Agenda Magazine: “Boards Face New Paradox in Talent ‘Frenzy’”

Dan Hawkins, our Founder & CEO, spoke with Frederic Lee, Risk, Audit and Strategy Reporter for the Financial Times and Agenda Magazine, about the risks surrounding the “Great Resignation” and the ongoing war on talent.

The takeaway: “Boards need to be a little more hands-on these days,” said Mr. Hawkins.

Boards by definition are usually supposed to “look but not touch” and stay in a governance position, but Mr. Hawkins says that boards have a unique vantage point and should feel comfortable having conversations with different levels of talent in the organization in order to understand what their specific needs are.

In Lee’s article, Mr. Hawkins advises that boards should switch from holding annual succession and employee retention reviews to conducting them on a much more regular and fluid basis, at least every quarter. Boards need to zero in on what the most critical roles of their business are and engage with management on this issue on a regular basis. And when it comes to talent acquisition, leadership should be clear about the capabilities and skills an applicant needs to be successful, and less focused on checking the box when it comes to specific job experience.

To read Frederic Lee’s full article in Agenda Magazine, click here.