How do you hire for potential and fit in a fast-changing industry?

90% of people fail to assess skills properly for one simple reason: They search for the WRONG attributes. So, before assessing, define what you're seeking. Three easy steps to do it: 1. Define the CORE skills necessary for the job—ones needed presently and with a guaranteed future need. 2. Establish a KEY metric to measure each skill. 3. Create the simplest test for this metric. Only then should you begin considering other skills.

Define Key Competencies: Identify the essential skills, qualities, and traits necessary for success in your industry. This might include things like adaptability, creativity, problem-solving skills, resilience, and a growth mindset. Look for Potential: Instead of solely focusing on past experience & qualifications, assess candidates for their potential to grow and adapt to change. Look for indicators such as a track record of learning new skills quickly, taking on new challenges, and seeking out opportunities for growth. Offer Flexibility: In a fast-changing industry, flexibility is key. Consider offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work/flexible hrs to attract candidates who value autonomy and work-life balance.

Adapting to a fast-changing industry requires both agility and foresight. 1.Continuous Learning: Regularly update your skills and knowledge through courses, certifications, and industry events to stay ahead of trends and emerging technologies. 2.Network Actively: Engage with industry peers, attend conferences, and join professional groups to exchange insights and stay informed about the latest developments. 3.Embrace Flexibility: Be open to new methodologies, tools, and practices. Flexibility allows you to pivot quickly and adapt to changes in the industry landscape. 4.Leverage Data Analytics: Use data-driven insights to anticipate industry shifts and make informed decisions, ensuring you remain proactive rather than reactive.

As a hiring manager, a good place to start is their resume. What story does it tell? Have they embraced change, transformation, or new opportunities? Have they experienced rapid transformation in past roles? Second, ask them to tell their story in 3-5 minutes. This opens the door for the candidate to explain their path and how this role fits with their trajectory. And it gives you insights into alignment with the requirements of the role or industry. Third, can they share specific examples of how they've succeeded in a fast-paced environment? Last, what motivates them? Thrive on change? New challenges? The more you understand whether or not their wants and your needs align, the more likely you'll make a good hiring decision.

In today's fast-paced world, hiring for potential and fit is crucial. But how do you find the right talent for a rapidly evolving industry? 🤔 1️⃣ Look Beyond Experience: Skills can be taught, but passion and adaptability are priceless. Seek candidates hungry to learn and grow. 2️⃣ Cultural Alignment: Your team's culture is the heartbeat of success. Hire those who resonate with your values, fostering a dynamic work environment. 3️⃣ Adaptability Tests: In a changing landscape, adaptability is gold. Pose scenarios during interviews to gauge how candidates tackle the unknown. 4️⃣ Continuous Learning: Encourage a thirst for knowledge. Those who seek growth are often the driving force behind innovation.

Don't do it ALONE. Whatever you design, do it WITH the employees. Ask them for feedback, ideas, opinions, and feelings. Otherwise, you will design a career path that motivates no one or a learning opportunity that no one is interested in.

One thing we've found helpful is assessment testing. Using assessments tests in conjunction with assessing the fit (not as an end all be all) can be valuable into understanding not only the candidate strengths and weaknesses, but it also serves to verify your understanding from the candidate as to how they view themselves. Additionally, it serves a valuable purpose when in helpimg you coach and develop them once they are on board.

Behaviour assessments can be really helpful here, giving you an unbiased view of the S&D areas of each individual. This shouldn't be taken as gospel, but provides a good starting point to creating a tailored development plan. Finally find out what your people's long term goals are and work towards that, you can have the best training plans in place if people aren't engaged or motivated it's be a pointless exercise.

Growth isn’t optional—it's essential. [1] Continuous Learning: -> Provide access to online courses, certifications, and industry seminars. -> For instance, if you’re hiring a developer, give them access to platforms like Udemy or Coursera to learn new programming languages. [2] Mentorship Programs: -> Pair them with a senior employee who can guide their growth. -> Mentorship isn't just about learning; it’s about understanding the company's culture and long-term goals. [3] Career Progression Plans: -> During onboarding, lay out a 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year plan. -> For example, “In the next six months, we expect you to master X skill. After a year, you should be ready to take on Y responsibilities.”

To start, identify what DOESN'T retain and grow your talent pool, then avoid it at all costs. 90% of the time, these factors include: 1. Non-competitive compensation: Low pay won't retain talent; this includes benefits too. 2. Lack of psychological safety: When people don't feel free to express themselves, your team suffers..expect feedback only when a top performer resigns via email. 3. Limited growth opportunities: Without visible chances for growth within your organization, people will seek opportunities elsewhere.

I have always found that when you enagage your team, you find out what makes them tick. Finding out what motivates your people goes a long way in employee retention. However, it does not end there, the next step is to provide meaningful and challenging opportunities for people to grow. Finally as a leader you need to embrace peoples growth and foster their desire to grow, even if that means you have to lose them to growth opportunities for themselves. No one wants to be stagnant, but no one wants a selfish leader that will hold people back for their self interest. Always act and do with integrity, your reputation as a leader that grows people will be your biggest key in keeping your talent pool deep and not an evaporating puddle.

Progression is key to retention. That doesn't mean that you need to throw money and titles to keep people. How can you get your team doing more of what they are good at and what they enjoy? Does progression seem like it's only upwards and just the one job for the team to fit over? Or are you clear on lateral progression or the chance to develop their skills not simply get a bigger title?

Feedback, Feedback and more feedback! The best way to retain is by listening to your people finding out what their goals are, what drives them and how they work best. Make sure you are providing real career development opportunities, recognise achievements and nurture leadership potential. The most engaged employees are ones that are learning and being challenged, not having something to work towards will only ever lead to decline. You should also prioritise a good work-life balance, a positive work environment, and most important of all lead by example.

It’s easier and cheaper to retain a great employee than to find a new one. Employees need to feel valued, challenged, and appreciated. [1] Regular Check-ins: -> Don’t wait for the annual review. -> Have bi-weekly or monthly one-on-one meetings to discuss their progress, challenges, and aspirations. [2] Recognition Programs: -> Publicly acknowledge their achievements. -> This could be as simple as a shoutout in a company-wide email or a small bonus for a job well done. [3] Flexibility: -> Offer flexible working conditions, especially in a remote setting. Flexibility in work hours and location can be a huge retention tool.

Test for values. Someone who shares the same values as your company is 100x more likely to lean into their work. Test for resilience. Bouncing back in the face of adversity is a trait you want in any employee, especially in a fast-paced startup. Test for independent thinking. You want the classroom disrupter, not the teacher’s pet. Test for adaptability. People who have an allergic reaction to change are not going to work out Test for continuous learning. You don’t want the fancy degree holder, but the person who’s familiar with the most potent form of learning—the real world.

One of the biggest mistakes hiring managers make in a quickly changing environment is to hire for the needs of today. For this reason, we often see high levels of turnover as the company matures which not only impacts the company ability to achieve its goals, but has a ripple effect on morale throughout the company for those less familiar with what is actually a common phenomenon. The best hiring managers are as strategic about their hiring as they are about their goal-setting and targets. These hiring managers are forward-looking and think not just about what metrics or strategies align to their future vision, but about the different skillsets, mindsets, and capabilities that are going to help them get there.

In the startup world, a popular saying is: "A little bit of slope makes up for a lot of Y-intercept." In this case meaning: focus on a candidate's growth potential (slope) over their current skills (Y-intercept). To spot 'slope' in a candidate, look for signs of a lifelong learner. This doesn’t have to be evidenced through formal coursework or certifications. (I'd argue that high slope folks often don't thrive in classrooms) Instead, look for curiosity and the willingness to be a beginner. Seek out candidates who embrace new experiences and failure, who actively seek feedback, take it kindly, and strive to grow by competing with themselves. People often stretch to rise to the challenge they're put up to.

The GOLDEN RULE of potential: The Peter Principle. It says that individuals tend to be promoted to their level of incompetence. This means people are often promoted based on their current role's performance until they're no longer effective. So, when assessing someone's potential for a role, evaluate if they have the potential for the role immediately ABOVE it.

Hiring always starts with ensuring the candidate under consideration has high integrity. Regardless of skillset and capability, having high character is an absolute must and a non-negotiable.