Getting Pulled in the Right Direction
I have far more success when I listen to the market and discover what the business really needs and then I go build it for them. – Cara Silletto
Cara Silletto is a nationally recognized workforce thought leader and the owner and founder of Magnet Culture, where she works with organizations of all different sizes to help reduce unnecessary employee turnover, by bridging the generational gaps and making managers more effective in their roles. Workforce magazine recently named Cara a game changer for her innovative approach to solving generational issues in the workplace, and Recruiter.com listed her in the Top 10 Company Culture Experts to Watch list.
Podcast featuring Cara Silleto of Magnet-Culture
Cara is a champion of employee culture. In fact she wrote a book about it: Staying Power: Why Your Employees Leave and How to Keep Them Longer. She advises business owners to think about the employee experience. “It is critical to train managers and supervisors because the reality is that the workforce is diverse and demanding. It’s so different than it was even ten years ago, and especially twenty years ago and we have to keep our managers apprised of how the workforce has evolved over time. It’s like a whole different world that folks are living in.”
When she started her business in 2012, being a retention and generational expert was not part of her plan. Instead, she set out to help people and businesses grow. Then the market started to pull her in a specific direction. She followed the market and figured out where the problems were and what needed to be solved. What she saw was that the only way for organizations to successfully and sustainably face the new realities of today’s workforce and the evolution of employee expectations is through a deep understanding of how to effectively hire and manage shorter-term workers who have a different view of the workplace.
As one of the older millennials, she fell into the sweet spot of bridging generational gaps and helping really bridge those great divides between a more traditional approach in the workplace and a more millennial friendly or millennial demanded type of workplace. She has really made a difference, working with organizations to create places where people want to work today. She realized that by reducing turnover, she was bridging the generational gaps to improve retention. She found her niche and has grown exponentially ever since.
Cara has always wanted to own her own business. “I didn’t know if I wanted to be a franchise owner or build something from scratch. I had no idea, but I did know that I wanted to help people and businesses grow. That’s my passion, so at one point I just said, ‘You know what, now’s the time’”. By leaning into the market and the natural gifts she was given, she has had a significant impact in transforming business culture.
Reflecting back to when she started her business she shared the advice for her younger self. “If I had to give myself one piece of advice,” she said without hesitation, “it would be ‘sell it, then build it’. I wish I had learned that much earlier. In the beginning, I thought for every project that I would have to build it out and know all the details and how the pricing would work – just every single thing. I was afraid someone would ask me a question and I wouldn’t have the answer. Now I know that I have far more success when I listen to the market and what the business really needs and then I can go and build it for them. I just wish I would have learned that sooner.“
To connect with Cara or to find more information about her and her business, visit Magnet Culture or send a message to cara@magnetculture.com. Check her out on LinkedIn, or look for Magnet Culture on social media.
