Defining Strengths-Based Selection and Development

Transcription

1 Defining Strengths-Based Selection and Development How can an integrated strengths-based strategy transform your employee selection and development efforts?

2 For more information about Gallup Consulting or Gallup s strengths-based programs, please visit consulting.gallup.com or contact Emily Meyer at emily_meyer@gallup.com or Copyright 2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Gallup, Gallup Consulting, Gallup Press, Gallup University and Clifton StrengthsFinder are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

3 Defining Strengths-Based Selection and Development How can an integrated strengths-based strategy transform your employee selection and development efforts? Imagine the benefits your organization would reap if it could strategically hire candidates based on their talents, and then help them leverage those talents to perform with strength. Motivation and engagement levels would soar. Turnover and attrition would be minimized. Associates would eagerly come to work each day if given the opportunity to do what they do best, and their innovation and enthusiasm would fuel productivity and drive profits organically. In reality, however, most employee selection and development efforts fall far short of this vision. Why? Because even though most organizations claim to pursue talent in the selection process, they do not fully understand what talent is or how to assess it. And if they are unable to grasp the nature of talent and how to measure it, there is little chance that they will be able to develop it or connect it to performance in any meaningful way. Gallup researchers have spent decades studying talent naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied and have discovered it to be a powerful predictor of future performance. They have also researched the most effective ways to foster employee development based on strength: the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific task. Through decades of rigorous scientific exploration, Gallup has designed proven methods for recruiting and measuring talent, as well as for developing strengths, that have the power to drive superior performance and improve the bottom line. Selecting for Success It is unwise for an organization to hire someone without first measuring whether his or her talents fit the role the stakes are just too high. Turnover resulting from poor selection decisions can cost an organization anywhere from 25% to 80% of the annual salary for each vacant entrylevel position, and up to 400% of the annual earnings for specialized professional positions (Wagner & Harter, 2006) not to mention the cost of lost potential in maintaining underperforming employees in roles they are simply unsuited for. Many organizations struggle in vain to master the selection process and get caught in a vicious cycle of choosing one costly bad hire after another, unaware that there is a proven strategy for measuring and evaluating the talent needed for success in any role: Gallup s Strengths-Based Selection process. Gallup s consultants begin the Strengths-Based Selection process by studying the demands of a given role as well as the top performers in that role to gain a clear understanding of the talents that drive their success. In addition, our consultants analyze the organization s work environment to determine how to attract individuals who are more likely to align with the client s unique culture. Findings from this comprehensive research are evaluated using our comparative database of more than 4.8 million global candidates who have taken a Gallup selection assessment. The result is a fully validated, highly customized selection instrument that accurately identifies individuals with the talents necessary to achieve success in a particular role. Copyright 2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 1

4 Building on Talent While a customized Strengths-Based Selection tool allows your organization to find the right fit for each role, all employees even top performers need guidance when it comes to discovering their talents and developing their strengths. Building on each employee s most powerful talents is key to creating an effective onboarding and development strategy. How is this achieved? It all starts with the Clifton StrengthsFinder a revolutionary tool Gallup has designed to measure talent and develop human potential. The Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment is the cornerstone of Gallup s Strengths-Based Development practice; it has been administered to more than 3 million people in 50 countries and in 22 languages. Taking the assessment is the first step in a journey of strengths discovery that leads to greater productivity through enhanced self-awareness. After employees complete the assessment, their talents are evaluated across a spectrum of 34 themes, out of which their dominant talent themes emerge. Increased understanding of one s greatest talents ultimately leads to deeper employee engagement and higher levels of performance. In fact, our studies indicate that employees who have an opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs. As workgroups explore the combined talents of their dominant talent themes, a clearer picture of the team dynamic comes into focus and old barriers to progress are overcome. Equipped with the knowledge of their dominant talents, teams learn to accomplish tasks with greater effectiveness, set more targeted goals, maximize collaboration among members, increase productivity, and perform to the highest levels. Strengths-Based Strategy individual and organizational performance. However, one important distinction is that Strengths-Based Selection is a hiring tactic designed to help your organization bring the most promising talent on board. Strengths- Based Development, on the other hand, is an ongoing developmental process that enables your organization to maximize the innate talents of all employees to help them reach their fullest potential. Both tools combine to help clients attain optimal results through a customized strengths-based strategy with the power to deliver the greatest impact to your organization s bottom line. Strengths Alignment: An Integrated Strengths- Based Approach As our clients grow in their understanding of Gallup s strengths-based approach, they naturally begin to see how the two programs work together to help them achieve maximum business impact. On its own, a Strengths- Based Selection tool can help an organization hire the most talented candidates, but if those individuals are not building on their talents over time, the full benefits of the process will not be realized. Likewise, a Strengths- Based Development program can lead to greater employee engagement and team effectiveness, but it will have the most impact when the optimal talents are in place to be mobilized. Used in tandem, Gallup s Strengths-Based Selection tool identifies the right candidate for a role, while Gallup s Strengths-Based Development approach ensures that the individual applies a comprehensive understanding of his or her talents to the role, aligning his or her strengths for maximized success within your organization. Does your organization: struggle to fill positions with high-caliber, talented candidates? Strengths-Based Selection and Strengths-Based Development are part of an overall strategy aimed at identifying employees greatest talents to achieve optimized fail to understand the costly link between bad selection decisions and high turnover? 2 Copyright 2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

5 need a clear and powerful strategy for employee development? suffer from a lack of employee engagement, motivation, and innovation? If so, the time for change is now. To learn more about how Gallup Strengths-Based consultants can help transform your organization s approach to selecting and developing employees to drive organic growth and profitability, contact Emily Meyer at emily_meyer@gallup.com or today. Source: Wagner, R., & Harter, J. K. (2006). 12: The Elements of Great Managing. New York: Gallup Press. Copyright 2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 3

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