When it came down to interviewing the finalists for a key management position at a San Diego company, Sage CEO Jerry Rollins and adviser in the hiring process discovered surprising similarities in why great candidates wanted to leave their current firm.
“They were told what to do, but had zero input into the direction of the organization,” Rollins said. “Their  job was to implement orders sent from afar.”
Top talent is looking for “organizations that are agile and nimble compared to big and stodgy,” and wants to be rewarded for top-tier performance. The finalists, while well paid  in their current jobs, had received no significant rewards for outstanding work. “Big companies are breeding mediocrity into their organizations” by not offering major incentives tied to performance, Rollins said.
The finalists had another thing in common. Everyone of them came through a personal referral, lured by the company’s reputation.  “You want to create culture of never having to look for someone to fill a position because people are lined up wanting to work for you,” Rollins said.
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