LoriAnn Boyer, Wray Ward’s talent development director, reflects on three decades of recruiting and developing top talent at some of the world’s premier employers.

When I share with people that 2021 marks my 30th year in talent acquisition and talent development, the first question I inevitably get is, “What?! Were you 12 when you started working?” (Answer: No, I was slightly older.)

Flattery about my youthful persona aside, the thing people tend to be the most curious about is how the field of talent acquisition and development has changed over the past three decades. (Answer: There have been many significant changes, but fundamentally, a lot remains the same … I’ll explain.)

In 1991, when I started my first job as a recruiting coordinator at Accenture, access to the internet was just beginning to make its way into the corporate world. As a result, we had no LinkedIn, no Indeed, no Monster.com, or any of the sourcing tools and technology of today. We took a “Glengarry Glen Ross” approach, using old-timey Rolodexes and cold calling. We pounded the pavement, networked and hosted career fairs.

Since those humble early days, the advent and adoption of LinkedIn and other modern tools have been game changers for talent acquisition professionals and job seekers, allowing both to reach a bigger, wider audience than ever before. But the core principles of procuring quality talent have not changed, which is a really interesting thing about this profession.

Specifically, a company’s culture remains critical to attracting top talent. If I don’t believe in or can’t get behind a company’s culture, there’s no way I can successfully sell that culture to candidates. The most common questions I get from candidates are about our company culture. They don’t just want to hear that Wray Ward has a strong culture; they challenge me for examples, and I love that they do, because we have an incredible story to tell.

Arming your employees with the right tools, technology and training is equally important to retaining that top talent once you get them in the building. So while a lot has changed in how we acquire and develop employees, for me, the thrill of the hunt for great talent remains the same.

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” –Aristotle

As wise as he was, even Aristotle couldn’t possibly have envisioned what the occupational landscape would be like in 2021. However, the core of his sentiment remains as relevant as ever. A company’s culture and how it values its employees, as well as its job seekers, will always be reflected in the quality of the work employees deliver back to the organization. If your employees feel valued and enjoy the work they are doing, they will want to exceed expectations and deliver high-performing results.

As a talent acquisition professional, I have a responsibility to safeguard Wray Ward’s culture by balancing the need to fill a job opening with ensuring I don’t hire someone who is a poor fit solely because we are in need of a critical resource. A bad cultural hire will do more to damage your organization than not having the right resource in place.

Once you marry the right talent with the right role, the talent development begins. That means providing ongoing training that allows employees to grow both personally and professionally, while arming them with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.

A company’s greatest asset is its people, and by investing in your people, you are, in turn, investing in your clients and your company’s overall success.