CultureasCompetitiveAdvantage

SteveCadigan,@scadigan

WinningintheNewReality

Theanswertothisquestionsaysitall

Whoisyourmaincompetitor

@scadigan

?

WinningTodayAin’t Easy

• Hardtopredictthefuture

• Whoreallybelievesa5yearplan?

• Barriertoentrylowerthanever

@scadigan

LinkedInStory

@scadigan

• Createanamazingcompany

• Transformationjourney

• Unexpectedsuccess

ResultsDotheTalkin’

@scadigan

• LinkedIngrewstafffrom400to5,000in5years• ConsideredoneoftopIPOsofpastdecade• Doubledrevenuewhiledoublingemployeebasey/y• "Disrupted"anindustry• $26Bexitinonly13yearsfrombirth• Builta"world class"company

TheBillionDollarQuestions

• Howdoyoubuildacompanywhen:allyourleadersarerecruitingmostofthetime?

• Howdoyoudoublerevenueseveryyearwhen:youremployeebasedoubleseveryyear?

• Howdoyouavoidsuffocatingfrom:theweightofyoursuccess?

@scadigan

@scadigan

TheIronyofLinkedIn’sSuccess

Onpaperthiswasnotsupposedtohappen!

BigChallenges

@scadigan

• Scalingwithoutcrumbling

• Culture,Communication,OrgLayers,Titles…• ConstantChanges,GrowthandComplexity

• Newpeople,offices,countries,policies…• Whatbusinessarewein?

• HowdoIfocusmyteaminchaos?

MoreChallenges

• Howdoyoubeatthebestcompaniesintheworldinwarfortalent:• Google,Apple,Facebook,Netflix,Amazon…

• Wehadnobrand!!• “Linked…What???”

• Andyet…..wesucceeded

@scadigan

TheUntoldStoriesofSuccess

@scadigan

• Execteam“rookies”/firsttimers

• FirsttimeCEO

• Complexbusinessmodel

• Realcompetitivethreats(Google,Facebook&…)

• The“pain”ofgrowth

InflectionPoint

@scadigan

• Biggestimpedimenttoourgrowth?• Hiringtoptechtalent

• Ourmainbusinessproduct?• Recruitingproduct

• Ourbiggest pain point?

Career“Transformation”

@scadigan

CulturewasourFocus

• “Whatkindofcompanydowewanttobe?”

• Everyonebuildsawinningculture

• “Wewantthistobethebestjobyoueverhad!”

@scadigan

HowDidWeAchieveSuccess?

• Listening

• Culture++

@scadigan

DrivingCareerVelocityDeliveringtransformation

@scadigan

• Talentwasour#1priorityasacompany

• Careervelocitymattered

• Career“bursts”

• Wetoreup“oneyearbeforeyoucanapply”

WeFocusedonourBrand

@scadigan

• Issue:weneededtostandoutinacrowd• Solution:• Amazingexperiences• Guestspeakers• Workisan"adventure"

• Virtuouscyclecreated• Messageamplification

@scadigan

IfTalentisyourdifferentiatorthen…• Youmustlearnfromyourtalent• Listeningandcollectinginformationisessential• Informationinformsstrategy• Informationprovidesinsightstoadjustcourse

• YouMUSThaveaListeningStrategytoday

NewAssets

WewonwithCulture

• InDays creation

• Inspirationalspeakers

• Creating– awesome experiences

• Careertransformation

@scadigan

…Welistenedtothestoriesandresponded

ThePathForward

• Theworldisincreasinglytransparent

• Youmusthaveagreatcultureorgreattalentwillnotwanttojoinorstay

• Employerbrandisreal• Sorealyoushouldnottryto“produce”• Yourbrandmustbeauthentic

• Culturemorecriticalthanever@scadigan

InSummary

Culturecanbeyour“competitiveadvantage"

• Storiesareyourbrand

• Areyoucreatingexperiencesworthtalkingabout?

• Ishavinganawesomecultureapriority?

• Firststepisbuildingalisteningstrategy

@scadigan

SummaryThoughts

• Youcanwinagainstbetterbrands• Withbiggerarsenals

• Youcanbeworld classasafirst timer

• Everyoneengagedinbuildingyourcompanyispowerful!

@scadigan

Questions?

Thankyou!