THE TIPPING POINT IN LANDING TOP TALENT

As the market heats up, there will soon be more opportunities than top talent to go around!

Exceptionally talented individuals must be told a very compelling story comprised of who, what, why, how and where, followed by the payoff—just as much as they need to sell themselves to you. Interestingly enough, only a few companies grasp the importance and fundamentals of doing this well.

Winning interview strategies that will move the odds in your favor of attracting the "A" player include:

• Demonstrate the importance of the role and your level of commitment to hiring only the best by assembling the very best players to participate on your interview team. Remember, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression!
  
  
• Thoroughly brief your interview team on the position they're interviewing the candidate for. This should include an understanding of the candidate's background and experience, as well as specific areas of information you may want to gain a deeper understanding of as it relates to the opportunity you're looking to address.
  
  
• Determine who is better suited in telling the "compelling story" to the candidate, followed by whose role it will be to actually interview the candidate. Few are effective at performing both roles—a 50/50 exchange is ideal.
  
  
• Invest quality time with the candidate-there's a direct correlation in the return on your time investment. An "A" player will see by your actions that this is important to you and the company in verifying there's an excellent match!
  
  
• Finally, expedite interviews once a candidate has been identified, and more importantly, move in a timely manner to the offer stage when the final candidate has been selected. Once the window of opportunity has been opened, this brief period of interest is either opening or closing. By moving too slowly, you will loose the candidate's interest because it sends the wrong signals or you allow other dynamics the opportunity to come into play.

By implementing these basic interview strategies you will move the tipping point in your favor when looking to attract the best and brightest.