Leaders Must Identify, Recruit and Develop Talent
The process of identifying, recruiting, and developing talent creates great value within your organization. First, it creates a viable talent pool - a group of leaders and future leaders that you can rely on to share your vision and values and move the organization forward. On the personal side, the process gives you the ability sharpen your skills in identifying exactly what kind of talent you want to see in the organization. If you are in a constant talent identification mode, you’re going to be ready for the workforce and also keeping up with changing environments.
First, you must identify talent - but the identification starts before you look for the actual people. You must take the time to identify the competencies you’re looking for in potential talent. For example, you can look at competencies that are behavioral, attitudinal, and personal. Behavioral competencies are those that demonstrate the skill and knowledge you’re looking for - they could be skills or knowledge in certain areas that are common to your organization. Attitude and value competencies show a person’s self concept and self-perception, as well as the kind of work each person enjoys or thrives upon. Personal competencies are the traits and motivations that drive each person - these are internal factors that drive outward behavior. Look at all of the competencies shared in your organization - between yourself, your leadership team, and down the line. Once you’ve decided on the common competencies, you’ll be able to readily identify individuals who share them.
But now that you know what you’re looking for, where do you go to find it? The first place is your own network, both personal and business. You probably know people who you’ve thought of as possibilities to bring into your own organization. With your identified competencies, look at these people again and evaluate them. Believe it or not, just living your life can bring you to the identification of potential talent. When you’re interacting in the community, from the local shops and restaurants to community events, look for talent you identify with. Some organizations even provide cards telling a person that they’ve been identified as someone you want to work with. Campus recruiting is also a good way to go - you can always farm talent from the growing number of new graduates.
Recruiting is the most difficult part of the process. Your organization must be competitive in its offerings, so you have to find out what motivates your target population. You’ve identified your competencies, so which of those can be translated into a benefit of working for your organization? Money is always important, so be sure to look for industry wide salary trends and try to compete with them. But recruiting goes far beyond money - does your organization offer a flexible schedule, a relaxed working environment, or other non-tangible benefits? Think about the people with the competencies you’ve identified - and make your organization competitive by putting yourself in potential talent’s shoes.
Popularity: 14% [?]


