Taking Time to Build Good Profiles For Your Key Positions
I‘ve recently noticed an upturn in attention to the topic of talent shortages. Newspaper articles are appearing once again; and I came across the results of a first quarter 2009 Manpower Inc. survey that examined the impact of talent shortages on today’s labor markets. Findings from nearly 39,000 employers across 33 countries and territories revealed that 30 percent of employers worldwide are having difficulty filling positions due to the lack of suitable talent available in their markets – a surprising result given the current downturn and the associated high unemployment in many markets!
This quote from Eric Morse, associate dean of programs at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in Canada sums up the potential issue rather well: “Over the course of the recession, a lot of companies took their eye off the labour shortage issue which is just around the corner. If we go back to June-July 2008 the biggest issue companies faced was where to get talent. We have been given a bit of a reprieve that way. But that will be a big issue again.”
Now here’s a thought …. is the problem really a talent shortage?
I read an interesting piece titled: “Selecting Superior Performers Safely Under the Law” from Bill Bonnstetter at Target Training International, Ltd. http://bit.ly/3fqKfb.
Out of 6 barriers to hiring and performance identified in the article, five of the barriers cited relate to lack of an appropriate top performer benchmark for the position to be filled. In essence, biases and a lack of clarity around the actual job requirements result in hires that won’t likely be top performers.
Over the years we’ve seen the benefits of building and using good position profiles
- If the hiring manager and key stakeholders have the same perspective and clear expectations for the position, then the recruiting focus is on finding the right candidate, not debating the job description or whether the position is even needed!
- Without a well designed and complete profile, hiring managers may not recognize top talent when they see it.
- If the profile includes behaviours, attitudes and values, and personal skills required to succeed in the position, candidates can be objectively assessed against them early in the cycle. This reduces the opportunity for personal biases to take over during the interview process.
- When the accountabilities that make the major difference in superior performance are very clear to a new hire and their management, they are more likely to perform like ‘top talent’.
Now, the war for talent isn’t at fever pitch yet. Although 30% of employers globally are having difficulty filling positions, that is down from 40% in 2006. In the U.S. the numbers are 19%, down from 44%.
So, while there is still some slack in the talent system, wouldn’t this be a good time for organizations to create good benchmarks for positions that will need to be filled “asap” in the next year or two?
How sure are you that you’re matching new hires and current talent optimally to their positions?
This is a guest blog entry from Nancy Walker. For more information on position profiling you can reach Nancy at Nwalker@balancedworklife.com.
image courtesy of nathanmac87
