Step Two - Leverage Your Top Performers - Build a Better Workforce

THE STONE GROUP
1981 MEMORIAL DRIVE
Suite #223
CHICOPEE, MA 01020

Michael J. Stone
phone(413) 726-9095
toll free: (866)615-6698 Mike@BuildaBetterWorkforce.com

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Step Two - Leverage Your Top Performers

Before we get into step two I want you to imagine that you have already completed step two of BBWF. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. I want you to imagine what your life would be like if everybody that worked for you was a top performer. I'm not talking about moderately successful. I am talking about fully engaged, and thriving. How much more successful would you be if that were the case? Take ten seconds now to imagine that scenario. (Don't blow this off it will be worth it! Now close your eyes and imagine!)
Having only top performers can be a reality. In fact, it should be your goal, and here is why. As you imagined your business full of engaged and thriving people, didn't you notice that everyone was smiling? Didn't you also notice the incredible amount of energy, enthusiasm and camaraderie? Most importantly, didn't you notice that you felt less stress? Here is the bonus you've been searching for if what you imagined was reality, do you think you could achieve leverage? In other words, would you still feel like "If I don't go to the office, everything will fall apart!"? Aha!
If your brand is your compass, your top performers are the seeds to grow your better workforce garden. You cannot, and will not build a better workforce without top performers.
A very common mistake made by small business owners is miscalculating top performers. Top performance should not be judged on results alone. Many of your top performers can, and should be your top producers, but often times things aren't quite what they seem. Upon further review, you might discover your top producer may have just found a way around the system to bring more value to themselves without regard for customer results, or company goals.
This is especially true when compensation rewards new business more than customer service. You may have a top producer that simply adds new business without servicing accounts. That person may bring in a lot of new revenue, and is rewarded handsomely, however, because of deals and concessions, you could end up losing money on every sale. More so, you are left with undesirable clients.
There have been countless studies on top performers. One extensive study1 followed 360,000 workers for over twenty years and determined some not so startling news. The study gave proof to what you have undoubtedly known for a long time. Traditional hiring methods do not work. The real value of this study is the evidence of why traditional methods don't work, and most importantly what does.
The study revealed that the four criteria that make up the foundation of traditional hiring methods give no indication of job success. Resumes, past work experience, education levels and interview skills do not determine job success or engagement. Job Match, according to this study is the key indicator of job success.
Intuitively, we all know this to be true. Everyone (including you) knows someone who is wildly successful despite his or her degree, prior work experience, and/or interview skills. Many successful small business owners were not successful employees when working for others. Playing the role of employee does not fit with their profile despite the fact that their old job included similar products, in similar industries, selling to similar clients.
If you have top performers in your organization it is because they "fit" your business fingerprint. Every business is made up of a unique combination of philosophy, culture and product. Despite backgrounds, degrees, and interview skills, you have stumbled upon people that are engaged by your philosophy, culture, and product. They enjoy the work, they are adequately challenged by the work, they feel as if they are recognized, and compensated adequately for the work they do, and they believe in the philosophy, and vision of the company.
In simple terms, you have their head (the cognitive skills required are neither under or overly challenging); you have their hands (they demonstrate the behaviors that are necessary to succeed); and you have their heart (they are interested in doing what is necessary to succeed). It makes sense, doesn't it?
You leverage your top performers by only offering key positions to those candidates that think, behave and share occupational interests with your top performers. By doing so you will increase the chances of hiring top performers by 500%2.
Conversely, if an employee can't give you all three, it is much more likely that you won't have their head, hands or their heart before your done paying for their training and acquisition costs.
To leverage your top performers you must create a benchmark based on their thinking styles, behaviors and occupational interests. This can and should be done using assessment tools that measure all three. At The Stone Group, we offer our clients with the premiere product in this arena. The Profile XTTM can be used to coach existing employees, or for the acquisition of new employees. What makes this product superior to DISC type assessment tools is that it can be used as a comparative study. In other words the PXT creates a Job Match Pattern specific to your organization and based on your top performers. Candidates are compared directly against that profile and your top performers.
According to Dr. Patricia A Lindley, of the British Psychological Society, and Senior Editor of The Review of Personality Instruments, in a July 2005 interview with David Creelman of the Human Capital Institute, DISC type assessments only measure one's preference when choosing between two options. This does little to determine real life behaviors, and interests. Dr. Lindley suggests that DISC assessments should be used for personal development only. She goes on to say DISC assessments "can be used in groups to help individuals understand one another but it's certainly not a selection test."3
The Profile XTTM will help you to leverage those top performers and allow you to hire more and more people just like them. The Profile XTTM is completely non-judgmental. It does not tell you how your employees should think or behave, or what their occupational interests should be. It simply measures what works for you and your exact combination of vision, philosophy and culture, and how those components influence and expand the true job requirements.

For most small businesses, finding top talent presents one of the biggest challenges. If it's one of yours, look for the 6 Simple Steps to Leveraging Top Performers, and the companion workbook scheduled for release in the fall of 2007. You will find important strategies for attracting, and acquiring Top Performers.
Hiring the right people in the first place is the most important step to building a better workforce. If you continue to rely on traditional hiring methods alone, you will drastically reduce the potential gains of the other five steps. When you only consider previous work experience, education, and interview skills for your key positions you are implying that you are just like everyone else.
When you are perceived to be just like everyone else, you are less likely to attract top performers, and more likely to attract an average person looking to pay the bills, rather than follow a passion. "Job Seekers" are much less likely to become engaged, or reach your expectations. They will take for granted any benefit you try to give them, and seldom see the value in going beyond what they are told.
Leadership, recognition, and benefits can help any workforce get better. However, it may never be enough for those employees that do not "fit" in your organization. Rarely will these strategies change behaviors, thinking styles, or occupational interests.
By using job match patterns to leverage your top performers you are sending a clear message that you take the hiring process seriously. Top performers will understand and appreciate the likelihood of working with other top performers.