money and power, but by the opportunity to be a part of something huge, that will change the world, and for which they are really passionate. Big companies usually never spend the time to figure this out with those people.
3. Poor Annual Performance Reviews. You would be amazed at how many companies do not do a very effective job at annual performance reviews. Or, if they have them, they are rushed through, with a form quickly filled out and sent off to HR, and back to real work. The impression this leaves with the employee is that my boss — and, therefore, the company — isn’t really interested in my long-term future here. If you’re talented enough, why stay? This one leads into #4….
4. No Discussion around Career Development. Here’s a secret for most bosses: most employees don’t know what they’ll be doing in 5 years. In our experience, about less than 5% of people could tell you if you asked. However, everyone wants to have a discussion with you about their future. Most bosses never engage with their employees about where they want to go in their careers — even the top talent. This represents a huge opportunity for you and your organization if you do bring it up. Our best clients have separate annual discussions with their employees — apart from their annual or bi-annual performance review meetings — to discuss succession planning or career development. If your best people know that you think there’s a path for them going forward, they’ll be more likely to hang around.
5. Shifting Whims/Strategic Priorities. I applaud companies trying to build an incubator or “brickhouse” around their talent, by giving them new exciting projects to work on. The challenge for most organizations is not setting up a strategic priority, like establishing an incubator, but sticking with it a year or two from now. Top talent hates to be “jerked around.” If you commit to a project that they will be heading up, you’ve got to give them enough opportunity to deliver what they’ve promised.
6. Lack of Accountability and/or telling them how to do their Jobs. Although you can’t “jerk around” top talent, it’s a mistake to treat top talent leading a project as “untouchable.” We’re not saying that you need to get into anyone’s business or telling them what to do. However, top talent demands accountability from others and doesn’t mind being held accountable for their projects. Therefore, have regular touch points with your best people as they work through their projects. They’ll appreciate your insights/observations/suggestions — as long as they don’t spillover into preaching.
7. Top Talent likes other Top Talent. What are the rest of the people around your top talent like? Many organizations keep some people on the payroll that rationally shouldn’t be there. You’ll get a litany of rationales explaining why when you ask. “It’s too hard to find a replacement for him/her….” “Now’s not the time….” However, doing exit interviews with the best people leaving big companies you often hear how they were turned off by some of their former “team mates.” If you want to keep your best people, make sure they’re surrounded by other great people.
8. The Missing Vision Thing. This might sound obvious, but is the future of your organization exciting? What strategy are you executing? What is the vision you want this talented person to fulfill? Did they have a say/input into this vision? If the answer is no, there’s work to do — and fast.
9. Lack of Open-Mindedness. The best people want to share their ideas and have them listened to. However, a lot of companies have a vision/strategy which they are trying to execute against — and, often find opposing voices to this strategy as an annoyance and a sign that someone’s not a “team player.” If all the best people are leaving and disagreeing with the strategy, you’re left with a bunch of “yes” people saying the same things to each other. You’ve got to be able to listen to others’ points of view — always incorporating the best parts of these new suggestions.
10. Who’s the Boss? If a few people have recently quit at your company who report to the same boss, it’s likely not a coincidence. We’ll often get asked to come in and “fix” someone who’s a great sales person, engineer, or is a founder, but who is driving everyone around them “nuts.” We can try, but unfortunately, executive coaching usually only works 33% of the time in these cases. You’re better off trying to find another spot for them in the organization — or, at the very least, not overseeing your high-potential talent that you want to keep.
It’s never a one-way street. Top talent has to assume some responsibility as much as the organization. However, with the scarcity of talent — which will only increase in the next 5 years — Smart Organizations are ones who get out in front of these ten things, rather than wait for their people to come to them, asking to implement this list.
