Interview with: Patty McCord, Author; Former Chief Talent Officer, Netflix

1. Interview with: Patty McCord,
Author; Former Chief Talent Officer,
Netflix
“Most companies have it all wrong when
it comes to recruiting, motivating, and
creating great teams,” according to
Patty McCord, Author, and Former Chief
Talent Officer, Netflix. “HR needs to
think about the problems that need to
be solved, and recruit people who can
do it,” she says.
McCord is a keynote speaker at the
marcus evans HR Summit 2019,
taking place in Gold Coast, Australia,
18 - 20 March.
What is wrong with the way compa-
nies recruit and motivate people?
Most companies make the mistake of
putting together a job description that
describes either someone who left the
company or a fantasy person who does
not exist. Neither of these will get the
important work done. Companies need
to think about the problems they are
trying to solve, have a real vision for
what the team should look like, and
then recruit for the person to solve the
problem, not for the person to fill a job
description.
The idea of setting out a plan to
motivate people is misguided. When you
ask employees about their accomplish-
ments at work, they almost always
describe something difficult. Usually
those people who are the most moti-
vated to do their best work are those
who really enjoy what they do. It is
misguided to think that making them
happy would improve their perform-
ance.
What about the way they create
teams?
The secret to creating great teams is
very much like the secret to creating a
great sports team. You have to under-
stand what you are trying to accomplish
and what it will take to win. When a
team is motivated to accomplish great
things, people will be excited about
being part of the team that will do it.
When people work together collabora-
tively, and every person feels that he or
she matters, that is a great team.
How did you create a high-
performing culture at Netflix? What
is revolutionary about your people
strategy?
I work with very large corporations, as
well as small start-ups, and both of
them making the same mistake of not
talking to people often enough about
what their business is, what success
looks like and what makes customers
happy. They silo people into their jobs
and do not involve them in anything
else that is happening in the organisa-
tion.
My big message to HR professionals is
to stop doing things that do not matter.
Take a look at processes and rules, and
ask why you follow them. If you started
all over again, would you still have the
same policies? The answer is usually no.
HR needs to pick apart all kinds of
policies. The annual performance review
should be scrapped. It is better to give
feedback in the moment, like a sports
coach, instead of once a year.
Even if something is a best practice, you
have to take a step back and recognise
that it might have been a bad idea. Say
it out loud to your employees. That is
when innovation really happens. You
would be surprised how much more
respect you will get.
Why is it important that employees
are able to exercise their full
power? How can it happen?
We have created too many rules,
processes, guidelines and policies. Every
task needs approval or permission from
several individuals. And then we wonder
why our teams are not very innovative
and why people do not show initiative.
Over time, people just lose their ability
to think of a great idea, because they
are wary of how many executives have
to approve it. People lose their passion
when they cannot act upon it. HR
cannot empower people unless some of
these constraints are taken away.
Any final words of advice?
HR executives should not speak HR
speak. Only we understand that lan-
guage. We have to speak the language
of the business, the way teams talk, and
talk to people about how to be success-
ful honestly and realistically. When we
do that, we will matter.
People lose
their passion
when they
cannot act
upon it
How HR Can Create
High-Performing Teams

2. T h e H R N e t w o r k –
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Gold Coast, Queensland, 18 - 20 March, the Summit includes presentations on a
range of topics, including preparing the organisation for the future of work,
empowering and retaining top talent, digitising HR, and setting the right conditions
for a high-performance culture.
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