Talent Development in the 1920s and 1930s

I recently have read Walt Disney’s biography – Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler and it is fascinating.

Granted, I’m a Disney fanatic but to me what is extraordinary is how devoted he was to talent development in the 1920s and 1930s. Not only did he want to produce the best possible films like Snow White, Mickey Mouse and the Silly Symphonies, but he knew very early on that he needed to bring in the best to help educate and train his workforce.

Disney built truly a recruiting machine where he picked off the best talent from all over. In a day and age when communication and travel wasn’t instant or quick, he would travel all over the country courting talent. When it came to open “auditions” as he called them, his standards were strict and only the best of the best (1 out of 1000) would gain a spot on his Disney’s staff. For training, he brought into play mentoring relationships for many of his employees where he would pair newbies with the experienced guys and also constantly offered training and personal development courses for all of his employees to make them the best.

Quite a book. A bit long but so packed full of great stories and information that I recommend it highly to HR and Recruiting folks. Rather than reading today’s business books, I believe a lot more can be learned from people from the past. Think about it, wisdom from your grandparents went a long way.

Mark