Someone recently asked me for my secret to making a good hire and attracting talented employees. I had to admit that I’ve never considered myself particularly skilled at hiring, even though I’ve made some stellar hires – if I do say so myself – so I had to dig deep for some executive coaching advice. But it came pretty quickly.
If you want to hire very talented people, BE talented. If you want to hire go-getters and innovators, BE go-getting and innovative. If you want people to think outside the box, don’t sit in your box.
Why? People like to work with and for people they like and aspire to be like. And these are qualities that many people can talk about but only those who really get it can demonstrate enthusiasm for it. When you are like this and others know it, they will send you the best and the brightest.
One other piece of advice: Deliberately look for people smarter than you and who you can learn from. One of my first bosses said it this way: “A people hire A+ people. B people hire C people.” You get a threefer when you hire above your own talent level. You get smarter, your team gets more done and you look like a smart boss for knowing how to put your ego aside and go for talent. So even if you think you’re an A- everyone else thinks you’re an A. Other talented people will notice.
Check out the resources in the InPower Coaching EQ at Work and Soft Skills Research Index.
