My husband and I recently put our home up for sale, and as we began the process it seemed like an overwhelming feeling–where do we begin? It was the place in which we raised our three children, so there was going to be a lot to do at this home to get ready for our new place.

There were so many decisions to make. Our kids are now grown, but did we really need a smaller house? Or did we perhaps need a bigger space to accommodate grandchildren? We had to remember that what today looks like isn’t necessarily what tomorrow will bring.

When you look around your home and you see your comfortable couch, you suddenly realize it may not fit into your new home’s décor. When you open your closets, are you keeping things that no longer fit or are no longer in style? Does my wardrobe perhaps need a refresh? We had to look at the things that first worked in our home but no longer fit with our current lifestyle.

 

Businesses Also Need Refreshers

It’s the same challenge in any business. Do things need to change in your organization in order to attract a different, perhaps millennial workforce? Are the people who fit well in your company when it had 50 employees the same types of people who fit in with 500 employees?

Just as with that comfortable couch in your current home, the one that may no longer fit your plans as you prepare to move, the culture and design of your company probably needs to change to attract the new talent you need to grow and prosper.

I thought about all this recently when I visited a company that was 160 years old. They were going through a transformation into a new space. They didn’t want to be known as the stodgy old company any longer, so they did a redesign of their office, with open spaces. They put a Starbucks in the lobby to encourage people to talk, and replaced old couches with new ones, to invite people in.

In short, they transformed the organization as a place to attract new talent and create an atmosphere that is welcoming, inviting and professional.

 

Finding the Right Fit

After you look around your home, deciding what needs to be decluttered and tucked away into memory boxes, it is time to engage the right real estate agent. Their job is to help you find the perfect buyer for your home.

This is pretty much like finding the right recruiting firm. Find a stellar executive search firm by asking around. Talk to them about competition in your marketplace and how they might partner with you in assembling a true talent pipeline.

I’m struck by how many of the steps in selling a home closely mirror working with an executive recruiter:

 

Finding a Forever Home

It’s challenging to go through the home sale process just as it’s tough to change your business, getting rid of all the old keepsakes and deciding what to keep and what to move on from. It’s often uncomfortable to think about the changes that lie ahead, but it can also be quite empowering once you get through the process.

Although we have loyal employees who have been with us for many years, we shouldn’t let that keep us from being open to finding a new employee who’s perhaps better adapted for the current role, with skills better suited to take on new horizons.

Only by being open to change can we really keep up with the times, let alone grow and anticipate future change. If a 160-year-old company can manage to do it, what excuse do the rest of us have not to get it done?

 

Michele Torch, Torch in Two, Communication

Michele Torch, Founder, Executive Vice President, and Chief Talent Officer