Find Your Next Superstar: What Should You Be Looking for in Your Talent Search?

Choosing the right candidates can be difficult. To find the best fit, hiring managers can benefit from having a “road map” to the most common traits of top talent.

Here’s what to look for during the hiring process:

1. Communication Skills

Outstanding communication skills help workers thrive in every career field. They’re essential to a new hire’s first days on the job, as they seek to understand the best ways to complete tasks within the context of a new team and company. They help employees complete projects, understand goals and share their abilities across work teams and departments.

From an impressive cover letter to clear, insightful interview answers, candidates have many opportunities to display their communication skills throughout the hiring process. All managers have to do is listen.

2. A Team Mindset

Hiring often focuses on individual contributions, but major goals are the result of teamwork. When seeking your next superstar, spend some time exploring candidates’ approach to working as part of a group.

For example, interview questions like “When have you had to accomplish a goal as part of a team?” can help hiring managers understand each candidate’s grasp on teamwork. Look for those who attribute success to the team, articulating their role in the process while clarifying that success in context.

3. Resilience and Commitment

“This is too hard, so I won’t do it” isn’t an option in the business world, and it never appears in the vocabulary of top performers. Instead, superstars say “This is hard, but I’ll figure it out.”

During the hiring process, find ways to evaluate resilience and commitment in your candidates. These may include interview questions about tough challenges candidates have faced or examining resumes for evidence that the candidate regularly challenges themselves with new learning opportunities, promotions or projects.

4. Traits Shared With Your Top Performers

Finally, take a look at your organization’s current superstars. Which traits do they have in common?

Superstars often rise to the top of their respective organizations because they have skills and traits that resonate with the company’s internal culture, values and approach to success. When you identify trait patterns in your top talent, you can use the pattern as a rubric to evaluate candidates for superstar potential.

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At Hamilton Ryker, we connect our clients to some of the best available talent – and we help our clients improve their ability to attract outstanding candidates. Contact us today to learn more.