{"id":12151,"date":"2022-09-08T06:45:03","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T06:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=12151"},"modified":"2022-09-20T15:16:49","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T15:16:49","slug":"association-talent-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/association-talent-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Having Top Talent On Staff (Or With Your Partners) Matters To Your Association"},"content":{"rendered":"

No matter what industry you\u2019re in, attracting and retaining top-quality staff is a crucial piece of the puzzle that leads to your association\u2019s success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without top talent, your different departments won\u2019t function smoothly, effective strategies won\u2019t be put in place, and your team may start to lack the kind of motivation it takes to excel and propel your association forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the<\/span> 2022 Association Benchmarking Report<\/span><\/b><\/a>, 51% of associations feel understaffed, meaning it\u2019s essential for the team members you have in place to be high performers who are invested in your long-term success.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the characteristics of top talent?<\/b><\/h3>\n

The definition of top talent may look different depending on your association and the department or position for which you\u2019re hiring. Because of this, the best way to determine what \u201ctop talent\u201d means to a role is to conduct a thorough analysis of that role <\/span>before <\/span><\/i>embarking on your recruitment or selection process.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this analysis, you should cover what\u2019s unique about the job you\u2019re hiring for and how the goals of your association and the potential employee can align, as well as the type of manager to whom they will be reporting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The analysis will give you a clear understanding of what excellence will look like in the role and the skills, talents and experience necessary for success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember, you should always hire according to the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Talent<\/b>: An applicant\u2019s natural ability.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Skills<\/b>: What applicants have learned to do well.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Experience<\/b>: How applicants have developed their skills to reach their talent potential.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For me, I always look for candidates who are ambitious, resourceful, personal, competitive, have a track record of measured success, will fit within my organizational and team culture, and have the potential to raise the level of my team.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How do you attract and recruit top talent?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Recruiting should always be an intentional, ongoing process if you\u2019re looking to get the best people for the job. You should focus on building a talent bank of potential applicants, even when you\u2019re not actively hiring for a specific role as you never know when you\u2019re going to need to call upon this list.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I find that LinkedIn, connections within my personal \u201cboard of directors\u201d, competitors’ staff, internal referral programs and incentives, and everyday interactions with people I meet can sometimes be the best ways of finding top talent.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Ideally, building talent should be a habit you follow every single day rather than a check-box exercise you do as and when you need it.<\/span><\/p>\n

    What qualifications should associations look for when recruiting?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    The qualifications you look for in an applicant should be closely aligned with the skills needed for a particular role. (This is the information that will come from the job analysis mentioned earlier.)<\/span><\/p>\n

    However, as a general guide, top talent will typically be strong in self-awareness, purpose, people acumen, relationships, business acumen, resourcefulness, positivity and confidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    These are the basic foundational talents needed to be successful in any business environment, but there are undoubtedly more specific job-related qualifications they will need to perform well in their specific role.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How to ensure that applicants are right for your association<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Every association has its own unique culture, and every role has specific characteristics that the right candidate needs to perform well. To make sure that the applicant is going to be the right fit, you should have some questions lined up that are designed by role but also include some general association-focussed questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For example, if you\u2019re hiring someone for a sales role, you could ask some of the following questions:<\/span><\/p>\n