Research Brief
A recording for this session isn't published. Below is the BPI editorial brief — key takeaways, an in-depth summary, and FAQs drawn from the original session materials and the presenter's body of work.
Presenter
David Deacon
**Senior Executive Board: Benchmarking Session**
Description
MasterCard is competing with the most innovative and eye-catching branded companies in the world. MasterCard is not a credit company, but a technology company in the payment space. As MasterCard acquires top tech-saavy talent, there is a focus on ensuring whole process optimization and becoming an innovative culture to manage and develop this talent.
Learning Points
I. What is the optimal way of thinking about the whole talent acquisition process? (resources, third parties, branding, sourcing) II. What innovative branding practices have your experienced that led to new talent pools, creating a new path in your business? III. What innovative practices is your organization using to create cultures to manage and nurture talent that thinks in new ways?
Who Will Participate
Senior Executive Board members and internally invited guests
Key Takeaways
- 1.Organizations must develop specific strategies to identify and engage high-demand tech professionals.
- 2.Effectively communicating and branding company culture is essential for attracting potential candidates.
- 3.Leadership plays a critical role in shaping and promoting an appealing workplace environment.
- 4.Aligning recruitment efforts with core organizational values creates an authentic and compelling candidate experience.
- 5.A strong employer brand, rooted in an attractive culture, is critical for recruiting and retention in competitive fields.
'''
The Challenge of Attracting Tech Talent
In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the competition for tech-savvy professionals is more intense than ever. Organizations must continuously adapt their talent acquisition strategies to meet the demands of a dynamic workforce. This session, presented by David Deacon, explores the principles MasterCard used to successfully attract skilled tech candidates by building a strong employer brand and cultivating a distinct organizational culture.
Key Strategies for Talent Acquisition
Leaders can learn from MasterCard's approach to audit and refine their own talent attraction methods. The insights shared highlight foundational practices that withstand market shifts and technological evolution.
Communicating and Branding Your Culture
To attract specialized talent, organizations must effectively communicate their unique company culture. Leaders can use these insights to assess where their organization's culture can be better showcased to appeal to specific talent pools. Differentiating your company culture becomes a key asset in a competitive market.
The Role of Leadership in the Candidate Experience
Leadership is central to shaping and promoting an appealing workplace environment. The perspectives from MasterCard emphasize the importance of aligning recruitment efforts with core organizational values. This alignment is crucial for creating an authentic and compelling candidate experience that attracts top-tier professionals.
Enduring Relevance for Today's Leaders
The principles discussed in this webinar offer enduring insights for leaders navigating competitive talent markets. A strong employer brand coupled with an attractive culture is critical for not only recruiting but also for retention. The session provides a framework for:
- Identifying and engaging high-demand tech professionals.
- Auditing and refining current talent attraction strategies.
- Focusing on an authentic candidate experience to secure skilled employees. '''
This session explores how MasterCard successfully attracted tech-savvy talent and cultivated its organizational culture, offering enduring insights for leaders navigating competitive talent markets. Understanding these strategies remains crucial for organizations aiming to build strong employer brands and secure skilled professionals in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape.
What you'll learn
- Strategies for identifying and engaging high-demand tech professionals.
- Methods for effectively communicating and branding your company culture to potential candidates.
- Lessons from large global organizations on talent acquisition in competitive fields.
- The role of leadership in shaping and promoting an appealing workplace environment.
Who this webinar is for
- HR executives and talent acquisition specialists.
- Organizational development professionals.
- Leaders responsible for employer branding and culture initiatives.
- Anyone interested in the challenges and solutions for attracting specialized talent.
Why it matters now
The principles discussed, though rooted in 2014, are more relevant than ever. The competition for tech talent continues to escalate, and a strong employer brand coupled with an attractive culture is critical for recruiting and retention. Organizations must continually adapt their approaches to talent acquisition to meet the demands of a dynamic workforce and technological advancements. The insights shared highlight foundational practices that withstand market shifts and technological evolution.
How leaders can apply this
Leaders can use these insights to audit their current talent attraction strategies and refine their employer branding messages. Consider areas where your organization's culture can be better showcased to appeal to specific talent pools. David Deacon's perspectives from MasterCard emphasize the importance of aligning recruitment efforts with core organizational values to create an authentic and compelling candidate experience. Focus on differentiating your company culture as a key asset in attracting top-tier candidates.
About this session
Key takeaways
Watching this webinar gives you grounded, practical perspective on workplace culture. Expect ideas you can use in leadership conversations, not abstract theory, drawn from David Deacon's direct experience.
Who this is for
CHROs, HR business partners, talent leaders, executive coaches, organizational development practitioners, and senior leaders who are responsible for workplace culture inside their organization.
Why it matters now
Workforce expectations, hybrid work patterns, and AI-driven change keep raising the bar on culture and leadership. Sessions like this help leaders make smarter, more evidence-informed decisions about workplace culture.
How to apply it
Use the ideas here to challenge a current assumption on your team, design a single concrete experiment in the next 30 days, and bring one finding back to your leadership group for discussion.