Bryant’s next book, Quick and Nimble:
Lessons from leading CEOs on how
to create a culture of innovation, was
released in January.
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Q: YOU SPEND SOME TIME
TALKING ABOUT IDENTIFYING
AND HIRING TOP TALENT, WHICH
IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR HR
PROFESSIONALS. CAN YOU SHARE
SOME OF THE INSIGHTS YOU GAINED
THROUGH YOUR INTERVIEWS?
AB: Sure. We could probably talk about
this through dinner, but let me focus on
just one aspect and that is the quality of
self-awareness, which everyone is looking
for.
I heard this brilliant approach by this
young CEO who asks people during a job
interview, “Do you think you are going to
be different five years from now than you
are today?”
And the person normally responds
with, “Of course I am.”
The CEO then replies, “How do you
think you will be different?” and “What
will you be better at in five years?”
I think it is a great question because
there is some indirection to it. It also puts
a more positive and realistic spin on it, as
it opens a more candid conversation with
the candidate.
Q: HR PROFESSIONAL IS THE
LARGEST MAGAZINE FOR HR
PROFESSIONALS IN CANADA. CAN
YOU SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE
SOME OF THE KEY WAYS THAT
THESE LEADING CEOS SEE HR
CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUCCESS OF
THEIR ORGANIZATIONS?
AB: One clear point is that the CEOs often
tell me how essential the HR department
is to creating an effective culture.
When I interviewed Howard Schultz
(CEO of Starbucks), he said when he is
asked what the most important function
when starting an organization or setting
up enduring culture and values is, his answer
is HR, even though it is often the last
place to get funded. His view is that if the
head of HR does not have a seat at the
strategic table, this is a big mistake.
Many other CEOs also have said that
the values of the organization that they
work so hard to codify must be reinforced
at every turn with the help of the HR
department, which can incorporate the
values into the criteria they use to hire
people. ■
feature
48 ❚ FEBRUARY 2014 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL