One of the most important ingredients to success in business is having the right talents in place who can do the job well. Being that it is one of the most important ingredients to success in business, it is one of the most challenging factors which businesses–whether small, medium or large–face. This is because it is easier to choose the right machines to get jobs done than to choose the right talents to get jobs done.
Big Companies and Corporations understand this and go out of their ways to attract qualified candidates into their firms. They spend large amounts in their hiring process – adverts, public relations, interviews etc. – to woo the most qualified candidates in the job market. When they have attracted these qualified candidates, they set out large budgets to hire them into their teams and to ensure they stay within their firms. This ability to easily attract and retain qualified candidates by the big firms is often considered disadvantageous to small businesses, who are then left to make do with whatever quality of talent is left within the labour market.
A Client’s Frustration
Last year, while on a consultation call with a client, who is the owner of a medium-scale pharmacy in Enugu State, she expressed her frustrations at not being able to get what she referred to as the ‘top Pharmacy Graduates’ to come work in her outfit. While I empathized with her at her frustrations in the labour market, after listening to her, I was able to understand where she could be getting it wrong in her search and hiring process.
Her definition of the right talents was largely based on academic qualifications rather than the ability to get the job done. And this is where I believe most businesses get it all wrong, including the big corporations. Their inability to differentiate between the right talents from the qualified talents.
What Is Meant By The Right talent?
The right talent is one with the right attitude and skills that fit into an organization’s short and long term needs. These needs could be different things for different companies but generally, the needs of business could be said to range from productivity and growth to leadership and culture. So, a candidate with the right attitude and the right skills that fit into the organization’s short and long term needs is the one that could best be defined as the right candidate.Qualified candidates on the other hand focus on the qualifications and skills that a candidate possesses. While qualifications are important, studies have shown that the right attitude trumps qualifications, anytime any day. These views have been expressed by top business leaders and coaches such as Simon Sinek who emphasizes in his books and teachings that businesses should not hire for skills but should hire for attitude. This is because skills can always be taught.
Examples of Right Attitudes To Look Out For
Below are some of the attitudes you could look out for in individuals before you can decide on hiring them:
- Responsibility
- Self-reliance
- Positive thinking
- Integrity
- Teamwork
- Decisiveness
- Empathy
Closing Thoughts
Getting it right in your hiring will not just help your business attain its growth goals but will also give you as a business owner, peace of mind. This is why you should prioritize attitude over qualifications in your hiring.
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