How To Identify And Retain Fantastic Talent with Rachel Cooke of Lead Above Noise

Time will pass whether you move or not. So get moving.

As a part of my HR Strategy Series, I’m talking to top experts in the field to teach prospects what hiring managers are actually looking for, while also supporting business leaders in their hiring and retention strategies. Today I had the pleasure of talking with Rachel Cooke.

Rachel Cooke is the Founder of Lead Above Noise — a team, leadership, and organization development consultancy that unlocks business results by building thriving teams. She is also the host of Macmillan’s Quick and Dirty Tips Modern Mentor podcast — a weekly show designed to inform, equip, and empower listeners to define and create their own versions of professional success.

Named by Inc. Magazine as a Top 100 Leadership Speakers, Rachel speaks, consults, facilitates, educates, and writes on all things leadership, employee experience, transformational change, and workplace success. Her work has been featured in such publications as Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, Business Insider, HuffPo, and more. Rachel’s clients have included American Express, Altice USA, Audible, Scholastic Books, Wolters Kluwer, and many more. Rachel holds her Master's Degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and her Bachelor's Degree in Human Development from Cornell University.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! First, please tell us what brought you to this specific career path?

My career path — Organization Development with a focus on crafting workplace success — was inspired by a recognition that we spend a significant percentage of our lifetimes working, and the belief that we all deserve to connect, succeed and thrive on our own terms.

Can you share the most interesting or funny story that happened to you since you started this career and what lesson you learned from that?

A few months ago I was kicking off a leadership offsite with a CEO and his team. The group was very serious at the outset, but in order for us to achieve our objectives, I needed the group to loosen up, and be willing to engage and experiment.