Secret Directions to the Talent Sweet Spot

I've been looking 30+ years for this place. Finally found it. Here's the map to the talent sweet spot. It's where all of the best people hang out. (Here are more detailed directions. The video instructions are below.) 

Here's what companies need to do to gain access to this pool of top people: 

• Shift to a performance qualified assessment approach. This expands the entire talent pool by 3-4X. The idea: focus on the results achieved over the skills possessed. 
• Train your recruiters and hiring managers in consultative recruiting and interviewing techniques. Recruiting and hiring the best is not an intuitive or natural ability. You need these skills to climb the vertical quality of hire axis.
• Change your talent strategy to emphasize the ROI of hiring the most talented people rather than the cost and efficiency of hiring the most competent people. This ROI of Talent calculator demonstrates this impact of this shift from a financial perspective. 

Here's what job-seekers can do to be found in the talent sweet spot.

• Never apply directly for another job again. Instead use the back door to hack a job interview. (FYI: I got an email this week from a woman who thanked me for getting a job this way after being repeatedly ignored via the apply button.)
• Demonstrate your performance qualified once you get the interview. 
• Ignore anyone who gives job-seeker advice unless they've helped 100s of people get real jobs. Start by reading these posts first. 

Hire differently. Job-hunt differently. It will make a difference. 

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Lou Adler (@LouA) is the CEO of The Adler Group, a consulting and training firm helping companies implement Performance-based Hiring. He's also a regular columnist for Inc. Magazine and BusinessInsider. His latest book, The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired (Workbench, 2013), provides hands-on advice for job-seekers, hiring managers and recruiters on how to find the best job and hire the best people. His new video program provides job seekers inside secrets on what it takes to get a job in the hidden job market.