Personal Collection Direct Selling, Inc

Kristine Marie N. Policarpio

Who are these “RIGHT TALENTS”?

I’ve been in the profession of recruiting for 18 years now, and never have I come across a company that didn’t concern themselves with finding the right talents. Who wouldn’t when people remain the pillars of success even in this time of digitalization? But who are these “right talents”? How do they think and behave at work? What are the traits and competencies that shape their profile? It seems like hiring managers and recruiters will never get to the bottom of this problem, but the answers to these aren’t completely elusive, only mercurial.

Once, I wondered if it’s sensible to create the label “right talent” when humans are innately complex and unique, and the characterization of such a profile seems arbitrary. I have eventually realized that the label is not only a sensible concept but a consequential step in ensuring that organizations perform at their optimal level, just like how knowing the right type and brand of butter is crucial to the overall quality of pastries.

Truth be told, there is no cookie-cutter approach to finding the right talent as every organization has their definition of “right”. One can’t be certain even if you are looking at an impressive resume, but the search becomes less cumbersome when it’s preceded by “right” strategies:

Be the RIGHT EMPLOYER

To attract the right talent, the organization must position itself as the “right employer”. Many job seekers appraise employers by researching their culture, vision, mission and reputation. These days, talents seem to gravitate toward companies whose corporate profiles embody stability, growth, inclusivity, diversity and work-life balance. They also look for companies that will serve as conduits for self-actualization, so it’s no surprise why job seekers sign up with employers who they share similar values with.  

Compose the RIGHT JOB DESCRIPTION

Finding the right talent is a collective effort between the hiring and recruiting teams, with the former being responsible for accurately defining job purpose, primary responsibilities, competencies, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Results Areas (KRAs) in the job description. The recruiting team, on the other hand, is responsible for ensuring that ambiguous items in the job description are clarified with the hiring team. In essence, this team sets the groundwork for a seamless recruitment process by simply providing an accurate job description.

“To attract the right talent, the organization must position itself as the ‘right employer’. Many job seekers appraise employers by researching their culture, vision, mission and reputation.”

Identify the RIGHT SOURCE

The internet is teeming with thousands of job portals and compels recruiters to advertise on as many, thinking it would increase their chances of finding the right talent. Although casting a wide net seems commonsensical, it may be counterproductive, especially when searching for niche positions. Sometimes, the right talent isn’t even found on any job portal. It is maybe just under our noses, like a current employee waiting to be recognized, developed and promoted. Analysis of sourced historical data coupled with a heightened awareness of the job market landscape and behaviors will help recruiters discern the best sources to invest money and effort in.

Determine the RIGHT INTERVIEW METHOD and INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

While I’m a long-time practitioner and certified trainer of the DDI Targeted Selection Behavioral Interviewing method, I acknowledge that other methods may also be effective in getting a preview of a candidate's cognitive proficiency, especially when dealing with atypical work scenarios. What’s important is the ability of the interviewer to determine the right method to help the candidate demonstrate one’s skills. It is also important to ask the right questions pertaining to:

• Similarities – People say opposites attract, but similarities make better relationships. Ask questions pertaining to the alignment of values and beliefs.

• Right skills and attitude – There’s a lot of emphasis on attitude to the point that many leaders would recommend prioritizing it over skill. While I agree that having the right attitude gives a candidate the upper hand, I strongly believe that the candidate with the right balance of attitude (motivation and willingness to do the job) and skill (technical competencies) is the right talent. Attitude and skills aren’t mutually exclusive anyway, so the right talent possesses the best of both worlds.  

Use the RIGHT PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENTS and SCORING SYSTEM

Psychometrics is a sub-set in psychology that tackles the measurement of covert human qualities such as personality and mental abilities. The right psychometric assessment has an impressive reliability score and can considerably improve accuracy in identifying talents who will likely succeed in doing the job. Essentially, it boosts the credibility of the recruitment process. Any scientific discipline does. Setting the right passing mark and weight is also equally important to diminish Type II Error (false negative) tendencies. An average score isn’t something to be frowned upon as it indicates the adequacy of skills and knowledge enough to perform a job satisfactorily.

Prepare the RIGHT REMUNERATION PACKAGE

The right talent is cognizant of one’s worth and market value. Thus, organizations need to keep their remuneration packages competitive and at par with current job market rates if they intend to attract the right talents. Compensation remains one of the top motivators for many talents, regardless of how superficial this may sound. At the end of the day, people work to earn and provide for themselves and their families, so compensation may still matter even to self-actualized individuals.

IN A NUTSHELL…

Finding the right talent is just the tip of the iceberg. Behind this success is the collective effort of equally capable internal talents who paved the way for the organization to find the talents that set the course of future actions on the right track.