Hiring the perfect candidate for your team is critical.
And having an idea of what high performance looks like can mean the difference between your team succeeding or not.
If you’re not able to identify high performance, it’ll be infinitely harder to recruit and retain top performers.
As a business owner or leader, you want to know what high performance looks like in general — and for your team specifically.
“Context is everything”, says Paul Nunes in a recent Harvard Business Review article. “You can call anyone a winner depending on how you draw the set around them”.
While specific goals and measures will vary based on organisation and team, several core elements can be found in all high performers.
From my experience and reviewing research over the years, high performing employees often maintain 7 of the same fundamental behaviours:
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]1. Invested in the team and business’ mission[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]Your top players are the ones who are willing to find a solution even if it doesn’t pertain to their specific job description. They care about the team’s success and that of the company’s — without doing it for personal recognition.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]2. Present new and innovative ideas[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]Improving just one point in a process could impact your business’ financial success. High performers look for new tactics and are willing to try new ideas. The status quo isn’t enough for high performers.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]3. Demonstrate flexibility[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]A day, or a whole business plan, can change without a moment’s notice. Successful employees make pivots and show agility when it’s needed most.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]4. Act with confidence[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]A key component to quality performance and healthy work relationships is interacting with confidence. This allows someone to focus on goals and other people’s needs, rather than their own.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]5. Make smart, well-informed decisions[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]Day-to-day tasks can be performed well by many, but making excellent decisions that impact productivity, cost, and customer satisfaction are where the magic happens in business. High performers make smart choices and collaborate with the right people.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]6. Have a desire to constantly learn[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]Those who achieve exceptional results in the workplace know that in order to keep doing so, they must continually learn, expand their knowledge base, and try different approaches. Just like stagnant companies, stagnant employees prevent business growth and lead to irrelevancy.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]7. Choose integrity — even when it’s not convenient[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]In addition to being an honest person, high performers choose to do the right thing for the company — even if it means admitting a fault or making them look poorly. High performers also take the higher road when it comes to tough decisions and interpersonal conflicts.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
You’ll want to ensure your employees — both star performers and others — are working toward what matters.
“The best performing companies typically display a set of performance attributes that align with the company’s strategy and reinforce the right employee behaviours”, says Michael Mankins of the Harvard Business Review.
Never has it been more important to create a powerful mission statement that gives your employees a WHY to come into work!
High performers are magnetised to companies who recruit well.
They want to know they’re joining a quality team that will recognise their contributions and help them grow.
A key step in recruitment is building recruitment web pages that communicate relevant and enticing information for potential candidates.
If you have questions on this topic or any others, feel free to reach me by email or set up a free one-on-one consultation session, or drop me a comment below.
Thanks for sharing!
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