Winners and Losers in the Race for Great Talent

Every organization is in competition with every other organization for great talent whether they are in the same industry or not. It there is one market where we need to be first, it is in the market for talent. If we are first in the market for talent, we will surely be at the top or very near the top in every other metric that matters.

The Search

The challenge is not only finding the best talent available but identifying the diamond in the rough when they are sitting right there in front of us.

We typically search for talent through the creation of job postings that list skills and experiences that we believe are necessary for success on the job. This laundry list of items is usually developed through what managers believe are the baseline knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for success in the position. Applicants that match the listed criteria are then given employment consideration. The chosen few are made to jump through the interview hoops, which are most likely designed to confirm what's on the resume. When it’s all said and done, those who survive the process and land a job are many times those who best match the listed criteria on the job posting. This is usually where the first mistake is made.

The Problem

The problem with the typical hiring process is that it is very limiting and it really does not do a good job of truly uncovering whether the candidate will be successful long-term. Because a candidate has an MBA or an engineering degree and has worked in the industry for X years does not mean they can produce results and meet long-term performance expectations. What it does mean is that they were disciplined enough to obtain a degree and acquire baseline knowledge. It also means that they have experience in the industry, which may indicate they are familiar with the work that needs to be done. However, it does not tell you how motivated, dynamic, creative, team oriented, collaborative, or organizationally focused they are.

While baseline knowledge and experience may be necessary in some professional areas, that knowledge and experience does not guarantee success on the job. Knowledge and experience do not tell us anything about work ethic, teachability, motivation, problem solving skills, team orientation, leadership, mental outlook, attitude, commitment, culture fit, growth mindset, or ethics.

The Challenge

Knowledge and experience are certainly factors that can indicate how quickly someone will get up to speed in a new position. However, they are not indicators of long-term success. It may be a baseline, but for most jobs it is not even a good baseline. Our struggle is figuring out how to uncover whether they possess the characteristics that truly matter most for success on the job, as well as those indicators that will tell us if they have what it takes to help the organization succeed long-term.

What we must remember is that the type of person we need today is not who we will need tomorrow. Therefore, it is the long game that we must focus on when it comes to hiring. If we want to find the best talent, we need to assess the hiring process and design one that is based in a true understanding of the job being done, solid knowledge of the indicators of superior performance, and a clear grasp of the behaviors and motivators that are necessary for long-term success. This is not as easy as one might think, which is one reason why many leaders and hiring managers still rely on traditional hiring methods.

The Approach

If we want the best talent available, we need to focus on what matters most. If you are in the construction industry and you need someone who will do backbreaking physical labor and consistently show up to work, you may want to look in sectors that are historically known for possessing talent with similar behaviors. While it may be nice to have a person with construction experience, it may be more important to find someone who is a workhorse and shows up every day ready, willing, and able to get the job done. This type of person can be taught what they need to know while they are crushing it on the job. It may take a little time to get them up to speed, but the time spent getting their knowledge and experience where it needs to be is much less of an investment than the time and money lost with someone who has experience but is not motivated, has less than stellar work ethic, and is calling off work far too often.

While working the candidate evaluation process, we must do the research necessary to uncover past performance results, past behaviors, and candidate interests. Past behavior is truly an indicator of future behavior. If we find out that the candidate has always achieved excellent results in every position they've held, has a history of giving it their all, places the company first, is a positive leader, and shares a passion in their personal life that is related to the work they will be doing, odds are they are going to be a great hire.

Therefore, we need to ask questions in the interview process that uncover who they really are and cut through who it is they want you to believe they are. For example, if we are hiring a dietitian or fitness trainer, we can look at their lifestyle and try to determine whether they practice what they preach. I would argue that someone who lives their career and models the behavior is going to be more passionate, innovative, and a life-long learner in their chosen field than someone who is passive or simply has a fleeting interest.

It is also important for us to know the behaviors that make for success in similar jobs. By identifying those behaviors, we can create a baseline of questions that will help us uncover similar behaviors within the candidate. For example, by knowing that the most successful people in a job are well organized, strategic in their thinking, systematic in their approach toward the work they do, persistent, self-regulated, and possess the ability to direct and lead, we can focus our questions in the interview process to uncover those behaviors in the person being considered. A resume that lists education and experience is not going to reveal this.

The Result

If we truly want the best, we must do our best in the hiring process. This starts with an understanding of the position, the type of person that is most successful in that position, and the type of person we need to be successful in the future.

Randy Stepp is a principal with Renaissance Leadership Group. RLG is a full-service business development company driven by Purpose, Passion, and Strategy and the goal of helping entrepreneurs realize their vision for their business.

Visit Renaissance Leadership Group at www.renaissanceleadershipgroup.com to learn more.