Building
the “a” team
Investments in talent capital pay off over the long term, ensuring you
outperform the competition, even in a challenging economy
By Jonathan A. Boba
whiLe the current ecOnOmic cLimAte dOesn’t intui- tiveLy suggest hiring new emPLOyees, BuiLding A tALent AdvAntAge Over yOur cOmPetitOrs hAs never
FAST FORWARD
› Quality human capital has
seldom been more available
or affordable. Strategic
companies are assessing
current teams and adding
top-tier professionals.
Been mOre imPOrtAnt. QuALity humAn cAPitAL hAs seLdOm Been mOre
AvAiLABLe Or reAdiLy AttrActABLe (And AffOrdABLe), and savvy executives
are assessing current teams and creating and implementing strategies to add top-tier
professionals. Simply put, firms that are serious about attracting, employing, and
› The process of topgrading
reveals the company’s
“A” players as well as
weaknesses in the operation.
developing the very best professional talent available at all strategic and support levels
will be prepared to thrive in down markets and outperform rivals over the long term.
› Top-tier finance and
accounting teams, for
example, when running
at peak efficiency with top
talent, can save companies
thousands of dollars
annually.
Quality strategic hires can have an
energizing effect on an organization
and dramatically improve company culture. Hiring and developing “A” players
can improve morale, and increase production and overall profitability. “You
can never have too many ‘difference
makers,’” says chuck herman, executive vice president and chief investment
officer of Toledo, Ohio-based health
care reit.
“Topgrading,” a concept pioneered
more than a decade ago by consultants
Bradford D. Smart and Geoffrey H.
Smart, describes a discipline of con-
sistently seeking and employing “best
in class” professional talent, while re-
deploying (internally or externally) em-
ployees of lesser ability, performance
history, or drive across all levels of the
organization.
