Pro Sports and Talent Management
One of my favourite books is “Hiring Secrets of the NFL” by Isaac Cheifetz. Cheifetz is a corporate recruiter specializing in advanced technology, and obviously a big football fan. The book is all about how to increase the odds of bringing in the right talent for the right position, with the right cultural fit and building teams that can deliver world-class performances.
I was initially intrigued by the book, and probably bought it, mainly because I am also a huge football fan. However, while reading it, I began to see the parallels between successful sport franchises and successful organizations in respect to talent strategy.
Whatever sport you follow, think about how your favourite team operates. On a typical professional football team there may be up to a dozen or more coaches. In fact each position on the team has their own full time coach. Players and coaches spend over ninety percent of their time during a week just preparing to perform at the highest level possible.
Let’s talk for a minute about the selection process a pro football team goes through. In the NFL, teams employ scouting departments that scour North America for the best talent they can find. And they look specifically for players that can fill specialized roles on their teams. Reams of video footage are pored over on each player. At scouting combines players are measured in every way possible, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
And all professional sports teams are constantly looking for what they call depth at every position. In football especially, you never know when a player’s career could end. Injuries take a tremendous toll, but all too often players just can’t keep performing at the same physical level for long. Teams need to have reserves at every position who are capable of stepping in and stepping up to the challenge.
I have often been surprised at how closely top performing organizations conduct their talent management strategy in a manner that is almost identical to a successful sports team. Top companies are constantly on the lookout for the best talent with an eye on the future. They never know when a superstar manager or leader might be gone, and so they are developing depth in the ranks to step in.
The best organizations are doing all they can to develop the leaders they have and cultivate employees with potential to succeed them eventually. In sports succession planning is critical. A quarterback or goalie can’t keep going forever and will have to be replaced eventually. Your leaders will need to keep improving during their careers but will not be around forever. Retirements, new opportunities, or simply diminished performances are all problems to watch out for and you need to have replacements ready to go.
Top organizations carefully evaluate and scrutinize potential employees just as carefully as any NFL team. Interviews are designed to uncover as much information as possible about future potential. And top companies subject candidates to as many assessments and tests as needed to make sure that these candidates are put into positions where their natural strengths allow them to succeed. They also carefully measure new hires to make sure they have the skill and talent to fit, but also that there is a cultural fit with the organization. This is a key, but often overlooked component to talent management, can they do they job and will they want to do it here?
Lastly, pro football teams are constantly evaluating and assessing their organization and the talent within it. They are quick to cut those who don’t work out and let them move on. Think of how much more productive your organization would be if effective performance reviews were held often and taken seriously. Are you measuring employee engagement and satisfaction on a regular basis? Remember that these are two separate issues as well, some of the most disengaged employees you have are quite satisfied with their paycheck.
One final comment. Remember what happens to football general managers who do a poor job of managing their talent. The NFL can be very harsh on managers that don’t produce results, those results are wins and championships. A lack of talent or the mismanagement of talent will find a GM on the unemployment line in no time. Mis-managing the talent in our business could lead to the same situation for us, or worse. In business or in sports results count, and those results are impossible without the right people in the right positions.
