Today, business success is measured in TALENT – the RIGHT talent for the
RIGHT job. Jim Collins said in his book, From Good to Great, "People are
not your most important asset. The right people are. Get the right people
on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the
right seats." No matter what kind of business you are in, having the
right people determines success or failure.
Having the wrong person is like putting a six hundred pound jockey on a
racehorse. No matter how hard you push, you are not going to get that
horse to go any faster. Consider the following story.
George was recruited from another company and just took over as your
Sales Manager. He had never been a Sales Manager before, but he had
impeccable credentials and his resume listed an impressive track record
including great references. He was a likeable guy, sociable, and seemed
like a perfect fit for the Sales Manager's job.
However, after the first two months, sales started dropping. Two sales
people whom George supervised quit. They complained he was not
communicating and was slow in responding to their requests. George was
the first one out the door each evening. Customers began complaining that
no one was returning calls. What went wrong?
People are not cut out for every job. Past experience is not a predictor
of future success. Putting the wrong person in a job is going to generate
employee turnover, poor performance, missed business opportunities, lost
sales, unhappy customers, and increased costs.
The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Each job requires a unique set of motivations, competencies, and talents.
To reiterate what Jim Collins said, "Get the right people in the right
seat." Obsolete hiring practices including poorly trained interviewers
don't help the situation. The reasons traditional hiring practices are
not working include:
-Failure to detect motivational fit with job
-Applicants "exaggerate" to get a job
-Relying on past experience as an indicator of success
-Legal liability
-Most interviewers are not properly trained to interview applicants
-Hiring decisions made by intuition, not fact
Each person brings their own set of unique skills, talents, and
competencies to the job. The trouble is most organizations fall short in
matching the job with the individual. Businesses have not analyzed what
it takes to be successful in each job. Just like George, he may have
been a good sales person, but was a failure as a Sales Managers.
Consider one financial institution that reduced turnover in their CSR
positions by 32% by benchmarking the personality traits and motivations
of their most successful CSR's. This saved them millions of dollars in
turnover costs each year.
So what is the answer?
Businesses today face a shrinking talent pool. Employers are seeking
better ways to accurately assess, develop, and retain top talent. Most
people realize resumes and job applications cannot be trusted. Job
interviewing is important, but has its limitations. More and more
organizations are taking the next step.
If traditional hiring practices are not producing winners, you might
consider taking the next step. Back in the late '90s, only 5 percent of
Fortune 500 companies used some type of assessment. Today, that figure
has climbed to 65 percent. A year 2000 study by the American Management
Association showed nearly half of 1,085 employers polled use at least one
assessment in their interviewing process.
Not all assessments are the same. There are a variety of assessments to
choose from. Some measure the honesty and integrity of the applicant.
Other assessments measure sales skills and determine if the candidate
will make a good salesperson. Another measures the ability to
communicate and how well the person can connect with their team.
Hiring consultants can advise you on the best assessment and strategy for
your situation. By implementing a structured hiring process coupled with
assessments or profiles will increase your chances of finding the RIGHT
person for the RIGHT Job.
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Greg Smith is the CEO and founder of Chart Your Course International
located in Atlanta, Georgia. He helps organizations recruit, hire, and
retain talented people. As a business growth consultant, he has helped
business owners reduce turnover, increase sales, deliver better customer
service, and reach long-term prosperity. He is a former examiner for the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award as well as being selected by the
Human Resource Executive Magazine as one of the nation's "Top-Ten Rising
Stars" in Human Resource Management. He has authored eight books
including Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Transforming Your Workforce from
High-Turnover to High-Retention. For more information, visit
http://www.behaviorprofile.com or call (800) 821-2487 or (770) 860-9464.
