General Motors CEO Mary Barra has constantly said in the past five years that the auto industry is poised for more change in the next 10 years than it’s seen in the past 50 years.
One of the integral cogs to ensure a company the size of GM stays successful is talent acquisition, and that’s where Chief Talen Officer Michael Arena comes in. He spoke with Entrepreneur to discuss a variety of ways the automaker stays agile and maximizes its social capital in an 18-minute-long video.
Arena mentions the major changes ongoing within the automotive industry often. He points to companies like Tesla rising in the past few years to somewhat dominate what consumers think of when they hear the words “electric cars.” Finding the right people with a “fierce conviction” is a top priority.
He goes on to say individuals must have strong beliefs to stand out in such a large organization—people that can hold their own to carry out GM’s long-term goals to move away from fossil fuels, into electric cars, and self-driving vehicles.
Humility is another important factory. Those who come into the company must realize it’s a team effort and they can’t reinvent something on their own. But they must have the ability to bring something important to the table as GM works to reinvent itself as the industry changes.
Check out the full conversation with Arena right down below.
Comments
It will be decided that the manufacturers directly ask the customers which vehicles they would like to buy. Whether electric, fuel cell or even burners. That’s the only way to know how to set up companies for the future. Tesla is a new manufacturer with 100% electric vehicles and few customers. GM is a company with 90% combustion engines and 10% Stromer and many customers who are also interested in a lot of leisure topics. This is not new, but if you want to offer a pickup customer a Stromer pickup soon, you must also be able to offer the power in the mountains. For gasoline and diesel, this is always possible, as in canisters in stock. Electricity can not be refueled everywhere. Not in these high currents and quantities such as the Tesla charging stations. Think about which customer wants which mobility ….
Hopefully you can see the writing on the wall. Dodge and Ford are everywhere on tv. And not just commercials. Gm needs a shake up, and lets not forget the mess of what they’re trying to do with the Camaro. Well good luck, god I wish I could have a year with the company with influence to fix it. Jeff
GM Talent Office? That term certainly does not apply to the top of the organization.