Recruiting and coaching are two of the most critical responsibilities of a leader. Your team’s success heavily depends on the talent you bring on board and how you help them continuously improve. As an executive leadership coach, I will share with you the vital steps every leader needs to ensure that their hires are the best-fit candidates who will ultimately contribute to the team’s growth.
Assume Responsibility: Leaders must take ultimate responsibility for recruiting and coaching within their teams. While talent acquisition teams are valuable, leaders should actively participate in defining talent requirements and aligning with recruiters to ensure the right candidates are brought in.
Recognize the Cost of Poor Hiring: Forbes reports that a staggering 80% of employee turnover results from poor hiring decisions. This not only affects team dynamics but also impacts the company’s bottom line, costing organizations up to 1.5 times an employee’s annual salary. Leaders need to understand that hiring decisions have financial consequences.
Move Beyond Gut Feeling: While trusting your instincts is valuable, combining them with a structured talent formula is essential for effective hiring. This formula includes evaluating four critical aspects: drive, values, skills, and habits.
Hire for Drive: Drive refers to a person’s inner motivation and determination to achieve. Leaders should hire individuals who are intrinsically motivated and committed to achieving results. It’s challenging to develop drive later in life, so leaders should focus on hiring for it.
Align with Values: Values play a crucial role in team cohesion. Leaders must ensure that a candidate’s values align with those of the organization or team. Values alignment leads to engaged employees who are 51 times more likely to be committed to their work.
Assess Skills and Coachability: While hiring for attitude and training for skill is a common practice, leaders should also consider hiring individuals with relevant skills. One non-negotiable skill is coachability, as it determines a person’s willingness to learn and develop.
Evaluate Habits: Habits are a strong indicator of consistent performance. Leaders should ask candidates about their habits, both positive and negative, as they can significantly impact their success within the organization.
Recruiting the right talent is a critical aspect of leadership. By assuming responsibility, recognizing the cost of poor hiring, moving beyond gut feelings, hiring for drive, aligning with values, assessing skills and coachability, and evaluating habits, leaders can ensure they bring in candidates who will contribute to their team’s success.
Lead From Within: Recruiting is not just a task; it’s a leadership responsibility. By mastering the art of hiring the right talent, you can lead your team to greatness and secure your organization’s future success.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.