We all know that finding, or home-breeding, top talent for your company is rare, takes a lot of time, and is expensive. There are many reasons for this to be true; for starters, top resources are commonly booked on other companies that value them and will go the extra mile to keep them around. Secondly, they [top talent] know their worth and will come with a price, and last, they are as rare as flying unicorns, that’s why they are top.

One thing is true about top talent: They are highly motivated people, with ambitious goals, a plan, and a timeline on how to achieve them; these people will typically disrupt your company and teams with new ideas, clever processes to waste less time while achieving more and will bring vibrant energy that will transform any workplace. Yeap, all those attributes are why you will go out of your own way to find them, and surely you will want to keep them around for the long term.

I’m sure there are a thousand articles out there that tell you how to keep top talent in your company. These articles will talk about career paths, growth opportunities, they will even provide tips and tricks on incentives, pay scale, bonuses, culture, and whatnot. I, on the other hand, have a very simple agenda today and it is to share with you the three main reasons why you are losing your top talent to others.

Reason #1 — Shame and Pride

Although at first look they seem opposite to each other, shame and pride serve the same purpose: keep top talent away from your company. I’ll explain why:

Placing top talent in non-challenging projects will hurt their pride. They will say “I’m too good for your company/projects, you don’t deserve me” and will walk away to find better opportunities.

Something similar is true, but in the opposite direction: placing your top talent in extremely difficult projects without guidance, resources, the right tools or at least the tiniest chance to be successful will shame them, and in turn, they will say “I’m not that good for your company/projects, you don’t deserve me” while they walk away from the doors.

Reason #2 — Unfulfilled Promises

There’s not much to say here, as I think the title says it all. When you engage with top talent you will make them promises about their career path, incredible growth opportunities, both, in the workplace and professionally, you will even talk to them about bonuses, vacation, the amazing culture your company has, and how they will manage an independent budget for their department.

Truth is, failing to keep your promises will not only cause your top talent to leave, but it will also cause top talent to give negative feedback among their peers regarding your company and, of course, you. When that happens, you will have two problems:

1. There will be no top talents in your company.
2. You will have a stinky reputation among the herd of unicorns.

Reason #3 — Revoke their Freedom/Authority

Top talent wants to make decisions, we want to take the lead and make a positive impact. For that, we need the freedom and authority to change processes, buy new tools and hire other talents without having to ask for permission or, worst, apologizing for it.

If you are standing in the way of your top talent, you will likely be standing in the way of your own company’s progress. By saying “No” to every single enhancement, idea, and tool; or by procrastinating conversations, decisions, and asking us to consult and get approval from others for each step we take.

Finale

While you and your recruiting team know finding top talent is hard, turns out that keeping them is actually pretty simple.

Let me give all CEOs, entrepreneur, and C-Level executive a piece of free unsolicited advice to keep top talent in your company:

1. Enable us, let us be in the right position, at the right time with the right resources and tools.
2. Trust us, remember why you hire us in the first place.
3. Honor your promises and keep your poop together.

#TopTalent #CEO #Recruiting #CompanyCulture #Quitting

About three years ago, I wrote to the CEOs and their companies and shared with them 3 reasons why top talent was (and continues to be) leaving out the door quicker than they could break another promise. Today, however, I will address you: Talented professionals who are eager to learn, grow, make a difference, and excel at what they do best:

My dear unicorns [talented professionals], in case you haven’t heard this in a while: You are worthy. You are an exceptional human being with the unique skills and experience that you have honed over time. These skills are valuable to the company you work for—that’s why they hire you—and, believe me, they will be extremely valuable to any competitor out there.

As a talented professional, you’ve done your homework: you’ve studied the books, put your knowledge into practice, and sharpened your craft like a samurai sword. Companies should appreciate it, but that’s not always the case. My agenda today is to help you identify the three main reasons why you should leave your employer.

Reason #1 — No Means

For any professional to thrive, not only top-talented ones, they’ll need a suite of tools, training, frameworks, and self-agency to do so. These are what I call means; without them, the dreams of being a game changer will be diminished, and your career will wither.

Here are some examples of how companies are not providing you with the means to be successful:

1. Refusing to invest in tools, training, wellness, and other needs that allow you to thrive.
2. Denying you growth, as strange as it may sound, some firms are not interested in your career; they will prohibit you from attending community-led networking events, conferences, and anything else that terrifies them enough to believe you will outgrow them, find a better opportunity, and leave.
3. Taking away your agency, every talented professional wants the autonomy to make decisions, change processes, and impact the business and its people without having to jump over a hundred hoops set on fire with fists and legs tied.

If the company you are working for falls into any of these three pitfalls—or worse, all of them—please leave.

Reason #2 — No Motives

Before we talk about motives, it’s important to understand the difference between motivation and motives.

Motivation is the force that pushes you to do something or to create something; it’s like your drive, enthusiasm, or passion to be better, to outperform others, and to grow your career. Having and finding that motivation, as a professional, is your responsibility.

Motives, on the other hand, are the reasons why you want to do those things while working at a particular company. Whether it is for the learning experience, the great culture, amazing management, or even better, the compelling vision of the company makes you feel part of something bigger, and it’s a perfect fit for you.

The truth is, being part of a company that does not provide you with the right motives or a company that changes its vision frequently will harm your ability to flourish and thrive as the unique, resourceful, and talented professional you are or will become.

Reason #3 — No Opportunities

When you were hired, you were promised several things, some of which might sound as familiar as a decent salary, a great workplace culture, bonuses, and opportunities to grow, both in the workplace and professionally.

It has to be carefully designed and implemented with intent. It also has to be realistic and attainable; perhaps the company you work for now will only give you that raise or bonus after you’ve gotten ten certifications, two masters, and one Ph.D. within the first three months of employment.

Finale

Funny enough, these three things that your company is not providing you with are part of the MMO (Motives, Means, Opportunity) framework. This is the same framework police departments use when they want to find a prime suspect and, most likely, a guilty person.

Companies, on the other hand, deprive you of these three things when they just want to find a subjugated, guilty professional on which to pin all their crimes.

Here’s a piece of advice for all the unicorns out there suffering from the wrongdoing of companies:

1. Do not stay where there are no means to grow; intently, for your career’s sake, walk out the door.
2. Please leave the moment your gut tells you the right motives are at stake and the company’s vision is shaky.
3. You will find better opportunities.

#Worklifebalance #Quitting #Talent #Careerchange #Courage

Hi, my name is Clara and this is my story: From jobless and depressed to CEO of my own company, Radical One, a Salesforce Consulting Partner and ISV.

This journey it’s about kindness, compassion, resilience, and, of course, Salesforce.

Breakdowns and reality checks

My career started in 2010, fresh out of college, with great dreams and high hopes of conquering the world, as any young professional. Although my Salesforce career began a year later, I was completely excited about the possibility of creating something bigger than me. But reality hit hard. I quickly realized the challenges of being a woman in STEM, especially in the Dominican Republic, a third-world country where job opportunities are limited.

Soon I found myself jobless and depressed, with a student loan to pay and zero dollars to spare. So, I did what I had to do; I got a job as a customer representative at a call center. It was not my dream job, but it paid the bills.

I was in a slump, both in my work life and personally. Ever been there? Wondering how on earth to shake off that feeling? Is there any light at the end of the tunnel? And what do you do when it feels like every possible way forward is a dead end, like all the doors (and even the windows) are slammed shut?

Friendship, Breakthroughs and Courage

I wish I could say I had a master plan to quickly bounce back or that I possessed the strength to dust myself off and reach new heights immediately, but in reality, I didn’t. All I had was a stroke of luck that led me to answer a phone call from a friend one day. Here’s how that conversation unfolded:

Most breakthroughs happen after breakdowns, a little bit of luck, and a whole ton of courage. I immediately quit my job, purchased a plane ticket, and traveled to New Jersey to meet George Turano, who was then the CEO of Infield Sales Pro, a Salesforce ISV partner.

Kindness and Opportunity

Boy, was I nervous during the interview. I was all rusty in my programming skills and knew nothing about this platform called “Salesforce.” I still don’t know what George saw in me; maybe it was potential, perhaps it was my passion for learning; whatever it was, he gave me one chance, one opportunity, and that’s all it took to spark a radical change in my life.

Yes, I landed the job. My paycheck was $800.00 dollars per month, but the value I found in being part of a game-changing platform was immeasurable. It provided me with invaluable technical and personal growth opportunities, and for that, I was truly grateful and fulfilled.

Resilience

After a week of coaching, I returned home to the Dominican Republic, and I only had one mission: to become one of the best Salesforce administrators in the company. For an entire year, I only did two things: work and study. There were no night outs, no movie nights, no partying, and no going to the beach. It was all about my career.

Back then, we didn’t have Trailhead, but we had Salesforce Workbooks, Salesforce Forums, and the vibrant, oh-so-helpful Salesforce community. That was enough.

Salesforce Integration Workbook, Summer’15

I was pumped, I was highly motivated, furthermore, I was supported. I remember when Keir Bowden (AKA Bobbuzzard) offered to be my mentor while on my journey to become a Salesforce developer. I learned the value of helping others.

In 2012, I got my first Salesforce certification, Platform Developer I, and my career blossomed. Doors (and windows) started to open for me in, both, my professional career and my personal life. Finally, there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Paying it forward

Salesforce Developer Group
Somehow, I knew I had stumbled into a pot of gold, and the urge to share this treasure with others started from within. I founded the Salesforce Developer Group in 2013 in my hometown of Santiago. I went straight for college students as my audience; I knew I could make a difference in their lives, and out of my own pocket, I started workshops and hands-on training.

Salesforce Developer Group, 2015

I knew I was changing lives for the better. The group started with 12 students, and now all of them are Salesforce professionals and have at least one certification. Nowadays, more than ten years later, the Salesforce Developer Group continues to exist with a steady attendance of 20 to 25 active members.

Trailhead DX viewing Party, 2016

Online Webinars, Bootcamps and More
It became clear to me how much I enjoyed teaching and sharing my knowledge. In 2016, I pursued certification as a Salesforce instructor; with the help of Andres Pérez (AKA elToroIT), who guided me through the entire process. Additionally, I began hosting free online webinars in both English and Spanish. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of leading many classes and connecting with thousands of individuals eager to learn, grow, and excel in their professional journeys, whether as administrators, developers, or consultants.

Hands-on Training Bootcamp, Dreamforce ‘16

As I sit and reflect on my story today, there’s only one word that comes to mind: grateful.

There’s one more thought I’d like to share: If you are going through a breakdown, just remember that your breakthrough might be a phone call away or just around the corner. Treat yourself with compassion.

#Salesforce #Trailhead #Courage # Kindness #Resilience