The Orbiter May 2016
MAY 2016
Editor’s Note: In March, SSPI released its 2016 Workforce Study report: Launch Failure: Can We Attract and Retain the Talent that Powers Innovation? The report found that today’s industry relies heavily on a cadre of experienced workers in the 45-54 age range, who make up 42% of employees. These are people who know the business and the technologies, and are deeply versed in the processes and the unique demands of customers. At the same time, a shocking 67% of employees with between 1 and 5 years on the job voluntarily leave their companies. And with this issue of The Orbiter, we are going to focus on that number: 67% - and why it’s so high. Has the mystique surrounding the space industry gone away? Have we lost our reputation as one of the coolest places on earth to work? Are our young employees receiving the experiences important to them in the early stages of their careers? Can the companies that make up our industry do more to engage and retain their young employees? Or.. Is this even a problem? Is it simply the evolving nature of the workforce, where employees are no longer expected to work at one company for their entire careers? And, if so, how can we adjust to that without losing efficiency? Launch Failure? is available on SSPI’s website, and is free for SSPI members. Download your copy today.
Advertising Opportunities are available! As you know, SSPI has transformed its monthly news vehicle, The Orbiter, into a beautiful, page-turning digital magazine you can read from your desktop, tablet or phone, or as a handy print-out to carry with you on travel trips. The Orbiter brings Society news, coverage of the Better Satellite World campaign, and the annual Workforce Study to more than 6,000 members and industry contacts. Advertise With Us We invite companies to advertise in the new Orbiter. Full-page and half-page ads are available Some SSPI sponsorships include one or more ads with the sponsorship – but now you can purchase an ad directly! Download the media kit or email Tamara Bond-Williams for more information.
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CONTENTS
Industry Roundtable: Retaining Young Talent
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Employee Retention Has Left the Building
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Submit your nominations for the 2016 SSPI Promise and Mentor Awards!
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By Tamara Bond-Williams
Upcoming Events The 2016 SSPI Northeast Chapter Golf Outing, June 6 - 1323 King Street, Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Click here for more information. VSAT 2016, September 12-16, Royal Garden Hotel 2-24 Kensington High Street, London, United Kingdom. Click here for more information. SSPI 2016 Future Leaders Dinner, November 9, The Penn Club, New York City. Click here for more information. Learn more about upcoming events at www.SSPI.org
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Industry Roundtable: Retaining Young Talent
By Robert Bell
In SSPI’s 2016 workforce report, Launch Failure, we reported on a surprising statistic: the companies we interviewed reported that, on average, 67% of new employees, voluntarily leave their jobs within the first five years of service. We asked some important industry figures to reflect on this as they answer these questions: • What experiences do you think are important to the new generation of people joining our industry? Are they getting those experience at work? • What do you think companies in our industry can do to better engage and retain their young employees? • How can our industry restore its reputation as one of the coolest places on Earth to work?
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Richard Wolf 2012 SSPI Mentor of the Year We need to focus on the value of relationships. Because of the technology-age in which we live and the value-proposition it offers our industry and economy at large, I think we are beginning to neglect the power of relationships. As we often say, people do business with people they want to do business with! (I know the previous sentence is not grammatically correct but you get the message!) It begins with a conversation that morphs into a discussion and may lead to defining a value-proposition to conduct business. In the end, it’s about trust and it starts with building a relationship. I believe we need to do a better job coaching our new and next generation talent on the value of cultivating relationships, internal and external, that are the building-blocks to successful business. Provide the means for new/young employees to spend six months, or more, inside a company to acclimate them into the culture and eco-system of a company. Expose each employee to key departments and leaders across the spectrum of the business – Engineering, Research & Development, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, Sales, Marketing, Administration, etc. This type of exposure will help young employees understand the supply-chain and workflow of the business and more importantly, build relationships that will help the individual navigate, better understand the culture of a company and its help drive its success.
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Andrea Maleter 2010 SSPI Mentor of the Year First, I would note that the statistic of 5-year tenure being the norm is not limited to the satellite industry: it has been noted by the BLS for a couple of years across all industries. So... what to do. I’m going to respond with thoughts that cut across your 3 specific questions. Starting with experiences that will help people, especially those newer to the workplace/satellite industry want to stay in the industry, if not in the specific companies they start with, my view is that giving them access to a range of activities, not just being limited to one area of the company, or one type of project, will go a long way to encouraging them to remain interested and excited by the prospects of both their company and the industry overall. For example, just because someone is a spacecraft engineer doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be involved in analyzing the trends in services that will use those spacecraft. Their understanding of the technical capabilities of the satellites they work on designing or building can help influence the development of new services, and if they see themselves as part of the team that turns the satellite into services and revenue, they are more likely to be excited about the company and and industry. In the same way, my view is that the satellite industry is part of the space industry, which is where the original “cool” factor for satellites came from. Now, of course, there is competition for “cool” from the other end of the technology spectrum - the gadgets and apps everyone is addicted to. Again, satellites are a part of that as well, since satellite networks support much of this. In particular, the importance of satellites to taking this technology across the “digital divide” into under-served markets has resonance with the younger generation which appears to have revived the idea of wanting to improve the world, or at least those who are likely to be in our industry and not working for hedge funds, are likely to have such aspirations. So bottom line, the industry overall should be stressing this integrated view of satellites as part of the larger “cool”, and companies should be giving employees opportunities to participate in as many parts of their business as they want to let them be excited for longer than just 5 years. And if the satellite companies are just like everyone else in keeping employees for only 5 years, not 10 or 20, at least those employees might be more likely to stay in the industry, even as they change jobs. 6
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Chris Stott Chairman & CEO, ManSat & 2015 SSPI Mentor of the Year We can give young professionals valuable experience by giving them responsibility. Let them grow, let them flourish. As simple as that. The average age of those working on the Apollo program was less than 29 years old. What’s our average age today? We can engage these young employees by giving them challenges, technical and managerial, and also a path to growth with increasing responsibility and trust. Give them the hard work. Allow them to think and act entrepreneurially. Giving them an environment where their ideas and insights are not only heard, but acted upon with the support of senior management is key. Continuing education coupled with a boost in responsibility when they return too - why train them if you don’t use it? They are all incredible people and instead of bottling up talent in the traditional aerospace management structure, the key, I believe, is to allow them to thrive and grow. Yes, they may leave you, but even those that do will come back as partners and customers. How do we make our industry “cool” again? Quit hiding our light under the proverbial bushel. Tell the world what we’re up to. We are one of the coolest industries in the world…we just need to remind people of this.
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Angela Galyean Vice President, Human Resources, Intelsat The new generation of people joining our industry is motivated differently from many of us who have been in the industry for decades or longer. For millennials, it’s not just about salary and promotion opportunity. (And it’s not a one-size-fits-all model, either.) Millennials are used to a self-serve kind of environment with individualized experiences (think of newsfeeds rather than newspapers). They are eager to know that their input is valued and that they are making a difference. And, yes, the days of “lifers” staying for their entire careers at one company are long gone. In fact, a survey by Deloitte revealed that 2/3 of millennials plan to leave their current job by 2020. It’s not so much which experiences are more important than others, but that there is a range of experiences available to them. As we are seeing, they will move from job to job to build upon their skill set. So the more opportunity we can give them in their jobs with us, the better. And by opportunity, it’s not necessarily raises and promotions they are seeking. Rather, they want to build their experience and skill sets, keep growing and continue to know that they are providing meaningful value. Sometimes that can come in a lateral move or stretch assignment where they can get a broader view of how they can contribute and continue to grow. On top of that, flexibility is key. Millennials are used to working anywhere on any device, and they want that kind of flexibility in their professional life. The traditional constraints of a 9-to-5 office are completely foreign to them. As to whether they are getting those experiences at work, I can only speak for us here at Intelsat. We have a generous telecommuting policy and lots of opportunity for mentoring and stretch assignments. We are committed to creating a working environment where all kinds of professionals can grow and thrive. There’s a saying that “people leave people.” I think for any organization in any industry, engagement and retention start with the employee’s relationship with his or her direct supervisor.
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That’s why I think the biggest opportunity for improvement lies with the manager-employee relationship. And that comes down to educating managers on the new and different work styles and teaching them to empower their employees to contribute in a way that the employees find meaningful. Similarly, managers – and every team member for that matter – need to be agile in making the connection between their teams’ contributions and the company strategy. Everyone wants to know how they fit into the overall strategy of the company, how their work matters. The power of that kind of connection cannot be underestimated. It’s also important that companies communicate to all employees about their opportunities – whether for upward mobility, lateral moves, career development, and even involvement in professional organizations (like SSPI!) to help build their experiences and skill sets. Finally, how do we make our industry cool again? Maybe I’m biased, but I think we’re already doing that! Just in the last year, I think we’ve made great strides in re-establishing the “cool factor” in the satellite industry. With all of the innovation in our sector, satellite isn’t such a secret anymore. It’s part of the internet of things, machine-to-machine connectivity, connected cars, in-orbit servicing, space travel and reusable launch vehicles. Next, our focus needs to grow to include educating more young people, not just the young professionals. We should be starting earlier in connecting with our future workforce – in our local high schools – so we can capture the imaginations of tomorrow’s leaders even sooner.
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Employee Retention Has Left the Building In March, the SSPI published “Launch Failure” responding to 67% of employees who have between 1 and 5 years on the job, voluntarily leave their companies.
By Bert Sadtler
If this is shocking, then perhaps more attention should be given to the trends in today’s marketplace. Perhaps we need to change the perception of “Employee Retention”. CHANGE continues in the business today. It may be the only thing that is constant. In my experience, today’s employment marketplace sees an employee change in their job every 3-5 years. It confirms that there is a shift in the recruiting and hiring paradigm from the days when employers were hiring for a lifetime. The failure occurs when business leaders fail to be agile and nimble in their approach to hiring, their understanding of talent today and their expectations for “a forever employee”. The shift from the 20-30 year employee to today’s 3-5 year average has traveled 180 degrees. Long tenure was once an indicator of a viable business. Today, it may no longer be a healthy sign for a business to have long tenured talent. With the growth of a healthy business, the talent that was the right fit at $5 million in revenue is not going to be the talent that is the right fit when the business is generating $20-$50 million. We are not suggesting that a company changes out the entire team of its professionals. We are suggesting that a company that has little to no personnel change year over year may be stagnant, facing growth challenges and experiencing issues where leadership is averse to change in general. The solution to redefining retention starts with embracing the changes in hiring and retention today. The statistics are telling us that the cycles of employment have shortened. Today, retention should be redefined to address the retention of the relationship 10
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between employer and employee. Think about it; wouldn’t it be valuable to the employer to retain a great relationship with an employee who is departing for a better opportunity? What if that employee went to work for a prospective industry partner? Or a competitor? Or furthered their skills in another role and then wanted to return to your company? Couldn’t they deliver more value to your business in a role that is more senior than the one they previously held? …On the other hand, if the relationship were to be destroyed once the employee left for a better opportunity and the ex-employee felt burned, they will never consider returning (in a role where they could offer more) And they would never be of value to your company by working for a prospective industry partner. It starts with changing the philosophy of the business leader who can recognize that employment cycles have shortened and there is value in encouraging talented people to pursue a better opportunity if they are able to. From a psychological perspective, if the business leader were to encourage employees to advance their career, fulfill their potential and were supportive if the employees leave for a better opportunity, wouldn’t that approach make the employee more loyal to their employer versus less loyal? Doesn’t a more loyal and more appreciated employee deliver a higher work performance then the one who feels they will be fired for entertaining career advancement by leaving for another role? The question shouldn’t be “why is the employment cycle so short?” Instead it should be “What are the nimble and agile CEO’s and business leaders doing today to develop long term relationships with the talented professionals?” These are professionals who travel through your employment cycle before travelling into multiple follow-on cycles. Couldn’t their multiple employment experiences and professional growth position them to deliver value back to the earlier business leader? What are you doing to change your company’s retention paradigm? Does your company encourage personal growth knowing the talent may end up working somewhere else? Have your implemented this philosophy throughout the organization? How important is this version of retention to the growth and success of your business? Bert can be reached at: BertSadtler@BoxwoodSearch.com The Orbiter May 2016
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SSPI Opens Nominations for the 11th Annual Promise and Mentor Awards Recognizing young satellite industry employees with leadership potential and the mentors who guide them
SSPI has opened nominations for its eleventh annual Promise and Mentor Awards, which will be presented on November 9 at SSPI’s Future Leaders Dinner in New York City. Every year, SSPI presents three young satellite professionals with its Promise Award in recognition of their potential to play a leadership role in the industry. SSPI also presents a Mentor Award to an executive who is recognized for fostering young talent, both within his or her own organization and throughout the industry, and also for volunteering time and energy in support of the industry. “The Promise and Mentor Awards are part of what SSPI calls the Leaders Quest.” said executive director Robert Bell. “We identify proven and potential leaders and learn from their experience how to innovate and grow this industry in the exciting and disruptive days ahead. We are a technology business, but the innovation that makes it work is the product of the people we hire. Our mission is to make satellite one of the world’s best industries at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation.” Nomination criteria and forms can be downloaded from the SSPI Website. Nominations close July 31, 2016. Nominees for the Promise Award must demonstrate initiative, innovation, creativity and problem-solving skills that positively impact their company’s financial performance, marketing effectiveness, technical advancement or research capabilities. Past winners of Promise Awards have included young employees of SES, Intelsat, SpaceX, Hughes Network Systems, the Space & Missile Systems Center of the United States Air Force, RR Media, Space Systems/Loral, CNN, Boeing Satellite Systems, CapRock Government Solutions, Willis Inspace, Wiley Rein LLP, Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, and Futron. Mentor Award nominees are distinguished by their voluntary contributions to industry causes and track record of coaching, motivating and fostering young 12
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professionals to elevate their professional capabilities and leadership potential. Past Mentor Award winners have included Chris Stott of ManSat, Clayton Mowry of Arianespace Inc., Richard Wolf of ABC Television, Tom Eaton of Harris CapRock, Satellite Hall of Fame member Dick Tauber of CNN, Dom Stasi of Avail/TVN, Francesco Frenza of the Cisneros Group, and Andrew Werth of Hughes Network Systems. The SSPI Future Leaders Dinner, sponsored by Ericsson, AvL Technologies and Walton De-Ice, will be held on Wednesday, November 9 during NAB Show New York 2016 featuring SATCON. NAB Show New York 2016 is a proud supporter of the Future Leaders Dinner. Contact Tamara Bond-Williams (tbond-williams@sspi.org) for sponsorship opportunities.
(Photos from the 2015 Future Leaders Dinner) The Orbiter May 2016
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NOVEMBER 9
NEW YORK CITY
Join us as we celebrate the 11th Annual SSPI Future Leaders Dinner, a benefit event that supports our programs to attract and retain the Next Generation of the satellite industry. This inspiring and entertaining event, held on the first night of the 2016 NAB New York Show, celebrates three outstanding young satellite professionals who, before their 35th birthday, have already made a substantial contribution to their companies and our industry. To celebrate the role of mentorship in fostering talent such as theirs, we will also honor an industry veteran whose devotion to nurturing the talents of the next generation will be rewarded with SSPI’s coveted Mentor Award. Click here to purchase tickets now! 14
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By Tamara-Bond Williams Membership Director, SSPI
SSPI’s suite of mission programs are focused on the industry at large, but we have always had as our aim that companies can leverage SSPI’s programs to do their own companies some good. You may not have given much thought about how SSPI’s mission supports your recruitment and retention goals, but that startling statistic from our 2nd Industry Workforce Report – 67%, made me start thinking about it on your behalf. Of course, as nominations are now open for the Promise and Mentor Awards, you should take a moment to think about your company’s internal mentorship and promising employee identification efforts. Do your employees have the opportunity to grow in your company? Do they have access to executives who can mentor them through the company culture, encourage them to think about challenges in new ways, expand their professional friendships and collaborative opportunities? Ramping up your organization to begin feeding the nomination process for this year’s Promise & Mentor Awards is an excellent opportunity to institutionalize an internal process of mentorship, and of recognizing and encouraging the young talent you’ve hired to find their place within your company, and as a part of our amazing industry. I encourage you to build your own promise and mentor program and leverage it to send nominations to SSPI. Make our annual program an engine driving employee growth and appreciation, as one more step to reducing our industry-wide attrition rate.
Now Available:
LAUNCH FAILURE? Can we attract and retain the talent that powers innovation?
The 2016 SSPI Workforce Study. Click here for more information. The Orbiter May 2016
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