What to Look for in a Candidate

As an executive recruiter, one of the first things I typically ask an employer at the beginning of a search process is: “what are some of the traits, skills, and experience that you are looking for in a potential candidate?” Although some managers are assisted by a few probing questions in order to articulate the laundry list of ideas on their wish list, most are able to give a general description of either an individual who has been successful in the past, or their dream candidate.

I wanted to write this blog to give some concrete strategies on how to go about finding the best possible talent in a time where every employee needs to prove themselves quickly in order to justify their position, and every employer needs to justify their expenditures.

Of course, we at Pinnacle would love to assist with you with this process. Even with current high unemployment, top level talent will be interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. There will be competition to employ these star performers. Pinnacle acting as your advocate and adviser can assist in making this as efficient and successful of a process as you’d hope it would be.

I hope you find the following helpful and look forward to your feedback.

David Lammert

The Search:

Whether your company has an opening or not, the best managers always have their eyes open for fresh talent. You will want to establish a base profile for the positions that report to you. Have clear expectations about what you are looking for in a candidate for each of these positions. The “I’ll know when I see it approach” is really nothing more than a guess.

If not already implemented, also begin the process of using an objective employee review process so that you can evaluate the talent you have – skills that are required, responsibilities of the role, and action plans if the current individual has deficiencies. If there are deficient employees, try your best to get them on the right track, but spend some time thinking about where problems are stemming from in order to try to avoid the same issues in the future.

Compensation:

Take some time to review the compensation plans for your direct reports. Compensation plans can be a curse for a company if the wrong behaviors are rewarded by the plan. Take some time to meet with Human Resources to see if there are areas of a plan that can be improved. Find out their approach for developing the right compensation plan for the company. See how they determine which behaviors to reward, when, and how. Give your input on what changes or additions might encourage your team.

Take the time to conduct a market analysis to see if the compensation plans for your direct reports are in line not only with your industry, but also for the level of talent which you are seeking. Champagne taste on a beer budget when hiring will only lead to disappointment.

Skill development:

All managers should look at having a skill development plan for their team. How will you as a manager inspire the overachievers to continue to overachieve? How will you manage the underperformers and lead them to either perform or deselect from the company? Decide how you will be a leader for your current team members and those yet to join. Leadership skills and retention work hand-in-hand. Strong leaders keep their strong players on the team for the long haul.

Cultural Fit:

Spend some time coming up with the cultural motto of your company and determine how best to articulate it. Being able to honestly describe this important component of the job will be critical for potential employees. You’ll want to share this aspect with them to make sure that the environment that they will be working in will be cohesive with their personality.

An onboarding program developed by Human Resources with input from your department is crucial. The program should begin day one and is vital to long term performance and retention.