there are 3 basic elements.
by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals: practical guidance for today’s accounting firms
we get so hung up on generational labels: baby boomers, gen x, gen y and now gen z. as a result, we ascribe certain characteristics or behaviors to each one – whether fair or not.
more: strengthen your firm’s screening practices | the job interview: a make or break proposition | 10 elements to balancing shareholders’ needs | a leader’s guide to ending entitlement | performance reviews: no need for teeth pulling
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adherence to the labels can cause a hiring manager or an executive to overlook the contributions each cohort can make to an organization. potential stars are overlooked, and the usual reliance on outdated search approaches continues unabated.
those who can provide valuable insight that transforms into top performance should not be subject to inherent biases. all you need to know is that they …
- have the smarts to perform the functions of a particular position.
- have the motivation and drive to do the job well.
- exercise the traits of integrity and trust.
- know how to work in a respectful and collaborative manner.
- function with the mindset of what is best for the firm.
whether it was a boss, peer or subordinate, you can always look back and remember who possessed these traits. and it did not matter to what generation they belonged. what mattered was that these traits were used as elements of a tool for identifying and assessing top talent.
“if you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.” – red adair
a new model for talent assessment
in today’s competitive market for talent, senior management is tasked with filling positions with people who can further the mission and goals of the firm. despite all the critical financial, operational and strategic decisions a leader must make, selecting talent offers the least guidance. it is certainly not intuitive and involves a thought process that is very rarely used.
think about it. you have to fill a mid-level position, such as a supervisor or manager; one that may be a few rungs lower on a ladder that can eventually lead to partner. the usual thinking is to frame your search to attract those whose thinking, work style, personality and approach to decision making are aligned with yours. often this can solve the job search. other times, there will be a need to attract those whose thinking, while not in alignment with yours, can certainly be complementary and leveraged for the right purposes.
consider the issue of personality. you may be an extroverted leader who enjoys stimulating and thought-provoking conversations. well, the finance person you are looking for may not share the same traits. it is okay if an immediate connection is not made. on the other hand, you may meet someone whose demeanor is a mirror image of yours, but who may lack some of your skills. this, too, is okay. a person’s behavior and personality are apparent immediately. the one unknown – which appears later – is the ability to do the job. you need a starting point to begin to form judgments about a candidate.
so, what’s talent?
talent has three basic elements: 1) aptitude to perform the role, 2) appropriate behaviors important to become successful in the job and 3) required experience to excel in the position.
aptitude, by definition, means a natural ability to do something and a suitability or fitness for something. this can be seen in the ability to think strategically and speak articulately. it may also include the ability to work with numbers (e.g., budget development, p&l analysis) if the position will have a financial or operational responsibility. in fast-moving firms, change is the one constant. if learning and honing new skills is necessary to take on new roles, then you need to find people with such an aptitude.
behavior has become more important as we read about work environments becoming more toxic. morals and integrity are touchstones of proper behavior.
experience is the easiest to detect early on. besides the resume, you can assess this from a face-to-face meeting, as well as from the opinions from a candidate’s references. a note of caution: prior positive performance is one thing; it is no guarantor of future success. sometimes, experience can be underemphasized because of other factors; other times, it can be overemphasized to the detriment of other attributes.
deliberate and decide
during the course of a phone or in-person interview, another factor may come into play: attitude. external events, health, moods or other factors can have unintended consequences in how a person comes across to you in a discussion.
attitude impacts the way the person thinks, feels and acts, and it can easily force you into a decision not to hire unless you can employ a deliberate approach to uncover hidden issues. contrast this with the concept of aptitude. a litmus test is to consider whether harmful consequences will befall the person if he or she attempts to complete a task. if yes, it is an aptitude issue. however, if the person has done a similar task in the past but does not want to do it now, it is an attitude problem. in the middle is the situation where the individual has never done such a task at a certain level but demonstrates competence in a similar situation. providing the necessary training may be all that is required. aptitude you can correct; a bad attitude may be corrected, especially if the person senses that it can have a negative impact on one’s career.
you can’t coach someone to demonstrate a better attitude as evidenced by a strong drive, reliability, morals or ethics. similarly, you can’t mentor an individual to gain more talent or intelligence. the person starts his or her first day with certain arrows in his or her quiver, so if you notice certain arrows missing, you must decide to work around the deficiencies or end the relationship before too much time has passed – both for you and the new hire.
if you notice your direct reports simply lack experience or certain behaviors, your coaching and the right kind of experience can make all the difference. if they have trouble with people, managerial, technical, presentation or writing skills, you can provide the necessary training. sometimes you can provide the guidance yourself or better yet, delegate it to someone in the leadership group who has experience in coaching or mentoring. other times, you can arrange training or provide personal experiences to develop the individual. in most cases, if the person shows potential, you can be optimistic he or she will improve with the right training and experience, provided the talent to learn already exists.
no generation has a monopoly on talent
certainly, circumstances blend in a way to provide unique knowledge and experience for each generation (e.g., technology for the millennials, leadership for the baby boomers), but true talent with its attendant elements should be age- and generation-agnostic.
choosing people haphazardly because of urgent needs will cost you much more in the long run. as managing partner or one who is part of the leadership team who must decide on human assets, carefully consider (in equal measures) the elements of aptitude, behavior and experience – not age or cohort – and you will effectively attract and retain the best people for your firm as you continue to strive for long-term success.