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Christopher Dawson
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Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems

By | June 1, 2010, 10:12pm PDT

At the Microsoft CEO Summit 2010 in Redmond, Steve Ballmer had a talk with CEO’s from companies around the world. In his speech, he talked about several things — one of them being Microsoft’s focus on college recruitment.

In Steve’s words:

Every year now in our sales meeting, the No. 1 market share statistic I go through is our win/loss rate for college recruits against what you might consider the obvious cast of characters who would be competing with us on college campuses

This is great, and I don’t think anyone can argue with a statement regarding the importance of hiring the best people. The problem is that it sounds like Microsoft may be spending too much time trying to recruit these brilliant people, and not enough time working on building the best apps, and making the best use of the talent they already have. Should this really be the #1 market share statistic at Microsoft?

In my opinion, it’s not smart people that make companies successful — it’s passionate people. When people work on things they care deeply about, they naturally become really smart in their field (if they aren’t already).

If this wasn’t the case, Microsoft would be steam-rolling Google — considering Microsoft “wins” these brilliant grads up to 80 percent of the time. One must also wonder how Microsoft manages such a large number compared to competitors? Well, it can’t hurt that Microsoft pays new hires a ton of money, and tells them that even if it “doesn’t work out”, “Microsoft” on their resume can guarantee them a job almost anywhere.

What do you think? Should Microsoft be putting so much emphasis on finding fresh talent? Or should they be focusing on using what they have to their full potential?

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Topics

Talent, Steve Ballmer, Workforce Management, Human Capital Management, Human Resources, Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix.

Disclosure

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry. He has no other formal associations with any software or hardware companies.

Biography

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software designed specifically for the cellular and electronics industry.

Garett's journey into Google started with his employer asking him to "get a better rank on Google." Diving into search engine optimization sparked his curiosity for how things work and led him to create a blog dedicated to what interests him most--Google.

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It's always a good thing when college graduates get good paying jobs
DadsPad 3rd Jun 2010
That will ensure that more people will work harder to be the best in the degrees that are being hired. Plenty of jobs with good salaries are what drives what students want to do with their life.
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Instead of Developers...
Hatestone Johnson 2nd Jun 2010
...his new mantra could be Future talent, Future Talent, Future Talent, Future Talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMU0tzLwhbE

This never gets old.
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It gets old.
Lester Young 2nd Jun 2010
@Hatestone Johnson *yawn*
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Maybe he should be worried about product failures
HollywoodDog 2nd Jun 2010
Blowing billions on zunes and phones nobody wants to buy, search portals used only by staff and blood relatives, isn't the way for the CEO to keep his job in 2011.
He won't.
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For it being the underdog here
Cylon Centurion 2nd Jun 2010
@HollywoodDog

Zune's do quite well. As does Windows Mobile.
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Sounds like Google is constanly on the mind...
dave95. Updated - 2nd Jun 2010
Don't Google have billboards all over trying to recruit the smartest?

Reading his quote, it sounds like a stressed-out old CEO having to keep up with the much younger and faster moving competitor, Google. You focus so much on what that certain competitor is doing that you lose your own identity and focus as a company. When you're constantly losing employees to the competition and your top vets from key departments are retiring (Allad, Bach), maybe it's time to look for passionate first. People that still believe in what Microsoft is all about.
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RE: Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems
mcleutz 2nd Jun 2010
@Garrett - You took this out of context. I watched the same keynote and this was a 5min section on how he evaluates a portfolio of metrics for Microsoft. Shame on you for muckraking and going for the cheap headline that shows you needed to get a story up on a slow news day.
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Have the interest in listening to the whole thing
Richard Flude 2nd Jun 2010
Given he was misrepresented, can you summarise the good points he made in his speech?
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RE: Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems
AllenT_z 2nd Jun 2010
Yeah, the house is on fire, so keep working on plans for remodeling instead of wasting time calling the fire department. When will the board recognize what's going on in Redmond?
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RE: Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems
Tsingi 2nd Jun 2010
One of my favourite interview questions is how much of what you know did you learn in class?

If you want passion, you want people that pursue their interests on their own time, this is not necessarily the people who get the best grades.
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I would suspect that...
SpikeyMike 2nd Jun 2010
... a large % of those college grads hired aren't very familiar with the history of this company. I would be interested to see their attrition rate, for it doesn't take long to figure out the corporate culture. From my experience at other companies - if the CEO is an ass-clown, the layers upon layers of management are the same.
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RE: Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems
windozefreak 2nd Jun 2010
Well, like all successful corporations, Microsoft cannot be a one trick pony. They had better be able to do what ever it takes to remain successful. Of course, young recruits have to be a part of their strategy. Everything must change and old people must die. This is not rocket science; even I understand this.
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RE: Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems
wellcraft19 Updated - 2nd Jun 2010
Google and MSFT are two different companies. Google derives large portion of its revenue from ads, Microsoft from SW licensing. Ballmer likely wants to change that, but is also unlikely to succeed. Google has quite literally nailed the market, and MSFT should try to do the same (and better) on the SW side.
THis is unlikely to change until MSFT uses the talent on its hands and allows for a more open environment where innovation and experimentation is part of the daily routine.
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Its TIMR Ballmer and MS STARTED.....
carlsf@... 2nd Jun 2010
To listen to their Clients/Users and some of the Dicussione on these FORUMS.
And STOPPED making changes for changes sake.
WE might be small (115 users) .....
Currently using XP and VISTA ye we have had no problems with Vista on systems spec'ed to make uses of its resorces, and not on low end systems, WIN7 has too many changes and MS have REMOVED the "CLASSIC" option a standard setting on our systems. Also we use Office 2003 PRO as NO one likes the "RIBBON"
SO thats my take and I doubt MS will listen, and in expectation we have discussed with our 115 users and the general choice is to review Open Source (Linux and Open Office) on 5 systems to allow our users to evaluate them.
We have explored WIN7 and Office 2007 implementation it has been ruled out due to COST (purchase, training and downtime), general feeling by all is Linux and Open Office will require less time and cost to move to than WIN7/Office 2007.

SORRY MS your loss.
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I think they do already.
Lester Young 2nd Jun 2010
@carlsf@... I know, it's frustrating being in the minority that longs for old Windows. I hope Linux/OOo gets you your nostalgia fix.
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RE: Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems
Kerri@... 2nd Jun 2010
Its a waste of my time reading your headline grabbing bs and a further waste of my time reading the same old ...same old MS bashing. Listen up kiddies ....when Google is all that is left you will pray for the good old days of MS. Until then I think I will just unsubscribe from this gibberish and get back to work. Which is what most people who have something intelligent to say would be doing right now.
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RE: Ballmer focusing on future talent more than today's problems
Too Old For IT 2nd Jun 2010
This somehow figures. 10% unemployment, 18% underemployment, STILL no recovery in sight from this recession or the dot-com bust, and Steve is all about hiring the kiddies in college.

What this country needs is job that pay middle class or upper-middle class wages, and can be performed by a high school graduate. It needs them by the millions, and it needs them last week. Microsoft, as large as it is, should be leading the way.

Anything else is just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.
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Ballmer still clueless about recruiting/retaining talent
Professor8 2nd Jun 2010
In 2000, MSFT hired less than 2% of applicants to maintain their low-quality software products. MSFT received resumes from about 100K graduating students in 2004, screened only 15K of them, interviewed only 3,500 and hired just 1K, said their spokesman. In 2005 MSFT received about 60K resumes of every kind monthly for its 2K open positions. "A vice president at a major bank (not affected by the mortgage market) said that the bank is receiving over 2000 r?sum?s for every open position.", reported Diane Gubin in the summer of 2008 (late July/early August). "on-line agencies receive as many as 80K resumes a month.", reported Mike Qauilia 2008-08-20. "Northrup Grumman... gets 30K resumes a week", reported Peter Pae 2008-12-23 in the Los Angeles Times. 2010-01-14: GE received 18K applications for 1200 jobs near Ann Arbor, MI. 2010-05-20: Google gets more than 3K applications a day, over 90K applications per month (cited by Laura Petrecca in USA Today). Just a few years back, MSFT canceled their campus visits for the year to the whole California state university system. "Too Old For IT" is also on target. windozefreak, MSFT hasn't learned it's first trick; it's a zero trick dodo bird.
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It's always a good thing when college graduates get good paying jobs
DadsPad 3rd Jun 2010
That will ensure that more people will work harder to be the best in the degrees that are being hired. Plenty of jobs with good salaries are what drives what students want to do with their life.

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