You know by now that we love using Jay R. Galbraith’s Star Model ™ as a simple, practical framework to help our clients keep their businesses aligned and humming across key areas: strategy, structure, process, and rewards (click the links to read our posts about these four important topics).
Today, we’re digging into the fifth area: your people practices. Specifically, we’ll be exploring why it’s critical to ensure you have the talent, skills, and experience on your team to achieve your goals and strategy, whether you’re recruiting for talent or developing the talent from within.
Recruiting for talent
Strategy #1: Assess candidates based on strategic business goals
When you’re considering prospective hires or making org chart decisions within the company, it’s essential to make decisions that support the structure of the business.
For both new and current employees, when leaders think beyond daily work and tasks to the broader strategies and goals, it’s easier to align people’s roles with their strengths and experience.
Here’s the good news. If you have been following the steps outlined in the previous blog, you have already done this. Review the information in the blog on structure. Now it’s building on that work to identify the specific skills and experiences you need to accomplish those roles.
(Read this blog to learn 4 Strategies to Save Time and Money By Hiring Right, Even In a Tough Market)
Strategy #2: Make the most of the interview
A job interview is both an extension and a reflection of your business. Even if you only have one candidate, use the interview time to demonstrate the values and expectations you have for everyone on the team. Think of it as an opportunity to “show” rather than “tell” what’s important to you and the company. For example:
- When you show up on time with a list of behavioral-based questions inspired by the candidate’s resume or application, you SHOW core values like punctuality, preparation, and initiative.
- When you ask questions about how a person solved an actual challenge, you SHOW you care about real responses, not idealized hypotheticals.
- When you smile, make eye contact, and listen carefully, you SHOW your values around respect, courtesy, and customer service.
(Read more reasons to never skip the interview: Why In-Depth Interviews Matter, Even During the “Great Resignation”
Strategy #3: Give your leaders the skills to pick strong candidates
The onus is on your top people to both spot great potential employees and to develop their skills once they’re on the team. It’s a big ask. Do your leaders have the skills they need to succeed? If they’re not there yet, take heart. Great leaders are made, not born, and programs like the People Spark Two-Week Intensive focused on effective interviewing provide a clear, repeatable process for screening and selecting the right people.
(Click here to learn more about our fast, effective approach to powering up interviewing skills.)
Developing your talent
Leaders and managers need to be able to spot and assess strong candidates based on the business strategy AND spot and develop strong talent within the business. What skills and experiences do your current team members need to be successful in the roles you identified?
While this applies to all team members, the most critical place to start is developing your leaders and managers. Leaders and managers need the skills and tools to develop and build talent within the business. You can’t have one without the other.
Also, your leaders and managers have the biggest impact on whether your team members stay or go. You may have talented team members that can lead the future of the business, but if they don’t have the right leadership now, they won’t be around for the future.
There are many skills under the leadership umbrella. This is not about developing all these skills in your leaders; that’s overwhelming for you and them. Focus on the most critical skills with the most impact on the business: having effective coaching conversations.
Need guidance about making great hires or keeping your current employees motivated and engaged? Register for our upcoming Two-Week Intensive or email Erin to find out more.