Why Top Talent May not be What You’re Actually Looking For

 According to a Harvard business study, up to 80 percent of employee turnover is a direct cause of poor hiring decisions. Turnover costs big bucks, which is why retention is such a huge deal for employers. As such, finding the right candidate, not just any candidate, is the goal when it comes to hiring. This is why recruiters and employers make a big fuss over “top talent”.

“Finding Top Talent”, “How to Recruit Top Talent”, “Losing Top Talent”, are just a few blog titles I’ve recently stumbled upon. But what if I told you top talent isn’t always the answer. Call me crazy, but please hear me out.

First, let’s define what the term top talent actually means.

From the aforementioned articles and searching the internet quite a bit, I got nothing. It’s basically a term thrown around by people in HR (and people marketing to HR) that is never really defined. Top talent usually refers to candidates who are the best, or top, in their field. Candidates who are wizards at what they do, have tons of experience, and all the right accolades are what employers imagine upon hearing the term top talent.

Why wouldn’t top talent be the best choice?

Well, obviously, this will depend on the company, job post, and current employees, but here are a few reasons…

Recruiting Top Talent May be Overrated

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

It’s lonely at the top for a reason: There’s only room up there for one. This is all well and good if you’re looking for a new CEO, or president of the United States, or Superhero, but when you’re looking to add a new member to your team, you have to consider the ‘alpha factor’. Top talent often earns this title by being extremely focused, competitive, and firm in their opinion of how things ought to be done. (Which can be awesome, but only in moderation.) If every member of your team thinks this way, good luck getting them to agree, support each other, or collaborate.

YOU CAN’T PLAY BALL WITH 9 PITCHERS

Sure, left field is a much less glamorous position than pitching and may not require the same credentials, but when you have two outs and the batter pulls left, you’ll be very, very thankful to have a solid fielder on your team. Sports analogies aside, a team works best when it’s made up of people with complementary skill sets. If everyone in the sales department uses a hard sell, you’re going to lose out on customers who prefer a softer touch. Hire the best candidate to complement the team you already have.

HIRING FOR FIT > THAN HIRING FOR CREDENTIALS

Yes, credentials are important. The right candidate must have the knowledge, skills, and experience to fill their job requirements, but that candidate must also be the right fit for your company. Now, when I say hiring for fit, I do not mean hiring with the goal of creating a cultural melting pot. I am Canadian, so I prefer the idea of a cultural mosaic! If you want to keep things running smoothly, it’s important that new hires work well with your current employees, company culture, and corporate values.

What is fit?

“A fit is where there is congruence between the norms and values of the organization and that of the person” – Adrian Furnham, The Psychology of Behavior at Work

If your hire is a good fit for your company, they will have greater job satisfaction, be more invested in their work, perform better, and stay with your company longer. They will also be generally happier and healthier, which is great for both candidate and employer.

If you’re looking to make the best hire, you may not want to search for rockstar candidates, but instead focus on finding the right candidate for the position, your team, and your company culture.