There is a valuable lesson managers can learn about
recruiting from professional sports. In professional
sports, each change in a team’s line-up makes headlines.
Fans speculate how their team will fare with the loss of
one player or the addition of another. And for coaches,
every change in the line-up is critical, their jobs
frequently hanging in the balance. Each pick, therefore,
is based upon a careful, strategic, selection process.
Moreover, the selection process often begins long before an
actual change. It’s the sports world’s s approach to
succession planning.
The same dynamics should hold true for hiring members of
the organization’s team. Yet too few managers rank
themselves high in selection or interviewing skills. Fewer
still are trained in the skills needed for adequate
succession planning. Many managers, in fact, go to
inordinate lengths to retain mediocre employees rather than
face making changes. And some readily acknowledge that the
person most likely to get a job is not the best person for
the job, but the person best skilled in job hunting
techniques. What’s a manager to do? Learn from the “pros”.
Every day during the year, a professional coach has to
re-assess his team’s ability to win. Every game is a
performance test. When was the last time you evaluated
your team in light or your company’s goals. What changes
do you face? If you know you are going to lose a key
player, or if a key player is not performing, what will
your team look like without him/her? What hidden strengths
and/or weaknesses will emerge with that player out of the
game? What political implications exist that might also
limit team performance? Write down a listing of all the
strengths and weaknesses of the remaining players. What
gaps need to be filled for your team to go on to greater
victories?
Break your list of strengths and weaknesses down into those
that MUST be satisfied if the team is to achieve more. On
a separate sheet, make a list of those remaining items you
would LIKE to acquire or avoid. Your MUST list defines the
skills MANDATORY in any serious job applicant. When you
interview serious contenders, (serious contenders are the
only people you should even consider interviewing) evaluate
their competence in each MUST category. In addition, see
how many of your LIKE items you can satisfy as well. As
you move along in the selection process, make sure to
interview the most likely candidates more than once.
Introduce him/her to the other team members and get
feedback from them. Evaluate the candidate’s enthusiasm for
the job and your company. Given a choice between slightly
stronger qualifications or a contagious enthusiasm, go for
the enthusiasm. (The ‘art’ of most jobs can be learned, a
will to win, however, is often hard to find, produces
extraordinary results and should be encouraged.)Â Check all
references rigorously. If the candidate is internal,
evaluate his/her past history, internal sponsors and
internal “talk” about the candidate. Make sure you provide
for an adequate probationary period, even for the internal
candidate.
When you hire, indoctrinate the new team member warmly and
well. Make the person feel that s/he is now a part of your
team ‘ a team designed for winning. Getting off to a good
start, as any coach will tell you, makes for a potentially
winning season.
—————————————————-
John Reddish works with leaders and top executives who want
to master growth, transition and succession, helping them
to get results faster, less painfully and in ways that work
for them. Author, speaker, consultant and coach/mentor,
John is a member of the NSA And ICF. For booking and
product information:Â http://www.getresults.com . Call
800.726.7985 in the US, internationally – 01.610.388.9335,
or johnr@getresults.com.
Comments on this entry are closed.