While absenteeism may be a major source of productivity loss among average workers, the ranks of well-paid executives are sometimes plagued by a much more subtle cancer.

PRESENTeeism.

Presenteeism (pre-zən-tiˈ-ɪzəm) n.  1. The opposite of absenteeism.  2. The act of being present at work when the organization would actually benefit if the employee was absent.  3. Able to introduce catastrophic effects on a company’s output, including but not limited to hidden long-term opportunity costs.

As the term implies, presenteeism causes harm to an organization when employees are AT work…not away from it.

Presenteeism is harder to detect than its “evil twin,” and even more difficult to measure.

Yet the OPPORTUNITY COST of presenteeism for a company can dwarf the impact of missed time from work.

That is because presenteeism can infiltrate every hour of every day…all year long.

Warnings aside, the good news is that your organization (or department) can achieve more impressive results than you thought possible…if you are willing to challenge this hidden thief.

Some Suggestions

First, decide that it’s important to minimize presenteeism, and acknowledge that few initiatives will have a greater ROI for your organization.  (ROI on steroids.)

Second, spend time getting to know what really energizes your key employees. (This should not be done for “show,” however even this exercise can be motivating to those that work for you.)

Third, start from the top by prompting executives to take an assessment or meet with a career coach that will give them objective feedback on their gifts and passion. If there is a better seat for them on the bus, help them find it.

If not, encourage…and even HELP them find a different bus.  Though hard in the short term, this will pay handsome long-term dividends.

Note that how you handle those who volunteer that they may want to get off the bus will be on display for all other passengers.  You have two choices for how to respond.  You can treat them the way YOU would want to be treated (graciously) and experience a small and temporary dip in productivity.

OR you can quickly kick them off the bus – complete with an assault on their loyalty – and push the productivity leaks underground where they will not be seen…but will surely become larger and systemic.  Heck, successful online retailer, Zappos, even PAYS people to get off the bus (*see below).

Finally, launch “The 4th Revolution” at your company. (This is the working title of my book.) From the industrial revolution to the technology revolution, our nation has experienced WAVES of productivity gains that have ushered in untold professional and personal benefits to our country, organizations and individuals.

So launch the 4th revolution within YOUR company…where you leverage the passion and hard-wired behavior of workers (starting with executives), and where you hire and retain them simultaneously for their mind, their muscle…and their HEART!

And while the above are worthy suggestions…an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.”  (HINT: re-read the Zappos story below…and ONLY hire people that are excited about coming to work Monday morning to do what needs to be done.)

Be vigilant about looking for the convergence of people’s God-given abilities, their interests, and their preferred working environment.

In short, let your competitors hire executives with experience and a nice resume, but no passion for the role or industry.

(*Online shoe retailer, Zappos, offers new trainees $3,000 to quit one week into their 4-week training program.  Details can be found in this Business Week article with an update on the amount of the offer in Wikipedia article )

Note: if you are in the process of hiring a key employee or promoting from within and would like some additional “insurance” that you are making the right choice, read the rest of this article, and don’t miss the free offer – a $280 value – at the bottom of the page for a limited number of organizations.

How much will a LeBron or Michael Jordan-caliber executive help your organization???

Their impact will dwarf the results of the next best team member!

But their supply is limited.  If you don’t recognize and secure their employment…you risk losing out to your competition.

Or worse yet, if Mr/Ms. Right thrills your team during interviews and turns out to be Mr. Wrong…you’ve taken two steps back (at least).

So…what lengths do you go to in order to find, assess, attract and retain this kind of talent?

And how do you REALLY know if they in your midst?

Making great, executive-level hires can be a complex mix of art and science.  And no process is foolproof.

That said, there is one simple thing you can do that will go a long way towards minimizing bad hiring decisions and maximize your great ones:

Use a formal, objective “assessment” that uncovers elements of a candidate’s HARD-WIRING that are difficult to surface using standard interview techniques.

Assessments today are fast, easy and inexpensive to administer online, and can be extremely helpful in pinpointing issues to probe at a deeper level during interviews.

If a candidate scores in the 90^th and 95^th percentiles on “control” and “independence” will they necessarily have trouble being 2^nd in command, or operating as a collaborative team member?

Perhaps not.  But the quantitative data exposed in an assessment can reveal areas where you’d be wise to seek supporting evidence.

And every candidate knows the right, “can do” tone to strike when it comes to how they will tackle company goals.  But do scores in the 35^th and 40^th percentiles on “achieving” and “ambition” suggest a different story?

There are a myriad of assessment options to choose from.  Appropriate use of any instrument is likely better than none at all.

But the free offer at the bottom of this article involves an assessment I’ve found to be very accurate and user-friendly in my executive search practice.  (See the offer to learn how a limited number of companies can get a FREE pre-hiring (or pre-promotion) assessment and consultation for a candidate – a total value of $280.)

If for some reason you have an aversion to FORMAL assessments, however, one rudimentary and fun “MacGyver-type” tool that you can use spontaneously at absolutely any time and place is the 4-quadrant method that expert recruiter Lou Adler has written about.  (Seriously, I used it this week in my kitchen with some dinner guests ).

The gist is to draw a horizontal axis (real or imaginary) that represents the speed of decision making.  Label fast and instinctive on the right…slow and deliberate on the left. Those on the right prefer to make fast decisions with limited data. Those on the left are more cautious and would rather ponder a bit, collecting as much information as possible before deciding.

Then draw a vertical axis through the middle of the horizontal axis to create a “+” with 4 distinct quadrants.  The vertical axis represents a focus on people or results. (Label results at the top…people at the bottom.)

Those who are very people-oriented are less concerned with getting things done on time and on budget. They’ll tend to let things slide to ensure that everyone is okay.

Those who are extremely results-focused will be less concerned with the needs of the people involved. They’ll tend to push for results, even if it upsets some of those involved.

As a test, plot yourself and/or others you know well on the horizontal and vertical axes…and see if you think it’s accurate.

Based on where you plot people on these two dimensions, they will fall into one of the four quadrants.  Each quadrant represents a general personality style (see description and graphic below).

Top left = analyst (“technical,” detail-oriented, cautious, methodical, and conservative in their decision making)

Top right = director (hard-charger, dominant, and fast-paced; less sensitive to the needs of others; delivering results is their #1 priority)

Bottom left = diplomat (proudly professes to be a “people person,” strong soft skills, gets along with everyone but sometimes doesn’t get enough done)

Bottom right = influencer (classic sales personality, tends to make instant judgments based on first impressions more than substance)

Near the center of both axes = coach (often flexible and able to exhibit traits from all 4 quadrants as the situation requires)

Each of these general styles has inherent strengths and weaknesses that will impact their fit with the job.  Though this informal “assessment” is not very precise, it can still provide some valuable clues as to where to focus your interview questions.  (It can also predict the weaknesses of your internal interviewing team.)

That said, I’d challenge you not to settle for this shortcut when the investment is so small to use a bona fide assessment that is significantly more exact and comprehensive.

You would likely have to work closely with someone for MONTHS to uncover what a good assessment can reveal in minutes. (Which is precisely why using an assessment will go a long way towards minimizing bad hiring decisions and maximize your great ones.)

To be one of the few organizations to qualify for a free assessment ($95 value) and professional consultation (up to 90 minutes; $185 value), reply to this message and express your interest.

If you are not able to take advantage of this offer now but could envision doing so in the future, let me know and I may be able to reserve an assessment/consultation for you in the future.  You can also forward it to someone else that may be able to benefit immediately.  The package includes:

• Two assessments built into one
  • 4-factor assessment provides a general “photograph” of the candidate’s hard-wiring
  • 6-factor assessment provides a more detailed “MRI” with its 16 sub-factors
• A detailed chart and report that reveals a strikingly accurate perspective of the candidate
• Scores on metrics like action-orientation, organization, resourcefulness, innovation, achievement, ambition, conflict and pace, etc.
• Consultation with me (Scott Kaufman) of up to 90 minutes.  (I have been using this behavioral assessment as an integral part of my executive search practice for 10+ years.)
• Only takes the candidate 25 minutes to complete

Word count: 501; under 2 minutes to read

Beyond some great business authors and books devoted to leadership, one of the enjoyable places to learn about this enduring subject is from real-life stories where true leadership made a huge difference.

Not only between success and failure…but even between life and death.  One such story is in the recently released book titled “The Fourth Fisherman,” by Joe Kissack.  It’s the TRUE story of 3 Mexican fishermen who were lost at sea for 9 months.  They drifted 5500 miles across the Pacific Ocean in a 25 foot, fiberglass boat…and survived on raw fish and rainwater.

I just finished reading this nail-biter.  There are so many fascinating parts to the story: how their faith and the blood of 108 sea turtles sustained them; how uneducated laborers handled the rumor-hungry press from around the world after their rescue; and the author’s own roller coaster journey from hyper “successful” to the pit of despair and miraculous recovery.

I couldn’t help noticing, however, what a subtle but vital role the LEADERSHIP of one of the 3 survivors played.

The long journey started with five men, but ended with three…as two died within weeks.  One who died, Juan, was the “leader.”  At least by TITLE.  As the owner of the boat, he was the captain.

But when their problem shifted on the second day of the trip from recovering equipment that had been lost during a storm to surviving at sea without food or fresh water…he caved.  His stubbornness and pride caused their situation to deteriorate rapidly…and ultimately cost him his life.

Salvador, on the other hand, turned out to be THE man for the job.  Without him…all would have perished.  He was the most prepared on the tiny boat, yet he did not usurp Juan’s authority.

He led with a quiet confidence, by example, and never spoke badly of Juan (despite Juan’s catastrophic mistakes in judgment).  Salvador’s character and leadership style spawned respect and trust…causing the others to WANT to follow.

He first emerged as the de facto leader as Juan was crumbling before their eyes…then as the FORMAL leader after Juan was buried at sea.

Salvador convinced the other men to surrender the outcome to God…while devising and executing the best possible human plan…under circumstances that would be unbearable to most.

Whether to glean leadership principles or for pleasure reading, The Fourth Fisherman is a must read.

To hear a 3-minute recorded summary of the story, see a longer but fascinating video, or to get the book, go the the links below.  (The movie is expected to be completed next year.)

Oh…and by the way, if you’d like to invite Joe to speak to your group, you can send an email to speakerinfo@thefourthfisherman.com.

The book was just released last month, so at this point it’s surprisingly easy to get on his calendar.  I’m fully expecting that to change in the coming months, however, as the demands on Joe’s time increase when The Fourth Fisherman rises to the top of the charts.

3-minute story

Buy the book (zero commission to me )

Full-version video presentation

According to one expert that has conducted 6,500 executive assessments, coached several thousand senior managers and surveyed millions of people, the #1 shortcoming of leaders is “mediocre listening.”

The bad news for American business is that this shortcoming is so prevalent.  The good news is that, for most executives willing to look objectively at their strengths and weakness and invest a little effort into improving, it is relatively easy to become a better listener.  And the short and long-term benefits of doing so are staggering.

The expert referenced below describes listening as “the turbo-booster of leadership competencies,” and his research supports this.  When a leader moves from being rated a mediocre listener to a very good listener, their team gives them much higher marks as an overall leader and motivator.

So unless you’re among a tiny minority that has mastered this skill…seek to improve your listening!  Because no top performer wants to work very long for a bad listener, you may prevent some of your best, hard-to-replace employees from leaving…and you are almost guaranteed to improve the performance of your entire team.

A key, however, is to know that becoming a “very good” listener actually means becoming an ACTIVE listener.

“Listening is just grasping what the other person SAID.  Active Listening is engaging in a dialog to REALLY understand not just the words, but what the person really meant to say, and the feelings, emotions, and passion underlying what is said.”

Practical Steps

If you think listening could be a problem for you…or if you see this as an opportunity area where you could make some relatively small changes that will quickly have a positive impact (hint: it is), scroll down to the first of five simple ideas shared in Brad Smart’s article posted below.

Or if you suspect your listening challenges (or those of someone you know) may be caused by “attention deficit” issues or how your brain works, email me at SKaufman@ConvergenceRecruiting.com with the words “more info” in the subject box and I’ll send you info on how pro golfers, NBA basketball players and other executives have dramatically improved their ability to focus and perform.

Please post a comment below.  Are you willing to share what issue most prevents you from being a better listener?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The #1 Flaw of Leaders

– by Brad Smart, 12/01/09

The #1 flaw, shortcoming of most leaders is mediocre listening.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that improved listening is the single most powerful improvement most leaders can make.  Why?  Because when leaders progress from mediocre to very good listeners, their team considers them much improved as leaders overall, and specifically as motivators, team players, coaches, developers of talent, and yes – better Topgraders!

The best news:  I’ve seen hundreds of leaders improve their listening skills.  This Topgrading Tips shows how.

Being regarded as a very good leader also helps you Topgrade, because during the hiring process A-player candidates ask others on your team, “What’s (your) leadership style like?”  “What do people on the team like and dislike about working for (you).”  “How are decisions made?”  “Is (the boss – you) a good listener?”  No A-player wants to work for anyone, even a super A-player, who is a lousy listener.

Having surveyed over a million people and coached a couple thousand senior managers, my files are loaded with my interview notes from co-workers whose boss or peer is a mediocre listener.  Even super A players toss a lot of banana peels in their path when they are mediocre listeners:  Co-workers feel diminished (“He’s always interrupting before I can finish.”  “He does emails when I’m talking.”),unappreciated (“I have good ideas but she won’t listen.”) and stifled (“How am I supposed to grow with my ideas squashed?”).  At worst sharp members of the team quit and it’s hard to recruit A-players.  At best performance and teamwork are lessened.

Of the 6,500 executive assessments I’ve done, the single most common weakness listed, even for A-players, is listening.  Of all the executives I’ve coached, the single most common area I’ve offered suggestions to improve is … listening.

Let’s tweak that – most leaders need to improve at ACTIVE LISTENING.

Listening is just grasping what the other person said.  ACTIVE LISTENING is playing back to the person what you heard, engaging in a dialog to really understand not just the words but what the person really meant to say, and the feelings, emotions, and passion underlying what is said.

Listening:

Subordinate: “I need a vacation.”
Leader: “You need a break – so do I!”

With ACTIVE listening:

Subordinate: “I need a vacation.”
Leader: “A vacation – I know, you’ve been working 70+ hours per week for weeks.”
Subordinate: “I know you appreciate it.”
Leader: “I sure do!  Not only your dedication but your great ideas are saving the Acme account!  You seem to thrive on hard work – what’s up?”
Subordinate: “It’s not me so much as some family obligations; I need some time … off.”
A Player Leader: (sits down, with full attention) “I’m not going to pry, but when you say you need some time off, you got it.”
Subordinate: “I don’t mean to be secretive.  Jeannie (wife) just found out she has breast cancer, and these international trips we’re scheduling will leave her feeling abandoned just when …”

You get the point.  ACTIVE LISTENING involves what is sometimes called “listening with the third ear,” which means paying attention to more than the words.  It’s being sensitive to body language, inflections, pauses, and eye contact, so that your responses show some understanding of what is not being said, what the feelings are beyond the words.

This Topgrading Tips summarizes the “nuggets,” the most successful ways managers have improved their listening skills.

1.  Conduct an email 360 survey. If you suspect listening is a weakness and you want to be sure, here’s a simple survey technique:  Just have HR (so there is some anonymity) send a 5-item email survey to co-workers saying, “Pat Smith has asked HR to survey (5-15) co-workers asking how frequently they view him as …” The scale is Always, Frequently, Sometimes, Never.
Include at least 3 items you’re sure will get high ratings (A Results-Oriented “Doer,” Hard Working, A Topgrader, etc.) but include A Very Good Listener and maybe 1 other item you could improve at – Generous with Praise, A Positive Motivator, etc.

After each item leave space for Written Comments.

2.  Ask someone you trust to interpret the (negative) survey results. If your survey results are positive – terrific!  No need to read further (unless you want to pass this Topgrading Tips on to someone who needs to improve).

That trusted advisor will help you to see yourself realistically, just in case you might be tempted to be defensive or dismiss the results.

Re-take the survey every 6 months until you are frequently viewed as a Very Good Listener.

3.  Pretend a camera is on you 24/7 and will record all your listening, good and bad. The image of the camera has helped hundreds of managers remind themselves to listen better.

4.  “Play back” to the person what you think you understood. “Pat, let me check if I understand — you want to personally make the Executive Committee presentation because you did the study, you can best field any questions, and after a year with the company you’d like some visibility, is that right?”  If Pat has a fourth reason, she’ll say it, but at a minimum she’ll know you were a good listener.

5.  Use the “10 Dime Technique.” Put 10 dimes in a pocket and every time you are really proud of yourself for using ACTIVE LISTENING, transfer a dime to another pocket.  When you end up with most dimes transferred … you’re improving!

SUMMARY: Active listening is the turbo-booster of leadership competencies.  It’s also a really, really important skill for Topgrading interviewing!

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: For the absolute latest innovations in Topgrading hiring, check out the all-new Topgrading Workbook.  It explains all 12 Topgrading hiring steps, and has fun, practical exercises to master each.  For more information, click here.

This blog posting can be seen in it’s original form at http://www.smarttopgrading.com/blog/

Please post a comment below.  Are you willing to share what issue most prevents you from being a better listener?

In relation to controlling executive pay at companies that received “bailout” money, I heard someone passionately comment this week, “how you spend your money is up to you…but if you’re a beggar on the corner and I give you $5, then by golly I want enough control to prevent you from crossing the street to buy beer at the convenience store.”

Is this an accurate comparison and valid concern?  I think so.

Solution?  Simple…just cut the salaries of top execs by 90% (as “Pay Czar” Kenneth Feinberg is reportedly planning to do within the next few days).

Problem solved!!

Well…um…maybe not.  According to an article in the Associated Press, the decision to “cut the pay of top executives at companies on taxpayer life support will help quiet the popular outrage over excessive compensation. But it introduces a new concern: brain drain.”

Oops!  Can anyone say, “the law of unintended consequences”?!!  (Remember what happened to 30,000+/- workers in the US yacht manufacturing industry when Congress (1990?) tried to extract more money from high income earners by levying a 10% “luxury tax on yachts?)

But before I get up on a soapbox…and before we wag a collective finger too vigorously at Congress (is that even possible?), let me take a sharp turn and challenge US to look at our own businesses to see what obvious factors we might be ignoring in this economy.

For example…EMPLOYEE RETENTION.

SPECIFICALLY, the retention of those performing in the top 10% within your company.  “Turnover,” you say, “is at an all-time low.”  Admittedly it may not be an issue you’re FORCED to deal with today…but take heed.

Hairline fractures of today can be the earthquake of tomorrow.

This has always been true, but I’m prompted to write this now based on this finding in a 10/09 research study:

“Today’s employers feel that employees are loyal due to the economic times, but the reality is they are not.  Because of this, there is a strong likelihood that when the economy turns for the better, employers could find themselves with valued employees jumping ship. This places pressure on them to put retention measures in place now” – Katherine Jones, Human Capital Institute

Of COURSE you are dealing with other pressing matters.  But retaining your TOP talent can too easily get tucked away in Stephen Covey’s Quadrant #2 (important but not urgent).  Now imagine, however, that you LOSE 2 or 3 of your key employees (presumably NOT over new pay rules for executives).  How quickly will the issue of retention be screaming at you from Quadrant #1 (important AND urgent)?  Unfortunately, by the time you realize it’s a problem…you may be too late.  The 10/09 study goes on to say:

“As the economy rebounds, those workplaces that have not invested in their people could face a mass exodus of employees, potentially crippling the business” – Jesse Harriett, Chief Knowledge Officer, Monster Worldwide, Inc.

We can all criticize Congress for making bad decisions and having a lack of foresight.  But let’s not follow in their footsteps in a way that will cause major regrets.

And in case you need a PRO-active reason to address retention issues too early rather than too late, consider one last finding from the study: “Forty-eight percent of workers say their productivity has been affected by a fear of being laid-off.” It would seem that, according to this statistic, properly addressing retention issues BEFORE you experience turnover will deliver an immediate ROI.

The MOST significant thing you can do to impact retention is to realize its importance and assign the proper priority.  Once you’ve crossed that hurdle, in addition to simply applying “The Golden Rule,” you may want to refer to this comprehensive list of practical ideas on how to retain employees.

Before the excitement of a great Super Bowl dissipates too much, I’d like to bring to your attention an outstanding article.  At their core, sports teams are a kind of business.  And when it comes to recruiting, their methods are arguably best-in-class and worth learning from.

In an article published online at ERE, John Sullivan lists 10 specific recruiting lessons that can be learned from the Super Bowl.  While there is wisdom in all of them, lesson 7 is particularly insightful.

[Note that it is a TOTAL coincidence that Big Ben Roethlisberger is #7 for the Steelers and I grew up in Pittsburgh .]

Enjoy,

SK

Lesson #7 – Prioritize your positions and business units.

NFL teams excel at prioritizing both individual positions and units.

It has been proven statistically that “defense wins super Bowls,” so most teams that are serious about getting to the Super Bowl prioritize their recruiting to ensure that they have the strongest defense. This year’s likely Super Bowl winner, Pittsburgh, has both the #1 ranked rushing and passing defense. Likewise, businesses also need to learn that not all functions, departments, and business units have the same impact on winning and profits.

Not a single corporation that I’m aware of prioritizes positions as effectively as NFL teams. You can clearly tell what positions are “mission-critical” on an NFL team by identifying the positions that they draft first, the average amount that they pay for that position, and the number of backups for that position that they carry on their roster.

Most teams focused their recruiting and development efforts on four key positions, quarterbacks, pass rushers, receivers, and running backs. Other positions are rated as low impact.

For example, an average punter might make $200,000 a year, they would never be drafted in the first round and the team would only carry one punter (with no backup).

In direct contrast, the high-priority position of quarterback will be paid millions, the position would be a top draft target, and there would be two or even three backups kept on the roster to fill in for injuries and to allow time for development.

Corporations need to also prioritize their recruitment and development efforts and resources on the 20% of the positions that are mission-critical and thus they make the most impact on innovation, competitive advantage, revenue, and profit.

Read on to learn the other 9 pearls of wisdom.

(By Dr. John Sullivan, Feb 2, 2009)

To most people, the Super Bowl is a fun event to watch. However, because the game is highly competitive and because only the very best teams make it to the event, there are some critical lessons that corporate managers and recruiters can learn from competitive sports and the Super Bowl:

Lesson #1 -”Minor colleges” produce some of the best players on Super Bowl teams.

It’s clear from examining the player rosters that most Super Bowl players don’t come from powerhouse football colleges. Some examples include:

• The Star Players. The four most notable star players in the game all come from non-football powers. For Arizona, star quarterback Kurt Warner came from Northern Iowa – Burlington and star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald came from the University of Pittsburgh. For Pittsburgh, starting quarterback Ben Rothlisberger came from Miami of Ohio and running back Willie Parker came from North Carolina. Not a single one of these players’ former university teams made it into the Associated Press Top 25 rankings this year.
• The Remaining Players. Of the 112 active players on the final rosters of the combined teams, only four came from this year’s top college teams that are perennial powerhouses (i.e. Florida, Oklahoma, and USC).
• The Arizona Cardinals roster successfully recruited players from non-powerhouse teams like Louisiana-Lafayette, Kansas State, Richmond, Northern Iowa, Hawaii, Brown, Delaware, Fresno State, Tennessee State, Trinity University, UC Davis, Northern Iowa, and of course, Clarion!
• The world champion Pittsburgh Steelers roster includes players from such non-powerhouse university teams like Hofstra, Clemson, Kent State, Marshall, Tulane, Southern Mississippi, TCU, Northern Colorado, Syracuse, Rutgers, Indiana (of Pa.), La.-Lafayette, and perennial powerhouse…Tiffin.

Lesson #2 -”Experience” isn’t required to become a Super Bowl head coach.

At least this year, previous experience as a successful head coach isn’t a requirement for getting your team to the Super Bowl.

The best head coaches aren’t always the most experienced. You can’t say the coaches of either team this year are experienced, veteran head coaches. Neither has been a head coach at a Super Bowl before. Both would have to be considered as “inexperienced” head coaches (both are only in their second year of being a head coach anywhere in the NFL), and both are relatively young.

Mike Tomlin of Pittsburgh, the NFL Coach of the year, is only 36 years old (the youngest Super Bowl coach ever) and Arizona’s Ken Whisenhunt is only 44.

Lesson #3 – “Recruiting/draft systems” still need continuous improvement.

No organization puts more resources into recruiting than an NFL team, yet even their vaunted efforts can produce some major errors and omissions. There are numerous stories of how number one overall draft picks failed to excel in the NFL but there are also major omissions in the recruiting process where top performers went “undrafted.”

Even the best recruiting and screening systems can be improved upon in order to find a “non-obvious” talent.

For example, Pittsburgh’s star running back Willie Parker, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and his teammate James Harrison, the 2008 NFL defensive player of the year, were both undrafted. On Arizona’s team, Pro bowl quarterback Kurt Warner and his center, Lyle Sendlein, were both undrafted.

Lesson #4 – It takes organization-wide excellence to make the Super Bowl.

The teams with the most star players don’t automatically make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

It takes more than star players to win championships. The team with the most star players (those selected for the Pro Bowl), the New York Jets, led all teams with seven selections but they didn’t even make the playoffs.

Three teams (the Giants, the Vikings, and the Titans) each had six star players selected to the Pro Bowl. Having six stars certainly helped each team to get into the playoffs. But you won’t see them in the Super Bowl, because it takes excellence throughout their entire organization and great coaching, in addition to great players, to win it all in your conference.

Lesson #5 – Don’t stereotype top performers.

It’s easy to reject candidates “out of hand” because they don’t fit our mental stereotypes of what top performer should look like. Always use “on-the-job” performance to select top talent instead of broad stereotypes.

Be careful who you write off as being “over the hill.” Even though everyone knows pro football is a young man’s game, there are certainly enough exceptions to that rule to make you think twice before generalizing about age limits on star talent.

For example, Kurt Warner is both a Super Bowl and a Pro bowl starting quarterback and he accomplished both feats at the ripe old age of 37. Incidentally, he clearly beat out Arizona’s other well-known quarterback Matt Leinart, the much younger third-year phonon from USC.

Other Pro Bowl “senior citizen stars” selected this year include 39-year-old Jets quarterback Brett Favre, 44-year-old John Carney (the oldest Pro Bowler ever), and 42-year-old Jeff Feagles both from the Giants.

Clearly, top talent comes in a variety of ages.

Lesson #6 – Consider corporate alumni for rehiring.

It’s easy to overlook talent that we’ve previously rejected.

Keep in touch with your former employees. Pittsburgh Steelers long-snapper Jared Retkofsky was fired (cut from the team) by the Pittsburgh organization three different times. Recently, he was working as a furniture mover before being rehired by the team to fill a sudden need. This success story demonstrates that organizations should keep an eye on their former employees and then to consider them for re-hiring as a “boomerang.”

Lesson #7 – Prioritize your positions and business units.

NFL teams excel at prioritizing both individual positions and units.

It has been proven statistically that “defense wins super Bowls,” so most teams that are serious about getting to the Super Bowl prioritize their recruiting to ensure that they have the strongest defense. This year’s likely Super Bowl winner, Pittsburgh, has both the #1 ranked rushing and passing defense. Likewise, businesses also need to learn that not all functions, departments, and business units have the same impact on winning and profits.

Not a single corporation that I’m aware of prioritizes positions as effectively as NFL teams. You can clearly tell what positions are “mission-critical” on an NFL team by identifying the positions that they draft first, the average amount that they pay for that position, and the number of backups for that position that they carry on their roster.

Most teams focused their recruiting and development efforts on four key positions, quarterbacks, pass rushers, receivers, and running backs. Other positions are rated as low impact.

For example, an average punter might make $200,000 a year, they would never be drafted in the first round and the team would only carry one punter (with no backup).

In direct contrast, the high-priority position of quarterback will be paid millions, the position would be a top draft target, and there would be two or even three backups kept on the roster to fill in for injuries and to allow time for development.

Corporations need to also prioritize their recruitment and development efforts and resources on the 20% of the positions that are mission-critical and thus they make the most impact on innovation, competitive advantage, revenue, and profit.

Lesson #8 – “The ability to handle pressure” is critical to make it to and win a Super Bowl.

Everyone knows that it takes a combination of both “A” and “B” players in order to win championships, but not everyone accurately defines what an “A” player really looks like.

Define excellence to include the ability to handle pressure. The NFL provides numerous great examples of how players that perform well during the regular season suddenly “unravel” under the pressure of the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Teams that fail to win the Super Bowl one year proactively go out and recruit individual players who not only can compete head-to-head against last year’s Super Bowl winners but who have also demonstrated that they can handle the “pressure of “big games.”

For example, running back Efrain James for Arizona was a mediocre player during the regular season but in the playoffs he was given the starting assignment. He has excelled during the playoffs as a result of his extensive playoff experience. Other players like Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald have clearly demonstrated their ability to “step up” and move to the “next level” under playoff pressure.

Corporations need to also develop mechanisms for recruiting and assessing their employees to see which ones best handle the pressure and thus can perform at the “next level” when the corporation needs extraordinary performance.

Lesson # 9 – It takes a competitive analysis to win championships.

Many in HR and recruiting look at their firms’ needs in relative isolation. In the NFL, however, recruiting and game plans are developed after analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team.

Recruit and organize to develop a competitive advantage. During the regular season, but especially during the playoffs, team managers conduct “side-by-side” analysis in order to identify and develop matchups, which provide their team with a winning edge.

Recruiting and player selection in key positions is done in such a manner as to provide “an edge” over competitors. The “plays” of competitors are also analyzed to a painful degree in order to identify weaknesses that your team can exploit.

Every team develops and modifies its plays in order to take advantage of the head-to-head player matchups where you have a higher probability of coming out with a big play. Teams consciously avoid trading or losing key players to teams that they frequently compete against because that could lessen their chances of winning against that competition.

Corporate recruiting managers need to develop the same competitive advantage mentality and periodically “chart” areas where recruiting can give your firm a significant competitive advantage over your direct competitors.

Lesson #10 – It takes a performance culture to win consistently.

Some sports teams win consistently over the years, even though their players change at a rate of 20% or more per year. For example, the LA Lakers have dominated their opponents for years, while the LA Clippers, who play in the same city and building and recruit from the same sources, are perennial losers.

Build a performance culture. The best teams in sports are laser focused on becoming and staying number one. In order to do that, they develop a “performance culture” that makes winning everything.

As Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn’t everything…it’s the only thing!”

A performance culture in any environment focuses on recruiting, retaining, developing, differentiating rewards, and making assignments based on performance data and results. Because everyone throughout the organization has the expectation of winning, performance permeates every management aspect of the firm.

In the NFL, teams like the Steelers, the Cowboys, the Colts, the Giants, and Patriots consistently excel during the regular season and later win championships because they have all developed performance cultures.

The players leave their current team at nearly 20% per year, the coaches change also but the performance culture approach is a constant. Unfortunately, many HR and recruiting departments are more focused on equal treatment and avoiding criticism.

Establishing and maintaining a performance culture is hard work and it certainly gathers criticism. As a result, few in HR are willing to take the heat and the risk to their own job security that comes with transparency and basing everything on performance.

Final Thoughts

By the time you read this, the Super Bowl will be over and its importance will begin to wane.

However, if you’re smart, you’ll avoid the criticism that invariably comes from HR people (i.e., “I hate sports analogies.”)

Instead, study the most competitive of all endeavors outside of war (the Super Bowl) in order to learn many valuable lessons about people management. It is my contention that the recent catastrophic failures of mortgage firms, Wall Street financial institutions, and other corporations could never have occurred under the glaring criticism, transparency, metrics, and the performance cultures that are necessary in order to get teams to the Super Bowl. The NFL model is a good one to study and copy.

The author of this article, John Sullivan, is a well-known thought leader in HR. He is a frequent speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley firms. Formerly the chief talent officer for Agilent Technologies (the 43,000-employee HP spin-off), he is now a professor of management at San Francisco State University. He was called the “Michael Jordan of Hiring” by Fast Company magazine. http://www.drjohnsullivan.com.  The above article was posted on http://www.ere.net/

2) Hiring the best performer in the interviewer…versus the executive who will be the best performer on-the-job

3) Inadvertently coming across as someone that cares more about filling an immediate need for the company than the long-term career fit for the executive

4) Losing credibility with candidates by doing too much “telling & selling,” not engaging in enough active listening, and not being informed about areas that matter most to the best prospects

5) Not properly managing the interview process with candidates. This includes giving the interview team too much latitude and not enough direction, allowing momentum to fade at the wrong times, not leveraging your chance to subtly “sell” the candidate’s mentors, etc.

Like many business functions, recruiting talent to your organization is not rocket science. It is a simple matter of understanding the steps, and then having the resources, skill and motivation to execute them with excellence.

Simple, but not necessarily easy. And while few things have the potential to impact your organization more than hiring “A players,” you don’t necessarily need to rush to engage a recruiter.

One of your more accomplished employees actually has a pretty good chance of outperforming a typical recruiter – especially when that employee:

• Is resourceful in locating a pool of peak performers that are not actively looking for jobs
• Has strong instincts about how to engage top performers
• Is available to spend focused time filling the open position (likely 3-5 hours a day for multiple weeks to build and maintain momentum)

Armed with the attributes above and the information gleaned below from years of successful executive searches, you can recruit high-caliber executives without a recruiter.

12 Steps to Follow

1] Identify your goals. What compelling business objective are you trying to accomplish? Be crystal clear about where you want to go as a company and how you expect the new executive’s actions to advance the corporate objectives. This will help the hiring team focus on the right variables and help build a foundation for hiring that will pay dividends throughout your recruiting process.

2] Consider if hiring an executive is the only or best option. Replacing an executive will always change the productivity level and chemistry of your team, and not always for the better. Can your important tasks and initiatives be spread out among existing team members, or can someone on the internal team be promoted to a higher level of leadership? There are often tangible benefits to hiring “new blood” from outside the organization (or even from outside the industry), but the pain can be significant if you make a hiring mistake.

3] Develop a detailed picture of what constitutes a great fit. If you do need to hire an executive, thoroughly quantify/qualify the ABCs below. (Also refer to the 2^nd bullet point under #11.)

• 3-5 major things the new hire needs to Accomplish
• The Background needed for success (functional roles, industry knowledge, proven talent, etc)
• What he needs to Be (personality, management style, drive, attitude, etc)
• Nuances of your Culture that will contribute to the hire’s success or failure (values, politics, collaborative versus autocratic, resource constraints, etc)

Based on what needs to be done, determine the profile of who you need to hire. Strive for enough detail to make the picture of your ideal hire come into sharp focus. An otherwise good executive that is not matched to these areas will quickly become a disappointing hire.

4] Check your ability and willingness to attract the level of talent you want. Though you may want to hire an “A-Player,” your desire does not automatically make it practical. It is rare to find a true “Cadillac for a Volkswagen price,” and there may be aspects of your industry or company that turn off the very executives you are targeting. Confirm that the “laws” of supply & demand tilt in your favor and that your search is not a needle in a haystack. Specific tactics to implement include:

• Find out where potential ideal hires are working now…and validate that you have the ability to entice them to return your call and engage them in productive dialog
• Verify that there are enough executives in the potential candidate pool (dozens if not hundreds) and that at least 1 in 10 will be interested in the job for the right reasons
• Use several methods to identify 3 or more different pools of prospects (see #8 regarding why you should pursue several strategies simultaneously)
• Estimate how many total prospects you will need to speak to in order to attract 2-3 candidates you are excited about
• Call enough executives to see the bell-shaped curve of candidate quality come into focus
• Quantify what you stand to lose if you do not hire the right caliber executive

If a preliminary sampling of the marketplace reveals a lack of alignment with who you WANT to hire versus who you CAN or are WILLING to hire, you must either find aspects of the role you can improve…or lower your expectations. Before you lower expectations, however, you should consider that the ROI of a great hire is often many times that of a hire that is merely “good.”

5] Know which methods will maximize your chances of hiring the best executive. Assuming you have already decided on the do-it-yourself method, you can skip this step. Other options to consider for the future include hiring an hourly contract recruiter, a contingency recruiter, or a retained executive recruiter. Each will have distinct advantages and disadvantages and could be appropriate options depending on your needs.

6] Estimate how long it will take to find the right executive…and plan accordingly. If “good is good enough,” you can hire an executive quickly. When you need a high-impact player, however, the list of variables to match up to candidates can seem daunting. The list can include:

functional and industry knowledge, prior span of control (revenue and/or people), a track record of accomplishment, past and future career path, cash and equity compensation, cultural and chemistry alignment, passion and interest in your industry, communication and interpersonal skills, behavioral profile, educational degrees and professional certifications, willingness to travel, stable job history, a clean background check, stellar references, etc.

Being in a rush to make the hire can tempt you to compromise on quality…so plan ahead.

Allow enough time to find the “BEST available” executive so you aren’t drawn to settle for the FIRST available. Have a back-up plan with trigger dates in case the first hiring method you chose is not successful.

7] Structure a “compelling story” that will resonate with the best executives. What can you share that will cause an executive who is happy and successful with his current employer to consider joining your company? Before you attempt to contact potential candidates, spell out what is unique about your team…your vision & mission…your company’s competitive advantage or market position…the industry…the challenge and rewards of the role itself…what valuable skill he/she will learn on the job…what resources will be at his disposal…future compensation, etc.

8] Simultaneously pursue more than one search strategy.Though all positions have elements in common, each recruiting assignment is necessarily different. Every company is unique; no two jobs are alike; and every team has a distinct culture. As a result, a brilliant strategy that produces a great executive hire for one position may become a dead-end strategy for the next search.

Minimize the all-or-nothing risk of implementing only one strategy by simultaneously pursuing 2 or 3 different game plans. Prioritize action steps and monitor progress for each plan of action so you can quickly shift resources to what is producing the best results.

9] Maximize responses to your voice and email messages. It is important to remember that the best executives almost always have or can quickly create other job opportunities. They are busy, focused, and regularly pursued by recruiters. As a result, you must choose your words strategically to distinguish yourself and the job opportunity, and to grab the attention of executives.

• Be prepared with a technique or two to get past the “gate-keeper.” Know how to leave an effective message with the executive assistant when this is not possible. It is important to protect the executive in his/her current role by not making it look like he is secretly trying to leave his current company.

• Use words, pace and tone of voice to come across like a peer capable of giving sound career advice…not a fast-talking salesperson with a quota to fill

• Your goal is to have a live conversation during which you can develop rapport and exchange beneficial information. As long as you cannot have a live dialog, your recruiting efforts are at a dead-end. Therefore, reveal just enough information in your message to arouse curiosity and tempt a call-back.

• Don’t share information in a voice mail that could be perceived as negative. Save it for the live conversation so you can put it in the proper context. Example: if the role you are filling has a director level title, describe it more generally as a “senior level position” when contacting an executive with a VP title.

• If there is no response to your voicemail, provide another way to reach you that may be preferable to the executive. In subsequent messages, reveal progressively more information that you suspect could capture their interest. Divulging who the role reports to or a brief description of a major company initiative could be an effective “teaser.” Also, attempt to re-contact executives using optimal intervals between messages – more than a day between the 1^st and 2^nd message will signal that this is not an important matter to you, while leaving 4 messages in 7 days may brand you as a pest.

• Except for unusual circumstances, never leave more than 3 voice mail messages without a response. When leaving the 3^rd message, let them know it will be your last attempt to reach them and that you will remove them from your contacts. Being pleasant but direct without appearing to be offended by their delayed response will communicate confidence in the strength of the opportunity you want to discuss. You’d be amazed at the number of apologetic call-backs that occur within an hour of leaving this “final” message.

10] Optimize communication to spark interest and develop a meaningful dialog. Too many recruiters come across like telemarketers trying to force round pegs into square holes. Differentiate yourself by creating a more appealing impression…more like that of a career coach that holds the key to a unique opportunity for a special person. This differentiation is important throughout the process, however it is even more essential during the first few seconds of the first live conversation.

• Before you launch into your opening “pitch,” confirm that you are catching the executive in a suitable environment to speak openly, and that he has enough time to talk for a few minutes. It is much better to re-schedule than to risk a hurried conversation that lacks depth and transparency.

• Let them know you are looking for a mutually beneficial situation, and that you will be the first to speak up if this opportunity does not seem right for them. By doing this, you will show yourself to be trustworthy and the type of person they would enjoy helping.

• Balance being warm and conversational while being respectful of their time and to-the-point. Find a way to make a more personal connection during the first 60 seconds. This could involve commenting on their accent, a topical news story relating to their company or industry, etc.

• Don’t fire all your “bullets” at once. Share just enough information to secure their interest in learning more. Then get the executive to reciprocate by sharing a few details about his/her background. If you don’t employ this give-and-take technique – especially during the first 10 minutes of the conversation – you will squander an opportunity to build trust and rapport. As a result, the executive will usually want to end the call before you have been able to learn what YOU need to know about them…and before you’re able to obtain valuable referrals.

• STOP TALKING and listen. Re-direct as necessary to keep the conversation moving in the right direction. Listen for clues by what is SAID…as well as what is NOT said.

• Make sure to secure sincere interest before asking the more difficult screening questions. Like the sport of fishing, if they have not yet bitten down on the hook and you prematurely try to reel them in, or even inspect too closely, you risk letting “the big one” get away. If the executive is not showing enough interest at this or any latter stage of the process, it may become best to utilize the “take-away” technique and note their reaction as a measurement of their true interest.

• Anticipate the most common questions and objections – and how to address them. Be prepared to answer the single most common question: “how did you get my name?” Answer honestly, but in a way that endears the executive to your process.

• The person contacting potential hires should be able to clearly articulate the strategic importance of the position and the nuances of the role. If you want to have credibility with executives when you ask them to invest more time in the recruiting process, then you must have answers when they ask about the strengths of your management team, what your company’s biggest strategic advantages are over your major competitor, and other similar questions that gainfully employed, top-performers will pose before taking you seriously.

11] Assess the match between what you need and what the candidate is drawn to. After it is determined that there is sincere interest, begin the critical role of assessing fit. Even at non-executive levels, estimates of the cost of a bad hire range from 1.5 to 5 times the employee’s salary. (See ADP’s bad hire calculator: www.adphire.com/badHireCalculator.html).

• Probe to understand what, if anything, might motivate the executive to change roles/companies…and why. Questions could include: what do you like most about your current situation? Like least? Do you see yourself staying with your current employer for many years to come? Why/why not? How are you developing as a professional in your current role? What legacy do you want to leave in the business world?

• In addition to questions from step #3 above that correlate to what you are looking for, inquire about traits from the list some call the “decisive dozen” – adaptability, competence, relevant experience, manageability, interpersonal skills, attitude, initiative, professional maturity, values, integrity, emotional control, and stability. Incorporate behavioral interviewing techniques using S.O.A.R. as your guide: the Situation the candidate was in; what the Objective was; the Action taken; and the Results of that action.

• To maximize the depth and accuracy of information obtained, balance the use of the 7 basic styles of questions: open-ended, closed-ended, negative inquiry, positive inquiry, hypothetical, confirming, and situational. It is not possible to verify every answer from every prospect in the early stage of recruiting. T.O.C. questions (Threat of Checking), however, are effective at encouraging honesty. (Example: “if we were to check with your last boss, what would he say was the biggest improvement you needed to make as a manager?”) Progress from probing about deal-killer issues to secondary areas where the answers will show the strength of the fit.

• If evidence of a good fit comes to light, discern the executive’s willingness to explore the opportunity and stay committed to the recruiting process and. If the fit is not strong enough to proceed, communicate this in an honest but tactful way that preserves the relationship and earns the right to ask the executive for referrals to other executives in their rolodex. Note that each person you contact represents dozens of potential new contacts. Securing referrals is a vital part of completing most searches and must be done skillfully. The key is to impress them enough with your knowledge, approach, and unselfish attitude to overcome the perceived risk of sharing a personal referral with you. You know your approach is being well-received when most people you speak to will trust you with confidential referrals.

• Stay “compliant.” Depending on the size of your company, make sure you are aware of the most current EEOC definition of what constitutes an “applicant” so you can record and track data accordingly. Also, know what questions you can and cannot ask about marital status, national origin, and other protected classes of people.

12] Develop an interview funnel that pinpoints and advances the best candidates. Hiring a new key executive is a big decision for you…as well as for the executive who is leaving a secure job where they are highly valued. Though you may want to complete the hiring process quickly, it should not be rushed. If you are overly anxious, you risk scaring the best executives away. Allow enough time for a reasonable “incubation” period so both you and the candidates can avoid making a bad decision.

• When you connect with a candidate who initially seems strong, guard against allowing the “halo affect” to improperly bias you in their favor. If your first impressions are less than glowing, this MAY be an important indicator. That said, the executive rated as a superstar in three years may have had his worst moments during the interview process. To guard against either extreme, orchestrate multiple communications in a “courtship” over a period of weeks.

• Maintain the interest and motivation of candidates. Prepare candidates for what the next steps entail, and communicate feedback and details in a timely manner. Have robust materials that can be provided to interested prospects in a staged manner. A compelling job description, articles, press releases, and portions of your marketing plan can help a candidate maintain enthusiasm throughout the recruiting process.

• If more than a few days pass without communication with an executive whose candidacy is of interest to you, start the conversation by asking “what has changed since the last time we spoke?” Listen to see if their interest has increased or declined. Make sure you know what they need to learn to stay or become enthusiastic about the role and the rest of the recruiting process

• To help discern if a “tire-kicker” is masquerading as a candidate, ask them to complete an “assignment” that requires an investment of time with a near-term deadline. You should also test their comfort discussing a specific start-date. The quality and quantity of their questions (and even their objections) is often a highly accurate barometer of true interest.

• Carefully pick the interview team and determine the weighted impact each will have. Because most people readily admit to being poor interviewers but still feel they are a great judge of people, it is important to create a mechanism for the team to capture objective information about candidates. Stage interviews over a period of several days and create a variety of “touch points” that are consistent between candidates. Make sure the key decision maker meets serious candidates on the front end of the process.

• Determine the best format for the interviews, including the number of interviews, the time-frame for individual interviews and the length of the entire interview process. Invite a team member who developed strong rapport with the candidate (not the final decision-maker) to debrief the candidate since they will be in a better position to get objective feedback.

• If you suspect that you are willing to hire the runner-up candidate, advance them in the process in the same way you advance the leader. If only the first choice is acceptable, don’t let the first choice executive know that the competition has faded.

• Interviews are helpful and necessary, however they can also be very artificial. Guard against letting strong positive or negative impressions during interviews make it easy to over-generalize about future job performance. Though you should help prepare candidates for interviews, you must avoid “coaching” them into making statements or being someone they are not.

• Perform background checks, reference checks, and assessments (DISC, MBTI, RightPath, etc) in stages as your interest in the candidate increases. Before an offer is extended, have a brief conversation with the executive’s spouse to help determine the degree of family buy-in. No selection process is perfect, however scrutinizing from multiple vantage points helps ensure that the executive is “Mr. Right” and not merely “Mr. Image.”

• Lay the foundation for negotiating the offer early in the recruiting process. Understand the nuances of the executive’s current compensation, benefits, perks…and how much importance the candidate assigns to each. Work out all of the non-cash aspects of the offer first by asking at appropriate intervals, “if the base and bonus end up where they need to be, what else will you need to know in order to accept an offer?” When possible, use a 3^rd party as a buffer during negotiations (someone other than their boss-to-be).

• Gauge how susceptible the finalist candidate is to a “counter offer” from his current employer, and what preparation is needed to insulate him from changing his mind. Leaving a company to join another can be a difficult emotional experience. Prepare the executive to resign by letting her know what she can expect from her boss as well as from her own emotions. Follow-up before and after the resignation to make sure the event went as planned. Then find reasons to stay in regular contact until they start working at your company.

• Design a 6-12 month on-boarding and assimilation plan and a 3-5 year retention plan to ensure the hire stays with your company long enough to deliver a substantial ROI.

Conclusion

Average candidates are plentiful and quite easy to hire…while great ones can be hard to find and harder to reel in. That said, the tangible rewards of making a great hire will almost always dwarf whatever time and money you invest in the effort. If you accurately determine all that you need in an executive…identify and make contact with enough execs of the right caliber…and communicate with them in a confident and professional manner, you can achieve success without a recruiter.