Regardless of whether you are a small business with one or two employees, or if you are a large global company with thousands, you can and you should strive to attract top talent to help accelerate and bolster your success. And once you’ve attracted leading talent, it’s important you’re equally committed to their success, and do everything in your power to ensure they grow and thrive.
While there’s no one ingredient to successful team management, I’ve outlined below four, easy-to-implement tactics to help you attract, build and lead an All-Star team.
Have a Structured, Collaborative Recruiting Process. Having team members across your organization involved in the interview process not only gives you a broader perspective on candidates, but it gives the candidates more insight into his or her future team. You’re also equipping your team with valuable skills that will benefit them as they advance to leadership roles. As candidates come through, be sure your team is sending you feedback on the same day the interview takes place, while it is still top of mind. As I like to say, “A players hire other A players,” meaning that strong performers most always hire other strong performers. Carefully consider the feedback you receive, in order to ensure other A players join your team.
Invest Heavily in Training & Leadership Development. I can assure you that this will become one of the best, if not the best, investment you make. Trainings should take place throughout the year, and cover a wide range of topics ranging from compliance to HR. If you aren’t already doing so, I’d suggest launching a structured onboarding process, or a bootcamp as we call it at BNI®, and that you consider pairing your new hires with a mentor to help guide them through onboarding. In addition to basic trainings, professional development opportunities are equally important. Encourage your team to attend relevant conferences, or if applicable, receive a professional accreditation. Or consider conducting personality or working style assessments, for example the Myers-Briggs Training, which can provide your team with tangible takeaways in order to improve their working relationships with other team members.
Give More Responsibility to People and They Will Shine. While every role has its less-than-glamorous tasks, it’s the challenging, stretch assignments that will keep A players motivated and happy in their role. Look for opportunities for your employees to take on special projects, or work on assignments outside of their day-to-day role. By giving someone added responsibility, you are essentially saying, “You’re capable of doing more, and I trust that you’ll do a great job.” I promise, you’ll be impressed with what they can accomplish!
Frequent Feedback – both Positive and Constructive – Is Key. All too often, employees only receive feedback during their annual reviews. Productive feedback requires giving it frequently, and it requires striking a balance between positive reinforcement and constructive feedback. When giving constructive feedback, I’d encourage you to be honest, be specific and make it a two-way conversation. Along the same lines, it’s crucial to gauge the performance of your team against your organization’s Core Values.
In recap, attracting new talent is just the first step. Place equal emphasis on what comes next: retaining and developing top-notch talent to power your business. For more tips to supercharge your team, register now for BNI’s April Business Builders Webinar.
