The Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast

Episode #182: Truth, Grace, and Compassion to Elevate Others with John Baldino

What truly qualifies an employee? John Baldino and Mike Sipple Jr. share the answer on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. John is the CEO and founder of Humareso, an HR consulting company. He has spent over 25 years in the field of HR. John and Mike explore hiring, the reasons leaders are having difficulty acquiring and holding onto talent, and what they need to do better to be able to attract talent in a genuine way.

The changes of the past year required business leaders to refocus. John remarks that now more than ever you need to be focused on truth. Be concerned about what's happening in the world and in your employees' lives. Take into account everyone's perspectives, experiences and their own truths, and let that inform the decisions you make as a leader. [1:53]
"If you sit in that sort of spot where you have such a large stand of control and influence, start with small," John advises. Start at your management level, and discuss any decisions you plan to make with them first. Share your reasoning and then listen for responses. It's important to have these discussions before making any decisions because your team will see perspectives and ideas you might not. [9:10]
John cautions against making compensation be the main incentive for holding on to talent. While there is a talent shortage, just because you are paying your employees more, it doesn't mean that they are the right fit for the job. Also, the talent market may not be sustainable in the future. Be wise about compensation and do it in such a way that your employees are not bound to a base compensation for life should there be a market correction. [12:20]
When it comes to the employee life cycle, it's important to think critically about the roles that need to be filled. Analyze the job description that you are putting out and whether the major requirements are truly necessary. Performance management is usually poor within organizations because the HR departments are measuring against what they do not have. This ends up causing employees to leave, and at a fast rate. [14:40]
The problem with modern job descriptions is that leaders are unaware or unsure of the audience they are posting to. The majority of times their qualifications are very exclusive, and that is why they end up struggling in their equity and inclusion objectives. Many roles within organizations are not given based on qualifications but on leaders' comfort, and John challenges that. [17:10]
The amount of years a person has at a particular job or position does not mean they have a defined skill. An assessment of someone's resume can't tell you how their skills will be utilized at work. Mike adds that you have to get to know people: who they are, what they bring, what they're passionate about and what they're willing to do. The interview process is the perfect medium to facilitate this. "I need to be able to ask you behavioral and or situational questions and let you unpack how you would apply certain things," John says. [22:27]
Inclusion is the one of the most important pieces to making sure employees are cared for in their workplaces. Beyond that however, is the concept of what John calls the 'cultural fabric.' "How do we have the thread of this new person weave into the tapestry that has been created to this point," is a stunning analogy that John uses to describe the better way to approach diversity and inclusion within organizations. "It's about adding the next color of thread or type of material into that tapestry to continue moving forward," he continues. "If I keep trying to tell this this piece of wool to be silk over and over and over again it isn't going to work...that person will know very quickly they don't belong." [27:22]
Companies need to make a conscious effort to train their managers how to be inclusive. They have to be trained on a daily basis on how to communicate with, edify, and uplift their employees. It's not about discipline anymore but about corrective action. Give them the opportunity to do better as opposed to punishing them because punishment will not make your talent feel more connected. [30:20]
When you can give your team the truthful perspective that you're committed to their growth, there won't be enough money that someone can offer them that will make them want to leave. [34:28]