Why I Urged My Entire Team to Look for New Jobs—And Why They Stayed

I once told my entire team (about 200 people at the time) that they should all be looking for a new job.

I was CTO at ICE and we were growing fast — probably about a year or two from our Initial Public Offering (IPO).

I told them they should always be looking for a new job, exploring the market, and that it was my job, that when they did that, they always chose to stay.

I said this because I believed in this, and its the way I always viewed my own employment.

I have only had two jobs since college (Harris Corporation and ICE) before going out on my own and doing my own thing. During that 22 year period, I always considered what else was out in the marketplace, questioned if I was happy where I was, but clearly I only chose to leave for a new opportunity once.

This was especially true at ICE where we set out from the start to create a culture that people wanted to work at.

A culture that hired the very best, fostered collaboration, and consistently set huge, “impossible” goals—then recognized and rewarded those who helped accomplished them.

Never fear competition. Whether it’s competition for talent or competition in the marketplace, if you create an environment people are proud to be part of—one that challenges them, rewards them, and respects them—you’ll attract and retain the very best on your team.

They might look elsewhere from time to time, but if you do it right, they’ll want to stay where they can grow, contribute, and win together.