Canadian HR Strategy

26 Executive Series Digest hrreporter.com story, you may credit eff ective leadership for its success — but should that hog the spotlight? Besides great leadership, Google is also recognized for its unconditional belief in screening, selecting and developing only high-calibre employees. at's the Google way. It is clearly com- mitted to, believes in, demonstrates and enforces core values that favour everyone having an opportunity to grow and learn. Nevertheless, the real challenge facing organizations is what does — or does not — happen a er top talent has been screened and selected. How constant, all-inclusive, integrated and sys- tematic are internal processes in identifying, quantifying and developing top talent or outstanding performers? As leaders, how would you rate your talent development programs against Google? It's no surprise to hear that, for Google, the performance ap- praisal goes beyond being an HR exercise that has to be con- ducted by the manager with the employee. It has become an integral, value-add practice that requires everyone's time, deep- boned commitment, total involvement and enthused account- ability. Talent reviews are a peer-to-peer assessment process that extends across the global organization. Stretch assignments are established with purposeful metrics and used as core develop- mental opportunities where key strengths are enhanced and mastery is the goal. Everyone is held accountable for developing themselves as well as each other. Imagine how such a deeply embedded culture might fuel cre- ativity and innovation, how it might motivate real, critical skills development, reveal challenging learning opportunities and strengthen a captivating workplace. We all know people will leave organizations if their work is not challenging, if their contributions are not recognized and growth opportunities are limited. Google endorses the fact that people want to be successful, competent and realize their full potential. It champions a robust, high-calibre, adaptable and en- gaged talent pool. It promotes a deeply committed culture that recognizes and develops people's strengths, and encourages con- stant learning and extra eff ort. Marc Hurwitz, chief insight offi cer and founding partner of FlipSkills in Waterloo, Ont., declared "Google is doing it right" at the SCNetwork event. Here are some of the vital lessons lead- ers can learn from the Google experience: •Cultivate a senior leadership team that believes in making the time to select and develop high-calibre talent and teams. •Accept accountability for advancing high-calibre talent. •Be a positive, infl uential role model. •Facilitate creativity and innovative performance, and drive ex- ceptional results. Should any of these be lacking, it's possible that high engage- ment, high productivity and high profi tability will be unattain- able goals. Trish Maguire is a commentator for SCNetwork on leadership in action and founding principal of Synergyx Solutions in Nobleton, Ont., focused on high-potential leadership development coaching. She has held senior leadership roles in HR and organizational development in education, manufacturing and entrepreneurial organizations and can be reached at synergyx@sympatico.ca. Aban don resumés (Organizational Effectiveness) By Barbara Kofman W hen it comes to creativity and innovation, Google cer- tainly has walked the talk, as have other IT giants such as Apple, with creative work spaces, and Yahoo, calling teleworking employees back into the offi ce. And it was impressive to learn about how far Google has gone to ensure it attracts and retains the best. While other industry sectors may not relate to or see it as practical to embrace all the ways Google has built its organizational culture, many lessons can be learned. To begin, organizations can stop relying on resumés. Google doesn't use them at all, and for good reason. Many people use pro- fessional resumé writers to represent them, so it shouldn't be a surprise when these individuals fail to live up to their promise. As well, Google assesses whether candidates possess key success factors such as a positive attitude and an ability to accept feedback and deal with chaos. It no longer relies on behavioural interviews but uses real life assignments to evaluate if they can deliver. And when someone fails to meet expectations, Google gives them an opportu- nity to get back on track rather than reverting to dismissal. Other lessons include: •Understand that creativity is a skill that can be nurtured and de- veloped, and have an environment that encourages its growth. •When generating ideas, incubate fi rst — analyze and critique later. •Abandon traditional manager-led performance reviews and adopt a peer-review process, and make leaders responsible for the development of staff . •Stop expecting 100 per cent achievement of goals — move the bar to 60 per cent to encourage risk-taking and allow for inevitable fail- ures. •Create stretch goals that move people out of their comfort zone, with the acknowledgement that if they're not met this time, they will be next time. Barbara Kofman is SCNetwork's lead commentator on organiza- tional eff ectiveness and founding principal of CareerTrails in Toronto, a strategic coaching and HR solutions organization focused on enabling individuals and organizations to resolve their work-related challenges. She has held senior roles in resourcing, strategy and outplacement, and taught at the university and college level. Kofman can be reached at (416) 708-2880 or bkofman@careertrails.com. INNOVATION

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