Talent: What is it?
Something to think about…
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Talent: What is it?
by: Yvonne Catino (C) 2007
In my last post I closed with the thought about expanding hiring managers’ definition of talent. I’ve been thinking a lot about that…..
First, I think talent is subjective. Just because someone is successful in one role at one company does not mean that the person will be successful elsewhere. Its about context; there are simply too many variables that play into success. Does talent contribute to success? Surely it does, but perhaps not to the degree that many business writers attribute.
Second, if talent remains subjective and we don’t evolve our definition of what talent could/would/should be, then how are we to remain competitive in the market? So how do you define talent? Merriam-Webster online says:
1 a: any of several ancient units of weight b: a unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver
2 archaic : a characteristic feature, aptitude, or disposition of a person or animal
3: the natural endowments of a person (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/talent)
Interestingly the definition most used is the second, archaic, version….hmmm, aptitude. What does Merriam mean by aptitude? Perhaps natural ability? And doesn’t passion work within natural ability? Couldn’t passion be the underlying element that pushes people to succeed in their “talent” area? Couldn’t passion be an explanation for how some people can succeed in multiple situations as opposed to those who can’t?
This is why I think its important to hire for passion. Yes, that’s right, passion. And for the record, there is no evidence that demonstrates a connection between higher retention rates of those with traditional profiles as opposed to those without. But back to passion….Passion brings dedication, self-motivation, and interest, all the qualities you want in an employee, especially one that will stick around.
Matching candidate to position is more than matching basic skill requirements. Its about finding the passion first, which now makes me think of a comments my dad once made…he called me an “occupational matchmaker”. I suppose then that matchmaking is my talent, and interviewing my passion. What’s yours?
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