As a part of our talent acquisition engagements, we ask our clients how they define “top talent” and how they would assess those traits in the interview process. Reflecting on the insightful comments we hear every day, we thought there would be great value in a new blog in which senior executives/thought leaders share their “Take on Talent.”
This is the twentieth in a series of blogs/interviews with senior executives who are thought leaders in the areas of Talent Acquisition, Career Development and Leadership who will share their perspectives on this ever present question.
Rob Vatter, is an accomplished Technology Services Executive, excelling in turning strategic vision into tactical execution to achieve aggressive business agendas. He has lead diverse teams to significant accomplishments in the IT Outsourcing and Engineering and R&D Services industries for over 25+ years. Currently he is the Chief Revenue Officer at ClickFox, the industry leading SASS platform for journey analytics.
Please share with us the top five characteristics (in priority order, first to fifth) of the most talented people you have encountered during your career, and your definition of each.
- Leadership – This is not about hierarchical management or position. Leaders are people who do not step back when times are hard. They embrace the moment and find ways and opportunities achieve success.
- EQ – The ability to remain calm in all situations while looking objectively at challenges/opportunities from all different perspectives
- Intellectual Curiosity: People who are constantly testing hypothesis and investigating ideas always come to solutions that reward all sides in business. This is a unique skill that makes people interesting and attractive.
- Relentless – Passion and endurance are characteristics that lead to outstanding results. When people relentlessly pursue an idea, customer or solution, the quality of the outcome is significantly superior in so many ways.
- Integrity – People who “do the right thing” and live that motto are such assets to teams. There are so many competing forces in the business world today that having a lens to live by makes them invaluable.
How do you communicate these characteristics to your HR and senior management team?
Communicating the importance of these characteristics to HR and the leadership is done through demonstration and role models. By using these attributes as a lens to recruit, train and mentor, you are able to drive them deeper into the organization, so they become part of the organizational fabric.
How do you handle challenges to the existing culture by talent you have brought in?
Bringing new talent into an organization is a must. The people you bring in must bring the attributes you want otherwise you stand the chance that the organization will see them as cronies. They must be respectful of the existing culture but willing to use the key attributes to make the organization more diverse and more thoughtful.