While many are bemoaning a talent shortage, one thing smart companies do is think about talent in a broader way. If you’re only grooming the obvious candidates for promotion, you’re missing out on an entire group of talented people. These non-obvious candidates may not have the relevant experience for the job, but if they have strong leadership skills and a different set of experiences, that could actually be more useful. You want leaders who can improvise and look at things differently. Maybe this means promoting someone from finance to head and re-energize information technology. Or maybe moving someone from legal into a business leader position for her negotiation skills. To identify the right non-obvious candidates, have HR focus on strong leadership competencies like decisiveness, vision and the ability to mobilize change and build teams. This can build a more vibrant, resourceful talent pool – and create more opportunities for high performers to pursue.
(Adapted from “Promoting the Non-Obvious Candidate” by Raghu Krishnamoorthy.)
