90% of a leader's success depends on the performance of their direct reports - do you agree?

Ingrid Kast, CEO at DAV - August 2010

Many of our clients tell us this is true for them, and I must say I've found the same thing. Just as our people depend on us we depend on them. Their success means our success.

Over the last 35 years we've found that six factors affect the level of success a leader achieves through their employees. It's in managing these six things that DAV can support you.

Factor One: Not attracting qualified individuals to the opportunity.

With new job sites emerging all the time, and 1000's of CV's available online, some employers feel it's easy to fill positions themselves. Sourcing CV's from the internet can be tempting, especially when you are urgently looking for a particular skill.

But job sites simply do not give access to all candidates, and most often not the best ones. I've heard from many of our clients who have used job portals that they find candidates who seem right at first but later find they were found unsuitable by one of our consultants. We were able to give them inside information they didn't have access to. Insight that DAV consultants have at their fingertips.

I've heard from many of our clients who have used job portals that they find candidates who seem right at first but later find they were found unsuitable by one of our consultants. We were able to give them inside information they didn't have access to. Insight that DAV consultants have at their fingertips

We recently had a situation where a client found a candidate's CV on a job site and things looked great. Fortunately, their HR coordinator mentioned in passing they were about to make this appointment because DAV knew this candidate well. Our recruitment consultant was able to quickly point out many important omissions the candidate had felt it necessary to make because of the public nature of posting his CV on the net. Our consultant, being an expert in that niche market, was able to save the client from making a very expensive hiring mistake.

In South Africa the talent pool is only about 1/3rd of the population and our research shows that of this 1/3rd only about 1/3rd again are actively looking to change jobs. These active candidates are available to all employers, so if you fish from this pond only you are competing with everyone else and missing the much larger 2/3rds pool of potential candidates that are not available at this point in time through advertising, job sites, employee referrals and walk-ins.

Even if an employer does choose to fish from this small and limited pond, it's well known in the recruitment industry that finding a suitable CV is only 5% of the process. DAV screens about 31 000 CV's every month, of these we interview some 1000 candidates to make abut 125 suitable placements. So we work through a little under 250 CV's to place just 1 candidate. Employers simply do not have the time or resources for this necessary sifting process.

DAV touches well over 360 000 applications in any given year, some 1000 candidates a day, which no company can begin to reach and still focus on their core business. As one of our valued clients recently said: "We don't get our legal advice from the internet, our provident funds are handled by experts. So then, why should it be different with recruitment? We focus on our core business and they on theirs."

DAV touches well over 360 000 applications in any given year, some 1000 candidates a day, which no company can begin to reach and still focus on their core business

We also know that professional and skilled candidates are understandably careful about how they seek career opportunities. The good ones prefer not to post their CV's on job sites. They are too well known in their industry and want the utmost discretion for their career progress. It's precisely these candidates an employer wants to attract, not those that make themselves publicly accessible. It is the discreet individual who prefers to develop a relationship with a professional recruitment company.

In a recent DAV survey, our candidates told us they approach us because of our reputation for having the best jobs with well-known, diverse and respected brands. They come to us because we know and understand their markets, and our consultants are professional people who care and inspire confidence. And when they don't come to us, we know where to find them.

You can attract the right people to an opportunity by using an external recruiter to reach the largest range of skilled candidates. Including the ones that are currently not looking to change jobs.

Factor Two: Early defections

Early defections from the process by qualified candidates comprise nearly 20%. Through re-qualifying their interest and carefully managing the assessment and interest building stages, DAV can help candidates remain interested until both parties make a decision.

Factor Three: Offer rejection

Offer rejection has been highlighted, by publications including the Wall Street Journal and Fortune, as one of the most serious threats facing hiring managers. Some experience up to a 50% rejection rate, often without ever knowing the true reasons behind the rejection. Having spent valuable time and resources they face the same thing happening again unless someone or something changes the dynamic. DAV can control and often get rid of this problem through the use of relevant processes, particularly the proper pre-closing of the candidate before the official offer.

Offer rejection has been highlighted, by publications including the Wall Street Journal and Fortune, as one of the most serious threats facing hiring managers

Factor Four: No Shows

Candidates that accept the offer but then don't start as agreed upon - is a factor experienced by hiring managers about 10% of the time, forcing them to begin the process all over again. This percentage is dramatically reduced when a DAV consultant implements a proper transition strategy, which is one that effectively handles counter offers and keeps the candidate focused on the future and it's potential whilst reinforcing the wisdom of their decision.

Factor Five: Turnover

Turnover - which happens approximately 10% of the time - is a direct reflection on a flawed or ineffective hiring process. And it's very expensive for the company. In a 2007 survey by Right Management (a leading provider of workforce solutions) the cost of a bad hire ranged from one to five times the annual salary. One of our client tells us that when compared to the average R 250 000 it costs his company to manage a poorly performing sales consultant out of the organisation, using DAV to find a top calibre candidate, with the necessary background checking and management of the transition period, is a far less expensive process.

Many times at the core of turnover lies an unrealistic or unfulfilled expectation. While a recruitment company cannot control the on-the-job environment, DAV always makes sure that both parties enter the relationship with realistic expectations. Not an easy task but essential to the success of the process. DAV's properly trained consultants ensure the selection criteria are job related, that realistic performance standards are clearly communicated and that a proper match has been made between the working styles of the manager and the candidate. This is challenging in a skills short market but DAV's priority is to make sure that the placement is right and that we are 100% happy with the culture, role and organisational fit.

DAV's properly trained consultants ensure the selection criteria are job related, that realistic performance standards are clearly communicated and that a proper match has been made between the working styles of the manager and the candidate

Our unique matching formula substantially reduces the risk of a fall-off over international recruitment standards and while a successful hire can never be 100% guaranteed, our divisions report that up to 95% of the candidates they place remain with the client long-term.

Factor Six: Settling for mediocre performance

Settling for mediocre performance is probably the most insidious factor as it happens over time. It shows that something was missed in the early stages of the hiring process. Perhaps a lack of attention in defining what would make for success in the role, creating a lack of personal accountability in the employee. DAV can assist in creating a foundation that all but eliminates the possibility of mediocre performance by a newly hired employee.

In conclusion, if you are a leader who knows the performance of your direct reports impacts directly on your success, we want to assure you that DAV stands for finding your organisation the right talent. We are fully engaged, positive and passionate about doing this, and we'd love to .

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Tags: Leadership, Talent Attainment, Talent Retention
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