Finding Top Talent
Separating the best from the rest…
Have you ever wondered why Phil Jackson is the winningest coach in NBA history? Currently Phil has won 10 NBA titles as a coach and two as a player. Have you ever wondered how companies like Google, Dell, Microsoft, and Apple stay on top?
The answer is talent. Phil Jackson won six titles with the Bulls, while coaching the greatest basketball player of all time-Michael Jordan. Phil won his last four championships coaching the best player of the current generation-Kobe Bryant.
In business you must have the talent to support the ideas and goals of your company in order to consistently execute. Without great talent you will never be great in sports or business. Talent is critical to the success of every co-creative experience. So how do you attract talent? How do you find talent? You have to have a talent plan.
In business, a talent plan is synonymous with a recruiting plan. In order to create a recruiting plan, you have to spend a lot of time understanding your business and the people in your business. Specifically, you need to understand who in your organization you would consider to be “great” or the “best”. What makes them the best? How do they think? What are their habits and beliefs?
Next, you realize that the best are already working. They are the best at their current position and it will take a lot more than money, bonuses, etc. to get them to move. Following is what the best are looking for and what will get them to make that move:
Culture - Money isn’t everything and great talent is looking for an environment where they have the support and management to take them to next level to be the best that they can be.
Fit to their lifestyle and dreams – A company that will be more flexible in scheduling to allow for more family time or provide greater flexibility in their work assignments allowing their creativity and input to improve the company’s over-all goals.
Growth - Talented people want to grow and showcase their talents. They are good at what they do and they want to be better. Their goal is typically to be the best that they can be. Growth allows talented individuals the ability to push themselves and take chances.
Freedom – Talented individuals want the freedom to test their ideas and make a greater impact. Allowing talented individuals the freedom to take risks and make mistakes is highly compelling.
So what can you offer to attract great talent? Are you able to provide these key talent attractors? If not, you will not be hiring the best that you can hire. And, if you don’t feel you can offer this you need to start asking yourself what you need to change within yourself and your organization to be able to successfully attract talent.
Now, lets put together your company’s recruiting strategy once you completed your research on attracting and retaining great talent:
Proactively recruit employees – Don’t rely solely on job postings to identify candidates, and don’t wait until your company has a job opening to hire a high-quality employee. Keep a sharp eye open for prospective candidates at industry events, business meetings and other gatherings. Also, ask for candidate referrals from other employees, colleagues and educational institutions.
Thoroughly screen prospective employees upfront – In today’s economy, job postings typically produce a deluge of resumes. As a result, executives must implement the appropriate applicant-assessment systems to weed out weak candidates and ensure that the lion’s share of resources are invested in the right ones from the outset.
Verify a candidate’s experience and background – Gather and review information from various sources; including interviews, background and reference checks, and testing data.
Seize the rare gems – It happens all the time…Employers take too long to make employment offers and end up losing the best candidates to savvier competitors.
Don’t be cheap – Although the employment market is weak, and employers seem to have the advantage, less-qualified candidates usually end up costing more in the long run than those who are better qualified and command higher pay. Hiring the best candidate often results in greater long-term productivity and intellectual capital.
Provide new employees with adequate orientation and training - It is imperative for your company to provide new employees with adequate orientation and training, as well as an understanding of opportunities within your company for career development. Companies that do so have fewer problems with turnover and are comprised of happier, more productive employees.
Develop employee-retention programs – An investment in education, training, corporate retreats and other employee-centered activities can help to foster motivation and loyalty, and instill a stronger work ethic.
Promote from within – The practice of providing employees with opportunities for growth, and helping top performers to move up through the ranks, enables your company to develop a more talented, motivated and energetic team. These practices can help employees to become more productive and committed to your company.
