Everyone wants to hire good sales and marketing employees. But settling for good instead of the very best could cost your company more than you realize. Why? Because your success is dependent on hiring ”A” player talent. In a 2017 article, Scott Keller from McKinsey & Company states that the quality of talent and business performance is dramatic. Higher performers are 400% more productive than average ones. So why not pursue all “A” player talent? The challenge is most companies do not have the right strategies to find them. An effective talent management strategy enables you and your recruiters to perfect efforts.

There are 7 components to a successful Talent Strategy system. This system supplies everything you need to recruit, hire, onboard and develop A players.

1. Profiles (Job Descriptions)

Profiles have the company overview, needed competencies, accountabilities, preferred qualifications, and compensation. Competencies must be sales and marketing specific and reflect the needs of the job. Clearly define the evaluation criteria you will use to measure performance. The profile needs to outline the leading, lagging, and behavioral to evaluate their performance. Preferred qualifications can refer to all of the following: education, experience, knowledge, or skills that are not necessarily essential to the job.

2. Assessments

Assessments can be administered to determine the candidate’s talents, strengths, and weaknesses for a specific job.

3. Sourcing

You can’t wait for a hiring need before you source talent. Proactively sourcing and recruiting helps you to stay ahead. That’s why you need to create a recruiting plan. A few things to consider:

  • How many people do you need? Recruit 6-7 to hire 1 position
  • How will you source candidates? Top talent comes from r...