We will continue our earlier discussion on key lessons that can be gleaned from the world of football. Football is a globally accepted sport that easily translates to a multi-trillion dollar industry with multiplier effects and value chains spread across the sportswear, fashion, gaming, hospitality, tourism, entertainment industries and many others. Here are a few additional lessons from the round leather game:
- Talent identification: Whilst there is a common saying that "a gold fish has no hiding place", it typically generates more value to find and "strike gold" in its early stages when its optimal value is not yet known to the general public. Leverage can be gained when talent is spotted early. In the corporate world, many companies run entry level graduate and management trainee programmes to turn early identified talent to future stars. Some of the great names in football like Neymar, Messi and Mbappe were spotted early. Big clubs are known to have an array of talent scouts to make this possible. There is such a thing as spotting talent and seeing the future potentials in rough diamonds that many others may not see. This also requires leadership, belief and creating enabling opportunities. Are you ready to take a chance on talent? The answer to that question can set you apart from others in your space.
- Succession planning: Efficiency is gained through continuity. Years ago, within Spanish and Italian football, there were two attacking front threes seen in Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi (who all played for Napoli) and Juan Mata, David Silva and David Villa (who all played for Valencia) that brought glory and attention to their clubs. However, years after, their clubs no longer hold the appeal they used to have as succession planning to ensure continuous supply of talent has not happened as it should. Talent has a life span. Succession ensures that the organization has steady supply of talent to drive and sustain performance at desired levels. No wonder there is such a thing as talent pipeline.
- Candidate experience: As much as potential employers are interviewing potential candidates, on the other side of the divide, candidates are also interviewing the employers as well to decide whether they want to join them. That buttreses the need for a positive candidate experience. Some players were attracted based on the pull of the hiring manager such as Jose Mourinho (who was Manager at Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (Chelsea, Derby County, Everton) and Xavi Hernandes (Barcelona). Some others were impressed by the owners such as Roman Abramovich (former owner of Chelsea FC) or football legends such as Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) for instance. Who the candidates get to meet, how these company representatives conduct themselves during the interview process and the impressions they make can play a huge factor in determining whether the candidate will be interested or eventually join the company.
- Employer branding: Even for a lesser fee or wage, some players will jump at the opportunity to sign for some clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich because of the positive brand that those clubs portray in the market. It could be the communication of the club's rich history, decades of sporting achievements, profile of the coaches and players or the allure of winning laurels with them. What feeling does your company generate among potential candidates? That can play a huge role in whether they want to join or not or even start a conversation.
- Diversity/divergence of rewards: Whilst it is true that structured organizations usually have a compensation band (made up of lower and higher end compensation) for earmarked roles, when a unique talent is spotted, a lot of companies are willing to break that band to attract them. In this sense, compensation is also driven by communicated or percieved value of what the potential candidate has to offer. For instance, living football legends, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in their thirties but still command high wages. It is a question of value for value. People are not just paid wages, they earn them. People are not just promoted, their results justify it. When you see someone with seemingly the same qualifications or length of experience earning much higher, take a spotlight into their contributions and their results. That may just be where the difference is.
- Career Support Series: I have run 2 free Career Support sessions on Saturdays on Twitter Spaces:?https://twitter.com/KAkintobi?on topics such as?"Getting your dream job"?and?"Interview Tips: How to make a good impression".?"Job Search Tips from a Recruiter"?will be discussed on Saturday, August 6, 2022 by 7.30 p.m. and presents another opportunity to learn and discuss. To join the session, click the link:?https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1BdGYwrzAAyxX?s=20
- Books on Career: To get your copy of the?"Choosing a Career E-Book" @ N1,500 or the?"Proven Career Principles from Joseph E-Book" @ N1,000, you can visit:?https://kehindeakintobi.selar.co/
