Relay Race & Talent Acquisition

One of the biggest challenges companies worldwide are grappling with is hiring and nurturing talent capable of managing and growing the business in the complex operating environment that we live in.?The question that keeps most CEOs awake is how we are going to grow and who will take us there.

Why are companies facing difficulties in attracting a crack team of people who could build the business to a new level with stability and predictability with medium and long-term thinking? Leadership will have to realise that people who took a company from level 1 to level 2 may not be able to take the company from level 2 to level 3.?

Thinking of new ideas, and new innovative way of growing and winning in the marketplace requires different levels of preparedness and attitudes. Imagine a relay race, a track and field event and compare it with running and winning in the marketplace.

Adopting a proper strategy to win the race is very important along with the skill and speed that is expected out of each runner, in winning the race. Thus selecting each runner for different skill sets becomes extremely important and positioning them as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th runners is a strategic game that when executed well can win gold for the winning team.

Similarly, it becomes essential for companies to continuously keep adapting to these changing environments by selecting and positioning their players who could take them from level 2 to level 3 and from level 3 to level 4.

Having studied some great business leaders, I think one characteristic is common amongst all of them. These leaders were focused on medium to long-term objectives, they continuously took on challenging roles and made it a success through their courage of failing and learning from them. They worked in different geographies which helped them to lead diverse teams. They headed different business units that enabled them to apply cross-learning to make it successful. They worked in different sectors to expand their knowledge.

Compared to a relay race, each player brings a different running experience through each stage of the relay race. The 1st player needs to run as fast as possible to give a headstart to gain time,?the 2nd and 3rd players sustainably build the distance and the 4th runner ensures to reach the finish line by not succumbing to external pressures, referring to the unpredictive environment and uncertainties that business is operating nowadays.

Thus, it becomes a critical function for businesses to find leadership internally or externally who can bring new innovative ideas, and brilliance in execution. To find such leaders companies have to apply different tactics and hiring strategies.?

Selecting each player in a relay race is crucial, you cannot apply the same principles of hiring a 100m, or 200m sprinter when hiring a marathon runner, the same principle applies when hiring for different roles. A successful search begins with a deep understanding of roles, responsibilities and competencies that need to be aligned with the person and professional attributes and the company’s culture and expectations which we execute through our Aligned Acquisition Strategy at Hunters and Skipper.?

"It is more important to reach people who count than to count the people you reach" Anonymous

1 September 2022, Dubai