Building an all-star team

How can a company increase its proportion of top talent? Avoiding headhunters is a good way to start, says a recent Bain & Company report. The research says whenever possible avoid relying on executive search firms as the primary source of new talent. A company looking for more 'A' grade employees needs to know first-hand about the talent that is available, and it needs to do its own recruiting.

Second, to raise skill level in a company, the report says an organisation must make sure only high performers conduct the interview. The reason being that 'B' and 'C' grade players can't always identify top performers and may even feel threatened by them. It suggests involving as many line managers in the interviews as possible because many jobs these days are highly technical. Interviewers from HR aren't usually capable of judging someone's technical skills.

The research says it is important to assess the talent pool in a company before hiring. Performance and potential both matter, but performance should count for a lot more because it can be measured objectively. Potential is always subjective, and may never be realised. It suggests paying close attention to high performers in the company. If they're a tiny fraction of the overall talent pool, it indicated talent crunch.