Recruitment and building a team are some of the most important aspects of running a successful business, if not the most important. So why is hiring and filling vacancies usually an afterthought? Why isn’t this top of the agenda when in the board room?

Steven Bartlett believes that all companies are essentially recruitment companies, with his point being that he has found huge amounts of success finding those truly gifted people, and not settling for B and C players. He focuses his energy on finding those A players.

So what are A players? They are the 10% of talent available for any job, at any given salary. A players bring with them resourcefulness, energy, passion, and persistence. According to Topgrading, A players tend to also be:

• Smart, intellectual and business-savvy
• Trustworthy
• Consistently high performers
• Prone to surrounding themselves with other high performers
• Effective leaders
• Great levels of communication

Hiring that first A player can be scary. You may be worried about the cost, possibly even the rate of retention you will have with this A player, they may even bring with them a higher level of knowledge than yourself! All of these points are fair reasons to be cautious about hiring A players, but here at VLA we have you covered! We have outlined below some facts and figures to bear in mind when prepping for your next board meeting. Would pivoting your strategy on recruitment help increase productivity and profitability?

On average, it takes 27 business days to make a new hire. However, the best candidates are off the market within 10.
Taking the time to get to know your candidates to identify if they really are A players is vital, but it is important to be conscious of not over-doing it. Make sure you have a rigid plan in place before heading to market with timelines, list of interviewers and potential back-ups to cover illness, and what you are looking for in an A player. 60% of candidates leave a process if it is too long, so don’t turn off potential A players!

Over 75% of professionals are passive candidates.
Your A player may be right around the corner; they just haven’t openly told the world they are on the hunt for a new opportunity! Create an ideal profile of how an A player looks to your business and start head hunting. Not everyone knows they are ready for change, and people certainly won’t know the benefits of working for your organisation unless you approach them about it.

100% of A players want to work in an environment where people identify and discuss issues truthfully and effectively.
A players love working with other A players, because there is a clear and open stream of communication to get the work done to a high standard. This is an expectation and standard that A players hold themselves to, and therefore their teams. By having A players on your team, you will notice a shift in collaboration and teamwork across your business.