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We are all looking for high performers for our businesses all the time. I am, and my clients are.
In every conversation with clients, they talk about seeking high performers and their quest in trying to find them. Sometimes, this conversation feels like an unfillable cup or a journey that never ends. The challenge of finding high performers makes me wonder: if the search to find a high performer is like the search to find the “perfect” partner?
The best advice I give these clients is to pause before they begin recruiting for a role and clearly define what high performance looks like in the role.
Sometimes it helps to define what it looks like to have poor, or average performance. Knowing what these standards look like may sharpen the image of what high performance looks like in comparison.
Being very specific about what high performance looks like in all facets of the role is important.
Once specific standards are defined, it is helpful to profile the highest performers currently in the role (either in your company or another) and build an image for what the profile is for a potential recruit.
Some good questions to help identify good performers would be:
What skills do they have?
What experience have they had?
What personality traits do they possess?
What are the common denominators across these high performers?
Too often, on impulse, we rush the recruitment process diving in before we have clearly defined for what we are looking.
If we are looking for high performers, I have found it helpful to clearly define “high performance” before I go searching for “high performers”.