It’s easier to retain employees who feel their talents are aligned with their work. Companies can do more to foster this process. People who are hired as a good fit from the beginning are more likely to stay in the long run.
Any executive knows the success of the business ultimately depends on the quality of employee talent. But finding the best talent is a challenge.
Too many companies waste time, energy and money on hiring strategies that don’t pay off in the long run. Some hiring managers make impulsive decisions, desperate to get a job filled quickly. Others wait too long, hoping to find the perfect candidate. By then, the company goals, needs, structure or environment may have changed.
Superstars are few and far between in organisations, typically less than 5% of the employee population. They’re small in number, but pull much weight in the business. Companies would like to find more stars and weed-out poor performers.
Think about it. How much time are you spending on helping weaker employees improve performance as opposed to helping stronger employees leverage success? How much time are you spending trying to fix a problem instead of building strength? The more superstars you have, the more you can focus on the leadership and business management issues you really need to or should address.
Where are the superstars hiding?
Some may be hidden in your own organisation just waiting to shine. Others you’ll need to attract from outside.
So where do you start? Organisations often instinctively focus on hiring tactics: running ads, posting openings, enlisting recruitment agencies, etc. But they’ve missed a critical step in the process: being very clear about the skills and capabilities required for a particular job.
“But we have a job description.” The job description typically outlines the job duties or responsibilities, but it doesn’t state the skills or attributes that are most critical to success.
In fact, if you were to gather a room full of people who hold the same job (e.g., sales representative or branch manager or customer service representative), they would have difficulty agreeing on the skill that is the most important to that particular job.
What is a superstar?
Some may believe that self accountability is most important, while others see decision-making, problem solving or interpersonal skills as most important. They can’t help imposing their own biases or experiences. Each person views the job through a different lens.
When determining what a “superstar” looks like in your business, don’t be limited by the people you currently employ. Too many organisations make the mistake of trying to set job performance standards based on the performance of their strongest internal people. Get ideas from other companies, even other industries.
Stretch your thinking. The ideal superstar may not resemble anyone in your business at the moment. Raise the bar. If you raise expectations, people will often rise to the occasion.
Be careful about making subjective decisions. Keep in mind a superstar in one job will look completely different from a superstar in another job. It’s tempting to select a candidate you like, but it’s more important to select a candidate based on what’s most important for the job.
Reaching agreement
Here is a suggested process to help you identify star potential:
- Determine key accountabilities for the job Not the “to-do” types of responsibilities, but the main outcomes the person in the job is expected to achieve. Do this as a first step.
- Project the needs of the business into the future Don’t ask, “What do we need right now?”. Ask, “What will the role look like 3-5 years from now?”. Forward-thinking companies keep a more long-term focus.
- Establish a job benchmarkGain input from multiple stakeholders, not just those currently in the role. Consider involving supervisors for people in the job being benchmarked or other employees who interface with people in that job.
- Use assessment toolsQuick surveys and benchmarking assessment tools can aid the process. The benchmark should reflect the most important skills, behaviours and motivators required for the job.
The key is reaching agreement on these issues at the beginning and being able to speak about what you ultimately want for the position in a common language that everyone understands.
With a benchmark established, you can ask candidates to take an assessment which will help you measure their strengths and skills against it. Of course, this is only part of the process. You’ll also need to consider their background, experience and interview impression.
A common lens
When everyone sees the same picture, you’ll see star potential more clearly and you’ll make more confident hiring decisions. You’ll stop crossing your fingers hoping the new person will perform well. Instead you will predict success.
Being clear about the skills required for the job also helps employees focus their development efforts. You can help would-be stars develop specific skill sets for them to be most successful in a given position. They’ll see a potential path for themselves and engage in their own growth.
Guest Author:
Gayle Lantz, President of WorkMatters, has helped hundreds of companies and organisations just like yours improve performance and drive real results. She is also author of ‘Take the Bull by the Horns: The Busy Leader’s Action Guide to Growing Your Business…and Yourself’.
CEO People Management 