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Talent Attraction

🏀 THE HOME COURT ADVANTAGE (THAT MOST LEADERS SURRENDER)

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The absolute smartest time to interview top talent is when you have zero open headcount. But most managers do the exact opposite. They wait for an unexpected Monday morning resignation, panic, and make a rushed “convenience hire” just to stop the bleeding. Here is why elite leaders treat talent acquisition like an NBA playoff run—and how a single, informal conversation a month changes everything: Anyone who has played competitive sports understands the power and psychological impact of home court advantage. Teams fight tirelessly to secure the right to host opposing teams in their building throughout a playoff run. The roar of the crowd, and the familiarity & comfort of playing in your own facility is the competitive edge that often leads to favourable outcomes for the home team. In the NBA playoffs for instance, teams holding home-court advantage go on to win the series roughly 74% of the time. To gain the position as the best team in your conference and secure that coveted home court requires doing a little more than your competitors. It often requires a greater on and off-court sacrifice; extra time in the gym, watching a few more hours of film, or limiting “extra-curricular activity” after games. Talent and health are obvious contributors to this and shouldn’t be discounted, but the best teams are always willing and prepared to do more. That’s sports. Let’s switch to the boardroom. One of the greatest weaknesses of leaders is their resistance to engaging in proactive, informal dialogue with talent in their industry. Most decision-makers are purely reactive when it comes to talent acquisition. It’s certain that an organization will experience turnover by way of resignation, retirement, parental leave, termination, or change. We know these things will happen as a normal course of doing business, yet we wait for the inevitable, and scramble to fill these gaps in our talent structure. These are generally not when the best decisions are made. The best time to take a loan is when you don’t need one. The same theory applies to hiring. The smartest time to be engaging in conversations with suitable people in your marketplace is when you don’t need to, or when your team is running at full capacity. Talent scouting should not take a break since you can’t control people nor the decisions they make. We’ve all had those untimely meetings with our best people on a Monday morning. They usually start with, “Good morning – I’d like to thank you for this amazing opportunity to work with you and my team at XYZ Company for the past 10 years. With that said, I’ve decided to take my talents to South Beach.” The first reaction is usually how you can soften the impact of this person’s departure and prevent any disruption to the core activities of your business. Counteroffers seldom work, and the process of searching for a replacement is time-consuming and taxing emotionally for all involved. Imagine the impact and seeds of succession that you are planting by investing in just one (1) conversation a month with someone in your industry. However this person comes to you, you should be receptive to these meetings and discussions as a way of evaluating your market, that person’s fit, and the likelihood of a hire now, or in the future. This best practice distinguishes elite leaders from average managers. It’s proven, and it works. This is your home court advantage.

The Right Fit

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“Stars Want to Work with Other Stars” – Mark Tatum, NBA COO & Deputy Commissioner Let’s face it, your inaction is eroding your team’s success. Mark recently sat down with Senior Writer at Forbes, Jabari Young. When asked to discuss his greatest failure, this is what Mark had to say: “I’m not sure I would say that there was one event. What I would say is my biggest learning was a pattern of waiting too long to make difficult decisions on people. So early on in my career, I would know that someone wasn’t right for the role, but I would keep giving them an opportunity. I would always coach them and give them feedback, but there were times when I just needed to make tougher decisions on people sooner because what happens if you don’t is other people see it, other people get impacted by it; it starts affecting the team. Stars want to work with other stars. And if it’s clear that someone is not pulling their weight, earlier on in my career, I would sort of hope and give them that one more opportunity that maybe things will change. That wasn’t serving them well. It wasn’t serving the organization well. It’s better to have an open honest dialogue with them, tell them they’re not in the right role, and put them in a right role. In some cases, if they must move on, they will. And I’ve seen that time and time again where someone wasn’t necessarily a right fit in the role, but then they go on, and they thrive in a different role outside.” It’s been said that nothing upsets a good performer more than watching a leader within the organization tolerate a bad one. Caring dictates that you act and good leadership positions people for success. Thank you, Mark!

The Cost of Wasted Time

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You will fill that position, but how long will it take and at what cost? The time it takes to fill that important role is everything. Here’s why making a hire in under 30 days matters: Pressure On Your Existing Team Members: The mandate for that unfilled position becomes everyone’s burden until a hire is made. Employee Perception: Your best people are quietly evaluating whether the key decision-makers can find the right people. Market Perception: The best in your marketplace will question why that role went unfilled for that length of time. Takeaway: Don’t fear the cost to hire. Count the cost of a disgruntled workforce, frustrated customers, compromised projects, and a weakened image of your company in your market. Fear is counterproductive to growth, and time is your greatest asset.

How Market Perception Transforms Your Recruitment Strategy

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An example of a good business decision and a hidden recruitment benefit from the world of professional basketball: After acquiring Jaylen Brown through a trade with the Boston Celtics, The Philadelphia 76ers immediately positioned themselves as a destination of choice for other elite performers. Not long thereafter, LeBron James decided to join the organization. Many more will undoubtedly follow suit, this year and in the years to come. The 76ers are now entertaining interest from players that were never on their radar prior to these acquisitions. A good business decision (trading for Jaylen Brown) forced an elite performer (LeBron James) to seek the organization out. Overnight, the 76ers recruitment efforts went from a desperate chase to a strong magnet. How your organization is perceived in the marketplace directly correlates to the soundness of your decisions. This inevitably influences your ability to attract the best your marketplace has to offer. Hiring the right people is a good business decision. Don’t focus on the cost to hire and don’t be afraid to take risks. Shifting your focus to the ROI that star talent could bring to your organization is what’s best for your business. Key Takeaways: Market perception: Good choices impact how the marketplace views your company Recruitment revamp: A strong reputation attracts talent organically Business focus: Smart risks and top talent equal a high ROI