The talent behind the ‘talent’

As members of the Writers’ Guild of America return to the writing board, allowing Daniel Day Lewis to pick up his gold statue for the film There Will be Blood and many other fine actors/actresses to parade the Oscar red carpet, US viewers will finally be able to look forward to a life beyond re-runs. The strike is estimated to have cost the film and TV industry £374m but, judging by the support from the stars themselves and the agreement reached (albeit a compromise), the sweat and tears of the strike seem to have been worth it.
Add blood into the equation and ‘blood, sweat and tears’ is a phrase that could well be attributed to family businesses. Hitting the headlines in recent weeks, Rupert Murdoch has appointed his youngest son, James Murdoch, onto the media group News Corp’s board with control over its European and Asian operations. Sceptics could argue that his bloodline has aided his progression more than perhaps his talent. But the buzz is that, from his successful stint at BSkyB, he is a shrewd leader and should be allowed the credibility he deserves from recent leadership successes. This is not always the case, though, and family businesses will continue to struggle with the conflicting priorities of longevity, family bonds and retaining talent at the top.
There is a certain knack to identifying this talent. Maria Yapp (see page 22) tells us why it is not just about focusing on those with the smallest gap between their current ability and what is required for a senior position, but about developing an individual’s ‘agilities’ to close the gap between their current and future performance. This development could, indeed, be a key weapon in the ‘war for talent’.

Talent, however, is awash at Google. In fact, as an employer of choice, they receive an average of up to one million CVs a year. This doesn’t stop them putting in time (at least four interviews) and effort into making sure they employ the right people. Liane Hornsey, Google’s HR director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, (see Profile page 8) tells us why their people really are the stars of the show.

So, as the stars of the screen rush off back to their (hurriedly completed) scripts and business pundits watch with interest, as James Murdoch – recently reported to receive a salary of £1.73m – grabs hold of the reins of the family business, Marlon Brando (perhaps influenced by his character as the head of film’s most notorious family business) can almost be heard from above when he said: “Never confuse the size of your paycheck with the size of your talent.”




Katie Pattullo
Editor