Building a high-performance culture is a critical aspect of success for any organisation, including those in the public and non-profit sector. It involves creating an environment where every team member is empowered to perform at their best and achieve their goals. However, building such a culture requires a deliberate effort and a clear understanding of what high performance means for your specific organisation.
This includes recognising the skills and characteristics that high performers possess, and how they align with your unique mission and values. Once you have a clear understanding of what high performance means for your organisation, the next step is to hire the right people who possess the skills and traits you need.
In this blog we’ll explore how you can attract and hire talented high performers and those with potential. By hiring with performance in mind you will take crucial steps towards creating a workplace culture that encourages growth and fosters success.
Discovering what high performance means for your organisation
High performance is going to mean different things for different industries, organisations and even teams within an organisation. Discovering what high performance means for your organisation or team requires a deliberate effort to define and articulate what success looks like. Here are a few steps to get started:
- Define your mission and goals
To build a high-performance culture, you must first have a clear understanding of your organisation’s mission and goals. This includes understanding what success looks like in terms of outcomes, and what behaviours and actions will drive those outcomes. - Identify the key drivers of success
Once you have a clear understanding of your mission and goals, you need to identify the key drivers of success. This includes the skills, behaviours, and attributes that are essential to achieving your goals. - Assess your current team
Evaluate your current team to identify where your strengths and weaknesses lie. This can help you determine where you need to focus your hiring efforts, and what areas of your culture may need to be improved. - Develop a clear set of expectations
Based on your assessment, develop a clear set of expectations for what high performance looks like within your organisation. This should include specific goals and objectives, as well as the behaviours and skills that are essential for success. - Communicate your expectations
Communicate your expectations clearly to your team and provide ongoing feedback and support to help them achieve their goals.
By following these steps, you can develop a clear understanding of what high performance means for your organisation and create a culture that places a strong emphasis on success and growth.
6 Tips for hiring high performing candidates
Once you have that understanding, it’s time to take that knowledge and use it to support your recruiting strategy. Depending on your immediate needs and long-term goals you might choose to hire:
- Candidates with a proven track record of success
- Candidates with the potential to be high achievers
- Those candidates with specific skills and achievements to complement your current skills
- A combination of all the above!
Here are some tips to help you find the candidates you need:
- Clearly define your hiring criteria
Before starting the hiring process, it’s important to clearly define the skills, experience, and characteristics that are essential for success in the role. This will help you identify high performers who have the qualities you are looking for. - Look for evidence of past success
One of the best indicators of future success is past success. Look for candidates who have a track record of achieving their goals and making significant contributions in their previous roles.
- Use skills-based hiring methods
Traditional hiring methods, such as relying solely on resumes and interviews, may not always accurately predict job performance. Consider using skills-based hiring methods, such as work samples or skills assessments, to better evaluate candidates’ abilities and potential. - Conduct behavioural interviews
In addition to traditional interviews, conduct behavioural interviews to assess candidates’ problem-solving skills, work style, and team collaboration skills. Companies like Google regularly use behavioural interviewing for leadership candidates because it is a more effective way to assess experience. - Seek diversity
Diversity of thought and background can be a key driver of high performance. Diverse organisations and teams outperform those that lack diversity by 35%. Look for candidates who bring unique perspectives and experiences to the role.
Leverage your employer branding
A strong employer brand can help attract top talent who share your organisation’s values and are motivated to perform at their best. To leverage your employer brand in hiring for a high-performance culture, it’s important to ensure that your messaging is consistent and authentic, and that it accurately reflects your values and culture.
Leverage your employer branding
A strong employer brand can help attract top talent who share your organisation’s values and are motivated to perform at their best. To leverage your employer brand in hiring for a high-performance culture, it’s important to ensure that your messaging is consistent and authentic, and that it accurately reflects your values and culture.
It’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The hiring strategies you adopt should be tailored to your team’s specific needs and context and should be implemented consistently over time for maximum impact.
Perform at your best with Morgan Law
At Morgan Law, our team of experienced consultants is well-versed in helping public-sector and not-for-profit organisations create bespoke recruitment strategies and improve their existing practices to ensure they can access the talent they need, when they need it.
Our established database of over 30,000 senior-level, highly skilled professionals with significant experience in the public and not-for-profit sectors available on a permanent and contract basis enable us to deliver the highest quality recruitment solutions.
Get in touch to discuss your recruitment needs.