The Voice, American Idol and America’s Got Talent. What do these reality TV shows have in common? They are each looking for the next big thing, a surprise talent that shakes the judges out of the feeling of same-old, same-old and been there, done that. Each time such a discovery occurs, there’s a moment of specialness and a collective feeling that this particular person has an undeniable special talent. Within the world of recruiting and staffing, recruiters are looking for their own version of this discovery in the form of Top Talent.
Easy to Spot, Hard to Define
Whether or not you’re a fan of reality TV, most of us can recall the experience of discovering or meeting someone who we recognize as special. Often this attribute isn’t easily quantifiable, but the quality shows through in how they work and the way they interact with others. A job listing asking for Top Talent is looking for a way to bring a person with these qualities into a workplace in order to enhance the organization and culture through their work ethnic and leadership.
Attributes of a Top-Line Contributor
One of the most important qualities of someone who is Top Talent is the ability to add value to an organization. This could be in the form of competency in executing skills, a curiosity to explore the unknown, and/or the ability to embrace stressful situations in order to create success for themselves and everyone around them. This individual also possesses a competitive spirit and a sense of urgency to get the job done well the first time.
- Competent
- Creative
- Curious
- Mature
- Resourceful
- Resilient
- Industrious
- Productive
- Team player
- Ethical
- Serious
- Leader
Digging Deeper
While learning and/or cultivating the above attributes can occur over time, one quality that’s critical to becoming a leader is something no book or video can teach. This is the characteristic of grit or the ability to work through trial and failure with the belief you’ll come out stronger on the other side. Similar to the idea that nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, a person possessing the quality of grit will always get back up if knocked down.
Consider this, would you rather be someone who understands failure is an essential part of the learning process or someone who expects perfection will just happen? Choosing the perfection route is certainly easier in the short-run, particularly when things fall into place. The problem is that perfection is next to impossible to obtain, especially on a regular basis. Learning is something we are all equipped to do, and it’s the subsequent solving of problems that creates the foundation to keep working until things are right. This is the attitude of an individual with Top Talent attributes. So, we’d like to know, do you have what it takes
This article is brought to you by Staffing Kansas City