A popular corporate refrain is ‘our people are our greatest asset’, and for most organisations this is true. However, this is not the same thing as ‘we have the best performing people we could have’.

Almost everyone has a story about a bad hire, particularly at a senior level, and how this had a negative impact on the organisation. Indeed, the higher the level of the role, the greater the impact a bad fit can have.

For some, selecting the right people for a role can seem like a black art. Of more concern are those who believe they have a ‘natural talent’ for picking just the right person. Taking an objective and pragmatic approach can dispel any mystery and guide you to the best overall candidate.

Selecting great people means not blurring the lines between the role and the person. It is important to distinguish between:

• what the staff member is expected to do
• what attributes to look for, and how to evaluate and select for these

These phases break down into seven manageable steps:

1. know what the role is trying to deliver
2. identify the activities required to achieve these outcomes
3. determine individual skills and characteristics needed to meet these outcomes
4. recruit and short-list candidates
5. assess strengths and suitability
6. decide on the best candidate
7. set them up for success

[May article by Stephen Byrne, read the full article]