Would you get hired today? Actionable steps to widen your talent pool 

1. How many of your senior executives would get hired today?

A. Few or none; B. some of them; C. all of them.

2. When hiring, to what extent do you prioritize surface-level indicators such as education and credentials?

A. Exclusively; B. to a large degree; C. to some extent – we also use evidence-based hiring practices.

3. To what extent do you rely on traditional assessment methods, such as resumes, interviews, and standardized tests?

A. Exclusively; B. to a large degree; C. to some extent – we also use evidence-based practices.

4.To what extent do you use deep, context-specific assessments?

A. Not at all; B. to some extent; C. to a large degree.

5. To what extent do you identify high-impact roles?

A.Not at all; B. to some extent; C. to a large degree.

What your answers say

Mainly As: You need to widen your talent pool, and fast!

Mainly Bs: You’re on the right lines, but you’re at risk of missing out on talent with great potential.

Mainly Cs: You are well-placed to identify and hire the stars of tomorrow.

How to transform your talent practices

1. Identify key roles

While it’s ideal to understand expertise across all positions, it’s often impractical for every role. Prioritize high-impact roles that provide a competitive advantage, where hiring and retention are particularly challenging, or where diversity issues persist.

2. Understand expertise in key roles

Collaborate with experts and top performers to design and refine assessment and development criteria using insights gained through the Applied Cognitive Task Analysis (ACTA) methodology:

• Identify and evaluate cognitively demanding tasks,
• Explore how experts handle these demand,
• Analyze challenging incidents to understand decision-making and novice errors.

3. Build practices to acquire and develop expertise

Foster skills acquisition and the effective application of knowledge. This involves a comprehensive strategy integrating targeted recruitment, structured onboarding, continuous learning, and performance support.

4. Targeted recruitment and selection

Design recruitment and selection processes to attract and retain individuals capable of achieving high levels of expertise:

• Develop assessments focusing on the cognitive demands of expert performers in key roles.
• Ensure that candidates interact with other experts during the interview process (the quality of their prospective peer group will be a significant factor in their decision to join your organization).

5. Structured onboarding

When onboarding, emphasize the critical cues and strategies experts use in their work. Highlighting expert cues and common novice mistakes will prepare employees to meet the cognitive demands of their roles.

6. Cultivate a culture of continuous learning

Your current experts are invaluable assets. Establishing systems to share, codify, and replicate their performance will give your organization a significant competitive advantage. This can be achieved through:

• Mentoring programs
• Knowledge-sharing initiatives
• Communities of practice
• Sessions dedicated to learning from experts

7. Integrate expertise into performance management and rewards

Align your performance management systems to develop and maintain expertise. This includes:

• Implementing continuous feedback loops
• Involving expert reviewers in the evaluation process
• Recognizing and rewarding employees with exceptional expertise