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The secret to hiring outstanding talent

Kelly White

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When it comes to hiring, one of the most common blunders companies make involves picking a candidate who does not fit the firm or the position. This can be an extremely costly mistake. There are several reasons why companies hire the wrong person, one of the most common being the lack of a consistent way to assess candidates during the hiring process.

Many companies fail to identify the characteristics required for someone to perform the job at an above-average level. Implementing a process to identify and gather this data during the hiring process and evaluate candidates using it will set companies up for hiring success.

A proven way to do this involves creating what is called a Talent Profile, a multifaceted approach to determining the traits a candidate must have to fit a position. It provides an organized way to define traits and qualifications great candidates need before interviews start. 

The Talent Profile is different from a job description. Instead of describing a position’s duties, it identifies the characteristics of the person who would best perform those activities. It reduces the subjectiveness of the hiring process by defining the specific characteristics that must be present to set one candidate apart from the rest.

Utilizing the Talent Profile, hiring managers can create a narrative and list of characteristics to match the information they gather on candidates to assess the best matches and those who should make it to a final selection. The Talent Profile can also help hiring managers identify red flags, characteristics that could lead to a bad hire.

The Talent Profile is composed of the following elements:

  • The Top Five

  • And the TALENT checklist

The Top Five

The Top Five includes two lists: a list of the top five characteristics a candidate must have to be considered for the position, and the top five characteristics you want to avoid in a potential candidate.

The TALENT Checklist

The TALENT checklist provides a useful acronym in building out the Talent Profile. The checklist has the following components:

  • Training: What type of training does a successful candidate need to have?

  • Attitudes: What attitudes are important in this position?

  • Leadership Ability: Will this position be responsible for managing people? If so, what leadership qualities are important?

  • Experience: What type of job experience do they need to have? How many years?

  • Natural Behavior: What behavioral style is bested suited for this position?

  • Truths: What values are important to this position?

Once a company has built the Talent Profile for a specific role, hiring managers can begin to generate candidates and then assess them using with it in the interview process.

Takeaway

Developing a Talent Profile ensures that hiring managers can find the best candidates, evaluate which of them are the best fit with more grounded, consistent assessments and ultimately hire talented employees.

To discuss your hiring or job search needs, click here to schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation session with the T3 Talent team.