Where are you?

In recent years there has been a scarcity of high potential high performing employees. Why is that? Where have they gone?

Back in 1992, the largest commercial bank in Saudi Arabia did not have difficulty hiring hundreds of Filipinos to work for them. I was part of a batch of 200 Filipinos hired within a three month period.

Back in 2018, my clients had difficulty landing a range of employees from Executive Assistant to HR Directors. Three of my clients were all searching for a good HR Director at the same time.

Where are the good ones?

We have this premise that the good ones are currently employed. Hopefully, not happily employed so we can offer a better career.

We tried testing that premise. A clients LinkedIn posting attracted hundreds of applicants for a particular job opening. Over ninety percent had no qualifying experience on the job we posted. Despite the glaring shortcomings, they boldly applied.

Do they think that the recruitment staff are naive enough to paper qualify them with zero experience on a director role? Possibly? Possibly they are desperate for any job. Just any job would do.

What they fail to realize is that successful companies do not like hiring someone who just wants any job. Companies will pay a premium hiring a subject matter expert or a great manager. Better yet, hiring a subject matter expert who can successfully manage people.

There are two important things to consider when it comes to acquiring talent. First, in recruitment one size does not fit all. You need a sourcing strategy. Where does the particular talent you are hunting for congregate? Second, if you cannot find qualified talent, have you considered building it? Sometimes it's a question of deciding whether to build or to buy talent.

Good talent is hard to come by. I strongly suggest that the managers of these people take very good care of them. The companies must develop and challenge them to consistently excel. If you don't another company will come along and grab them.

After all, people join companies and leave managers.