Bill: Ted, while I agree that, in time, our band will be most triumphant. The truth is, Wyld Stallyns will never be a super band until we have Eddie Van Halen on guitar.
Ted: Yes, Bill. But, I do not believe we will get Eddie Van Halen until we have a triumphant video.
Bill: Ted, it’s pointless to have a triumphant video before we even have decent instruments.
Ted: Well, how can we have decent instruments when we don’t really even know how to play?
===
Every organization seeks to hire the best talent. Ideally they want the top performers in their space to become a part of their team. But in their quest for what they consider “the best”, they sometimes overlook the “right” talent. Every organization is in a different stage of growth and some organizations would benefit in looking to the “Next Step” rather than the “Next Level”. The key is getting a true and realistic perspective on where your organization is in its growth and maturity; this will enable you to find the “right” talent, or better stated, the “best talent for your team”.
Where you are/where you’re going
The first step is to assess where your organization is and where it’s going (or aspiring to go). We talked at length about this in a prior post. Once you’ve concluded on the precise role your seeking it’s now a matter of determining what type of talent would truly benefit your organization. While it’s wise to always think long term about the success of your company, you have to get through tomorrow before you get to the year 2020. And hiring the person who makes sense for 2020 might cause you problems next week. It’s a matter of balance.
This post describes talent as “Next Step” and “Next Level” but it should not be construed that a “Next Step” talent is somehow inferior to a “Next Level” talent. It’s the relationship between the organization and the talent that determines which is which; the combined entity (current organization plus new talent) that codetermine whether they together are moving to the next step or the next level. It’s about finding the correct balance; between organization and talent, between aspirations and realistic expectations.
Balance vs. Out of Balance
As Executive Search Consultants, our clients come to us asking for help in solving their talent acquisition challenges and finding the best talent for their organization. Thankfully we’ve worked with many CEOs who have realistic expectations of what type of talent they need and can acquire. But there are times when the discussion becomes one about balance. Hiring Managers will sometimes be drawn to a talent who, while an “A” player, is not a realistic choice for their role.
Out of Balance
One of the most frequent out-of-balance requests we receive is a company wanting to hire a senior level executive from a major brand who currently leads a large team to join their smaller organization as an individual contributor and “grow the team”. Additionally, the company wants that executive to wear multiple hats, be “hands on” and assist with revenue growth and operations (and just about everything else). That would be a great addition for the company but perhaps might not be the best match for the talent in question. Some great managers are great “doers” and vice versa but strengths differ from person to person. While there are always exceptions to every rule, expecting someone who is adept at leading and delegating to a team of 25 to deftly shift to an individual contributor is unrealistic and does not play to one of their major strengths, namely management of large and diverse teams.
While it’s fairly common that anyone joining a smaller organization with a start-up culture should expect to bring their expertise to bear on multivariate responsibilities (Chief Cook and Bottle Washer is one of our favorite titles), there is a limit when the expectations grow too large and become unrealistic. There are undoubtedly “A” players in the market and some would certainly be interested in bringing their wide variety of talents to a smaller organization. But there is no such thing as a “Magic Talent” who will singlehandedly solve all of your problems and work for cheap.
An Out of Balance example: One CEO asked us to find a business development executive to grow his business. At the time the entire organization was around 25 people worldwide and a decidedly non-major player in a very crowded space, and his salary range for the role was less than competitive. We advised that he seek a “Next Step” talent but he was adamant that we needed to find a “Next Level” candidate. That was because the CEO wanted this talent to grow revenue from $10M to over $100M in 2 years – during the economic downturn. My suggestion that he hire a group of elite Ninjas to rob the Federal Reserve was met with a less than enthusiastic response. (OK, so I didn’t actually do that but I thought it.)
But he insisted he could “put a package together” for the right talent – which is one of the first indicators that the client has an out of balance expectation. It usually signifies that the employer is looking for someone on a much higher level than they can reasonably acquire. Despite all of these obstacles, we managed to find a stellar talent who entertained the possibility of joining our client’s team. Unfortunately the CEO could not “put a package together” that made sense for the talent. In the end, the talent received an offer for exactly double the salary from another opportunity and went to a company that made more sense for his level and ability. Whereas the CEO would have benefited from a “Next step” talent, his “Next Level” expectations were out of balance and met with the very balanced world of reality.
Balancing on the Next Level
By utilizing a balanced approach, your organization can determine whether or not you’re ready to move to the Next Step or the Next Level.
In one search we recently completed, our corporate client asked us to find a top creative marketing talent to move their brand forward. We started by looking at the current state of their brand and the infrastructure of their creative/marketing department, as well as the distribution of their products, its reputation in their space and a variety of other factors before determining that they were indeed ready to bring their brand to the next level. All of the building blocks were in place but they needed a visionary and creative brand architect to pull all the elements together and make a demonstrable impact.
Our client was a bit hesitant at first; Next Level game changing talent usually entail Next Level game changing compensation ranges as well a strong element of autonomy to get the job done – something many CEOs abhor. But after months of searching they came to us to assist in finding the best talent for their organization – which in their case was truly looking at the best and most uniquely qualified talent in their space. That involved raising the level of their opportunity to match a potential Next Level talent.
That entails more than just compensation, equity, etc. It also means raising the level of budgets, related team members, interview process and overall performance of the organization from bottom to top – a brand that has moved to the next level still needs to be able to get its product/service out to its customers. Hiring an “A” player at the top who is supported by a team of “C”s is still out of balance. Fortunately our client had worked for years to make sure they had the right team members in the right places. And that was part of what attracted the Next Level talent that we brought them who precisely matched their needs and desires, as well as their passion for their business. And together they are well on their way towards bringing our client’s brand from niche to national recognition.
Balancing on the Next Step
What is balanced for one organization or talent might not be balanced for another. Some organizations require a different sort of talent to get them where they need to go and are seeking a move to the Next Step.
A recent agency client came to us seeking a Senior Level Creative talent to spearhead an expansion of their creative offerings. As a smaller agency, they needed an experienced creative to help drive the process and be the true architect of the new offering and as they operate in a very specific space, the talent needed have a very specialized career path. Adding to the challenge was their somewhat limited budget as well as the fact talent would need to be both a strategic thinker and tactical “doer”.
Balance is what you (organization + talent) make it
Because the role was still somewhat amorphous and the true level of need was yet to be determined, there was a danger of “over hiring” for the role, with the talent being not being utilized to their full capacity in one area, while being overtaxed in others.
We found our client a talent who had the right blend of skills as well as the right blend of strategy and tactical acuity; a talent who could definitely take the client to the “Next Level”. However, this talent was also seeking “balance” for their next opportunity, namely between their work and their personal life.
An agreement was struck to enable the talent to have ample time for their personal/family needs while remaining a dedicated member of the agency’s creative executive team and moving the client to their “Next Step”. This “Next Level” talent accepted a compensation package that reflected the flexible arrangement and worked well with the agency’s budget. And as the new offering progresses, they’ll be able to assess the level of need and continue to find the best solution for both agency and talent. By utilizing a balanced approach, both the agency and the talent found a way to make the situation work perfectly.
Is your organization ready for the Next Step or the Next Level?
That’s a question for your organization to ask as it seeks its next critical hire. Here are a few key takeaways.
- Be realistic – no matter how cool Wyld Stallyns is, Eddie Van Halen isn’t going to join your band, triumphant video or no
- Know what you can afford both financially and as it pertains to need – “putting a package together” is very different from “finding a balance”
- Know your true needs – don’t hire a Next Level talent who may become disgruntled as your organization works towards the Next Step
- Understand what the job description that you have compiled is worth in the talent market and adjust your needs/desires accordingly
- If you truly can’t afford the “ideal”, be open to being creative ( for example, does a work from home option make sense, flex commute, part time hours) as long as this option does not take away from the effectiveness of the role