Gali Cooks is the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Leading Edge, an organization that influences and inspires dramatic change in how Jewish organizations attract, develop, and retain top talent. Gali joined our Integrated Talent Management Strategies class to discuss Employee Engagement. She brought a wealth of experience and insight into influencing, inspiring, and enabling dramatic change in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent in nonprofit, public, and private sector organizations.
Gali discussed building an inclusive culture and the importance of understanding the key drivers to engagement. She emphasized how attracting and retaining great talent begins with being “a great place to work" tied to factors such as:
● Trusted leadership
● Common purpose
● Respected employees
● Talent development
● Clear salary and benefits
● Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice
Gali also noted how the millennial generation is demanding “purpose” in their work at a level never seen before in the workplace. Consumers also increasingly require socially conscious brands and organizations to change the landscape of products, services, and organizations.
Our students had several observations and questions about the real-world challenges of attracting the desired talent. There was rich discussion about attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse talent pool, especially in a tight talent market. The learning point Gali brought home... "It’s not just about attracting diverse talent; it’s about driving a supportive culture with programs and processes that help retain such talent."
In closing, Gali shared very insightful career advice based on her career journey. The key message was to value the career lattice - not only “vertical” promotions but also moving laterally across companies, roles, and functions to gain experience and skills and, potentially, fulfill one’s passion. She stressed being intentional about culture and taking the first step by measuring employee engagement.
We are grateful to Gali for making the time for the class and sharing insights from the real world and practical ways of dealing with some of the talent challenges being faced by most organizations.
