Recruiting Game-Changers

As much as I detest pro-sports (with the exception of the “BroncoGators”) and particularly the whole LeBron hoopla, I could not pass up Dr. Sullivan’s article without commenting. If you’re a game-changing finance executive or CFO, the article is well worth the read. 

Here are a few of Sullivan’s comments, followed by my thoughts:

Google for example has estimated that a top-performer generates three hundred times more revenue than an average performer.”

The difference in salary between an average performer and a top performer can be quite large … but only if you are a visible, in-demand target with the ability to clearly communicate your value.

“… game-changers, innovators, and top performers truly are different and must be recruited in a unique manner.”

Sullivan has a list of characteristics that describe these talented executives … among them, they are not actively looking for a position, they dislike standard recruiting practices, and there is often a negative career-impacting event that moves them to begin thinking about probing potential opportunities. 

At the risk of beating a dead horse, as a senior-level executive – finance or otherwise – it is critical to proactively manage your career with the mindset that you are only ever between searches. Eventually you will move. Getting the game-changer positioning and staying on the radar screen of those people who need to know about you is a good career habit, and one that needs to begin while you are still happily employed and, in the eyes of the recruiter, the “most desirable” candidate.

“Shift to a “game-changing recruiting approach.”

Lesson #3, while written for the executive recruiter to recruit game-changers, could just as easily be a roadmap for a successful positioning / search strategy by game-changers.


If you want to play, you have to understand the rules. Game-changers hold immense power … once they understand how the game is played.

Top Recruiting Tools

Recruiting Guru Kevin Wheeler lists the top four required tools for recruiting in his latest article, and they are …

Facebook and/or My Space
Linked In
Personal Blog
Twitter

Last year, 44% of unique visitors to Facebook were people over the age of 35 and 48% of the over-35 crowd visited MySpace. Linked In is the #1 business network. Twitter, a microblogging platform, gives recruiters (and others) a 360-snapshot of potential prospects. Because Twitter is relatively new, there are great opportunities for savvy candidates to get on the radar screen of those people who make recruiting (and hiring) decisions. And a personal blog can intentionally build credibility and positioning as a thought leader within your target audience.

At the risk of being redundant, whether you are a current or future candidate, creating a visible online presence is a “must-do” strategy for top-talent executives.