Selection….Who should I pick?

Every year at this time, productivity slows down and office pools get into high gear to choose favorite teams for the NCAA Men’s college basketball championship (AKA March Madness). Sorry ladies; however, no one is going to beat Baylor this year. I think I even saw a special where ESPN was going over the President’s picks. Bottom line, a lot of time and energy goes into choosing “who is going to win it all”. Usually there is a lot of money riding on the right choice.

I find it very interesting that some companies do not put in the same time, energy and passion in choosing their talent. When choosing teams for the NCAA championship you look over data because you haven’t seen every team play. You guess at a “possible” upset and then you put your money down and wait for the chips to fall.

However, when choosing talent, several companies will make the final choice on feel: they look good on paper, they present well in person, they have the proper background and education, they were a top producer for our competitor, and they pass the gauntlet of background checks. We like her and could not find a reason to disqualify her. But do you still like her 6 months later?

When making your picks for the NCAA, you should be thinking of three things when making your choices:

• Who has the best coach/leader? – It has been proven that top coaches consistently take their teams to the finals several times.
• Skills/abilities – the best athletes have the best chance. It has been proven that NBA prospects consistently play in the finals.
• Chemistry – the winning teams usually run like a well-oiled machine.

These teams fight through injuries, learn from the rare loses, play like a team, and have a passion for winning.

In most organizations talent will make or break a company. After you weed out candidates who give you clear reasons not to choose them, you are down to choosing the “right” candidate. The “right” choice should be based on data from your winning talent. The top 20% of your players who produce 80% of your production should help you chose the best talent to join your team.

In these times of recovery, building a winning team, based on data will increase your chances of winning. The NFL and major colleges have built winning teams by assessing  their talent. Several large and small companies are going to pre-employment testing, to help choose the right talent. What positive data are you using to make the “right” choice?

And with that said, Roll Tide (sometimes you just have to go with your heart)!