How to Hire the Best Talent

The most exceptional hires I've made were often the ones I least expected.

In your own experience, look at your top talent; you may see this for yourself.

But how to hire the crème de la crème of talent. A company without talent is like a bicycle without wheels - it might look nice, but it's not getting you anywhere.

I can already hear your thoughts. "Oh... Another article on hiring. Yay..." But I'm about to dish out some genuine insight and hopefully meaningful tidbits on this well-trodden topic.

When I was in film school I was always fascinated by talent. One of the aspects that made filmmaking so attractive to me was identifying, recruiting, and working with top talent to produce a story. To me, that was the best job ever! (I'm oversimplifying it here, but you get it).

Fast forward to the past decade and a bit of my career, and I have realized why I enjoy working with and for extraordinary talent both on my fantastic team and the incredible people that are our clients and candidates. I always kept in touch with what matters most: the search for talent to create something magical.

Now, I have learned my lesson many times, but when it comes to talent, the point isn't to never repeat the same mistake again. After all, we are not psychics and don't know when someone walks into our personal or professional life what they will be like.

Two identical resumes are two very different people.

Therefore, I've put together some ways I have found to be helpful when looking to hire:

1. Focus on passion and curiosity, not just skills

Skills are fabulous. They're the cherry on top of a sundae. But let me tell you, passion and curiosity are the actual ice cream. They're the driving forces that keep an employee engaged, evolving, and contributing to your company's triumphs. So, when perusing resumes, focus on something other than the laundry list of qualifications. Instead, hunt for that twinkle of passion and curiosity in the candidate's history and interview responses.

2. Pay attention to cultural fit

This might be a familiar tune, but I'll play it again for good measure: cultural fit is crucial! Picture trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from different boxes. It won't work. Your new recruit must gel with your team, embody your values, and harmonize with your workplace environment. Embrace this mantra: "Hire for attitude, train for skill." (If you can't train for skill, then you may have to hire for both! but attitude is more important)

3. Make it a two-way street

All right, you're quite the hotshot, and you want the best of the best on your team. But let's be honest; the talent you're pursuing has choices. That's why you must showcase your company as much as they need to prove themselves. Ensure your job postings and interviews highlight your company's particular perks and culture, and don't hesitate to give applicants a sneak peek of the excitement they can expect if they join your ranks.

4. Truly commit to diversity

Diversity is more than a fashionable term; it's the secret ingredient to a flourishing, inventive workplace. Bringing people with varying backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences on board sparks creativity, expands your company's collective wisdom, and makes your team more dynamic. So, broaden your talent pool and watch the wonders unfold.

5. Balance intuition with data

Intuition has merits, but when hiring, you need to support your gut feelings with quantifiable data. That's what I was referring to earlier; you learn through patterns of decisions. So the best is to keep going! Use evaluations, tests, and analytics to help you make educated choices about who to hire. Remember that data should guide your decisions, not rule them.

6. Keep the conversation going

Congratulations! You've discovered your ideal candidate, and they've accepted your offer. However, the adventure continues. Follow up with regular check-ins, feedback, and support to ensure your new employee feels welcomed, appreciated, and eager to excel in their new position.

Equipped with this knowledge, you're prepared to transform your company into a talent powerhouse.?

Thanks for reading; if you found this insightful - please share, like, or comment! I'd love to hear what you think is the key to hiring the best talent!

-Sadiar