people need to see their future at [your company here]

#INBOUND17@bobruffolo

People Need to See

Their Future at

[Your Company Here]7 things we did that helped us recruit the best

people, keep our top talent, and dramatically

improve our agency's performance.

B O B R U F F O L O


Who this Session is For


Starting Team Size: 36 People

People Left: -21 People

Ending Team Size: 23 People

1 / 1 5 T O 7 / 1 5

O U R T E A M : O U R C L I E N T S :

Averaging: ~30 Clients at a Time

Lost Clients: 19 Clients


>$2,000,000Of Estimated Lost Revenue & Missed

Opportunity Cost

Financial Impact:


“People need to see their

future at IMPACT”


Today, I’m going to

share 7 things you must do

to help your people see their

future at your company.

@bobruffolo #INBOUND17


If you were to ask your employees

‘Where is the company heading?’

what do you think they would say?


1. The future of the

company needs to be

defined in a

documented vison.


Describes what the company

will look and feel like in vivid

detail, usually 3-10 years out.

This is the most important step in people

seeing their future at your company!

A vision….


1. Top executive writes down what the company will look like in

(3-10) years, including revenue, headcount, customers,

areas of focus, wins, and more.

2. Cascade it to the organization, collecting questions and

suggestions. Their input helps to get buy-in and make it real.

3. Publish and share.

4. Revisit regularly, update team on progress.

Creating a vision is not that hard…


Share your vision with everyone!

Employees

Job Candidates

Competitors, Customers, Network


If we want the right people on

our team, we must have a

documented vision of what the

company will look like that

excites the right people.


1. More thought leaders in company than just the CEO.

2. Hold our own annual marketing event.

3. Great Place to Work.

4. Recognized as "The Best Agency.”

Included in IMPACT’s 3-year vision:


2. You need the right

people on the team


A Players vs. B Players

vs. C Players


Have you ever had to work with

somebody who should have been

fired, but the boss just let them

hang around?


If someone doesn’t cut it,

they shouldn’t be there.


A Players on the

other hand…


How to know if someone

is an A Player

#INBOUND17#INBOUND17@bobruffolo

Tom DiScipio

Mr. Imnotsogood

+ + + Y Y Y

- - - N N

N

Bar + + +/- Y Y Y

#INBOUND17@bobruffolo#INBOUND17

1. “Hire for culture and train for skill.”

1. Culture: Purpose, values, and vision.

2. Skill: Able to be autonomously successful in their role < 30 days?

2. Be patient & don’t stretch.

3. Always be recruiting….

H O W T O H I R E A P L A Y E R S :


impactbnd.com/careers


Feeling surrounded by

A Players is important to people.

A Players = We win.

B + C Players = We lose.


How many of you believe that

someone’s success in a company

is based on the results they

achieve?


• Consult clients about campaign requirements and objectives.

• Create marketing strategies.

• Manage timescales and budgets.

• Perform all required inbound marketing activities including:

blogging, SEO, social media, email marketing, and paid media.

• Assist in company marketing efforts.

Marketing Account Manager

It doesn’t define the expectations!


• Manage 5 clients / ~$30,000 MRR at a time.

• Average a client NPS score > 9.

• Complete > 120 points of work / month.

• Create 3 success stories / qtr to be published on IMPACT’s website.

• Publish 1 piece of content for IMPACT’s website / month.

Marketing Account Manager

Much better!


3. People need to

know what’s

expected of them


If we want our people to achieve

specific outcomes,and we want them to feel confident in

their performance,

then they need to know specifically

what’s expected of them.


Taking this one step

further…

#INBOUND17@bobruffolo #INBOUND17

R O L E : S T R A T E G I S T

LEVEL SCORE SALARY

ASSOCIATE STRATEGIST 10 $40,000 - $60,000

STRATEGIST L1 26 $50,000 - $70,000

STRATEGIST L2 40 $60,000 - $80,000

SR. STRATEGIST L1 50 $70,000 - $90,000

SR. STRATEGIST L2 52 $80,000 - $100,000

PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST L1 54 $90,000 - $110,000

PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST L2 56 $100,000 - $125,000


4. People Need

Someone Guiding

Their Success


One-on-OnesRegular meetings between a manager

and an employee to talk about all things

pertaining to the employee’s career.

The secret sauce to “stickiness”


• For employee: Makes them feel important and

helps them understand how they fit in the

organization.

• For company: Allows you to get a pulse on the

employee’s longevity with the company.

Purpose of One-on-Ones:


• At least once every 2 weeks for 30 minutes

• The employee goes first (it’s about them)

• You talking about the present (impediments)

• ...and future (what their career path looks like)

• You build a real relationship

• You listen, laugh & coach, you’re always direct

If done right…


One-on-Ones Require:

A manager with strong leadership

and emotional intelligence.


If we’re not doing

regular one-on-ones with

our people, we’re

disconnecting them from

the company.


5. People Need to be

Recognized for Good

Work


“Appreciation is a fundamental human need.

Employees respond to appreciation expressed

through recognition of their good work because it

confirms their work is valued. When employees

and their work are valued, their satisfaction and

productivity rises, and they are motivated to

maintain or improve their good work.”

- Kim Harrison, Consultant, Author and Principal of

www.cuttingedgepr.com


Recognition should be:

Timely

Specific

Public

Documented


How we recognize people at IMPACT:

#happythoughts


How we recognize people at IMPACT:


“When employees and their work

are valued, their satisfaction and

productivity rises, and they are

motivated to maintain or improve

their good work.”

- Kim Harrison


6. Enable your people

to give honest,

candid feedback(even if it sucks to hear)


“Feedback is the

Breakfast of

Champions”

- Brian Halligan


How we collect employee

feedback at IMPACT


1. How happy are you with your employment at IMPACT?

(1-10) …if not a 10, what would make it a 10?

2. I have a clearly defined career path here at IMPACT.

3. I know exactly what's expected of me in my role here at

IMPACT.

4. Someone in the organization is guiding my growth and

success.

Examples of questions we ask:


5. I understand the purpose of IMPACT and feel passionate about our vision / the future of IMPACT.

6. I'm consistently recognized by leadership and my peers when I do good work and deserve it.

7. I feel surrounded by "A-players”

8. I feel I can give candid, honest feedback to leadership.

9. Leadership cares about my feedback (it's generally always worthwhile sharing feedback with leadership).



10. I have fun working at IMPACT.

11.How would you rate your manager’s understanding of

what it’s like to be in your shoes here at IMPACT?

12.What about our company’s culture do you find

hypocritical?

13.What is our weakest link right now?

14.What questions do you have for the leadership team?



Remember:

You’re asking for the

problems, and that’s what

you’re going to get.


“We've got a backup on the des/dev side but there

hasn't been a slow-down selling projects that are

des/dev heavy. I know we're trying to solve for this

with the recent hires, but I don't feel like it'll be as

quick of a fix as everyone's making it seem like.”


“There's a feeling that the machine is straining

right now. What's great is it's because we're so

successful at bringing on and keeping/expanding

the engagements we have. I'd be higher if I knew

we could still crush our goals while not crushing

our people.”


“Capacity planning is still hazy, we've been

clear that that has been a huge struggle for us

for quite some time, and told that we just need

to be more efficient with our time. That's

bullshit, and you know it.”


• Everyone on the leadership team must read every single

line of the feedback.

• We group and prioritize.

• We address during the all hands meeting.

When we do this, the rest of the organization knows

we’re trying and rallies behind us.

We take action:


If we want to progress as a

company, we need to collect

honest feedback from the team,

we need to address it publicly,

and we need to act on it.


7. Work Should Be Fun


Our results#INBOUND17


T U R N O V E R I M P R O V E M E N T

Starting Team Size

People Left

Ending Team Size

1/15 to 7/15

(7 months)7/15 to 9/17

(2 years, 2 months)

36 People

21 People

23 People

23 People

5 People

42 People


9.14(Average Score)

E M P L O Y E E N P S :


What about the vision?


More thought

leaders in

company than

just the CEO.

4 IMPACTers

Speaking at

INBOUND ‘17


Hold Our Own

Annual

Marketing

Event.IMPACT Live


• Over 200 Attendees

• Speakers included: Mike

Volpe, David Meerman Scott,

Mark Roberge, Tara

Robertson, Marcus Sheridan,

and more.

• 2018 Scheduled


Great Place to

Work


Recognized

as The Best

Agency


> $2 Millionin Top Line Revenue Growth

in < 2 years.

Financial Impact:

#INBOUND17@bobruffolo #INBOUND17


7 Ways to Get People to See Their

Future at Your Company:1. Have a defined company vision

2. Right people on the team

3. People need to know what’s expected of them

4. People need someone guiding their success

5. People need to be recognized for good work

6. People are enabled to give honest, candid feedback

7. Work should be fun


Advice… Take on one

of these things at a time


Our People Need to See Their

Future at Our Company

When they do, that’s when we’ll be

able to unlock our full potential.


Favorite Resources


My Favorite Resources:

Traction by Gino Wickman

(+ other EOS Books)

Small Giants by Bo

Burlingham

First, Break

All The Rulesby Gallup Press

Driveby Daniel Pink

Double

Doubleby Cameron

Herold


Use My Top

Talent Retention

Scorecard

impactbnd.com/scorecard

people need to see their future at [your company here]

Small Business & Entrepreneurship