The
"Always-On Search" for Talent
By
Deanna MacDougal
Building
a top corporate team is a lot like running a sports
franchise. You should be looking for ways to improve
your team and maintain your competitive advantage even
when you're not technically looking to add a new player
to your company's roster. Smart sports teams call this
"scouting"; smart companies call this the
"always-on search" for talent.
Scouting
for top talent is imperative in today's talent-starved
market. This allows your company to hire with comparison
and confidence when it's time to add a new individual
to your team. This also becomes your company's contingency
plan for when you need to fill a position fast. The
point of the "always-on search" for
talent is to not be scrambling to find someone
new when the need arises.
So,
how does a company engage in an "always-on
search" for talent? Here are three simple
steps:
1.
Conceptualize
Having
a pulse on your company's current or future hiring needs
is a good way to ensure that these requirements are
met when it's time to hire. Therefore, take a look at
your company's teams and note their strengths, weaknesses
and vulnerability to change and turnover. Then think
about the kind of employee you'd need to bring on board
to improve your teams' performance. What you'll end
up with is a wish list of personal skills, qualifications
and experience that becomes your standard against which
you can later judge all potential candidates. There
is no such thing as a "Wayne Gretzky," a perfect
candidate, but having a list of criteria can bring you
that much closer to finding the right team player.
2.
Define 'FIT'
Once
you've defined your candidate requirements, the next
step is to figure out how well the potential candidate
will 'FIT' in your company. This requires mapping out
both sides of the interview process ahead of time with
the insightful questions and desired responses in mind
to properly evaluate potential candidates. Apart from
aligning their skills and qualifications with your role,
you may also want to know how they spend their time
outside of the office or what they like and dislike
about their current job. Part of predefining your perfect
'FIT' comes from your responsibility to protect the
integrity of your company's corporate culture. All it
takes is one employee to disrupt this delicate balance
of values and goals at your company, and unfortunately
an 'unFIT' hire can dislodge top performers.
3.
Predetermine pay
Salary
should be the last of your concerns when it comes to
searching for top talent, but it's something to be considered.
You want to ensure you're getting top quality and value
for each compensation dollar spent on hiring new employees.
Salary capping and employee equity are critical. Therefore,
it's a good idea to set salary ranges for your "always-on
search" strategy. Not only does a candidate's
experience need to match your job specs, but his or
her asking price needs to match your company's internal
equity. And if you maintain an ongoing relationship
with a search firm, you can ask your search consultant
for sage advice when it comes to compensation levels.
A search partner will have insight on the candidate
market and can provide appropriate advice regarding
salary bands for new employees.
It's
redundant, but it's worth repeating nonetheless - the
key to the "always-on search" for
talent is to be continuously on the lookout for ways
to improve your company's teams. A big part of this
strategy includes being prepared for the hiring process
even before it's time to bring new team members on board
- just like in sports, proper evaluation affords better
understanding of your players' skills and weaknesses.
Knowing what you want in a new hire is the most important
element in any search! That's how smart companies are
able to fill their positions with talented people. After
all, if you don't know what you're looking for, then
you'll never find it.
-
Deanna MacDougal, Partner, specializes in recruiting
for the consumer goods and services marketplace. She
believes in helping people build successful careers
so they can achieve their personal end goals. [full
bio...]
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IQ
Insight is published by IQ
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hire less and retain more. Our services include
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