Megyn Kelly spent 12 years with FOX News, hosting the second-highest rated show in cable news, The Kelly File. In the final months of her contract, FOX offered her one of the highest salaries in cable news history to keep her. Although NBC couldn’t match the offer, they still won Kelly over. Here’s why:
1. Money Isn’t Everything
Not everyone is motivated by money, and that’s the biggest mistake FOX made. Kelly made it clear she wanted a job that would give her more time for her family… and NBC came through with a daytime program that provided family-friendly hours. FOX, on the other hand, wanted to keep her in the primetime 9 p.m. slot and focused on offering her the highest paid salary in TV.
Too often companies start the conversation with what they can offer, rather than asking employees what they want.
2. Re-recruit Top Talent
Now that Kelly has signed with NBC, she’s no longer a recruit (technically speaking). However, there’s good reason to treat her like one.
After companies hire a rockstar, they should constantly be re-recruiting them. This means spending as much time on keeping your best people as you do on hiring new ones. Keep a pulse on how your top employees are doing; spend time out-of-office with them and ask them what they need to succeed.
