Okay, I’ll be honest. This has been bugging me all month, and I just have to write about it.
If we want to keep our best people, we must stop calling them “talent.”
Let me explain.
It happened nearly 40 years ago, but I can recall details from the incident.
I remember their smirks, their laughter, and how they loved poking fun at me. It happened in high school physical education class at the right-side entrance of our gymnasium.
Two of my classmates called me a “redneck.”
I DON’T remember WHY.
But I DO remember this: I was being LABELED and didn’t like it.
I wish the tendency to LABEL died after high school, but it didn’t.
Humans employ the coping mechanism of SLAPPING ON A LABEL when we feel confused, anxious, and uncertain. LABELING allows us to box something up and make a judgment without wading through the waters of complexity. And we briefly feel better.
For example, finish this sentence.
Immigration is ______________.
Depending on your media consumption habits, you most likely have a LABEL that neatly finishes this sentence because our political communications teams have boiled this super-complex issue down to a SUPER SIMPLE LABEL. But the problem with immigration is far from simple and easy, and it drives me bonkers that people on the extremes think it is.
I could expound on this LABELING tendency for hours, but that’s not why you read this blog. You read this blog to get a teeny-tiny bit of leadership insight.
So here you go: If you want to hire and keep the best people, stop LABELING them as TALENT.
I realize that it’s pretty disingenuous for me to say because a year ago, I helped write marketing copy that included the line “attract and retain top talent.” (And throughout this month, we have used the LABEL in our blog.)
But after reflection, I don’t like it because you never “attract and retain talent.” You attract and retain people.
People are more complex than talent.
People are more beautiful than talent.
People ARE more than talent.
People have hopes and dreams. People have interests and concerns outside of work.
This may be hard for many employers to grasp, but your job is not among your employees’ top 5 real-life concerns.
I like my job and have the talent for it. I’m a person who likes work, and it’s hard for me to envision retiring.
But still, my job is outside my top 5 real-life concerns.
And I am glad I work for a boss who appreciates my talents AND understands this to be true.
For example, last week, I had some minor health concerns (Yep, that ranked above my job), and he told me not to worry about my job but to take care of my health.
So, if you want to hire and keep the best people, stop labeling them as TALENT. Instead, embrace them as PEOPLE who have talents.
This subtle shift will right-size your expectations and honor the people you work with.