The Key to Your Next Top Employee

Changing your approach to hiring could give you a competitive edge

BY ROBBY SHEEHAN, MPA

I STARTED MY CAREER IN POLITICS, of all things. The goal was to attend law school, run for office, represent my hometown, and operate a small law practice on the side. Of course, life never goes according to plan. After college, I was immediately picked up by my alma mater to handle their lobbying efforts in our state capital. Over the course of five years, I had a great run—securing over $100 million in capital funding for the institution—but knew that I wanted to explore other careers and industries outside of political advocacy.

I then served as an executive pastor of my home church, joking to friends and family that I felt like I needed to ‘make-up’ for my time in politics through ministry service. And now, one promotion and a relocation later, I’m a regional manager for a company that provides strategic services and support to business owners. I can tell you that I wouldn’t have changed any of those decisions. In fact, I know that those diverse experiences helped form me into the person and leader that I am today.

Transferable skills are a trending buzz phrase that has gained popularity in human resources and workforce development circles in recent months. As the nation has witnessed historic labor shortages, understanding this trend may be the key to finding your next top-performing employee.

As business owners and leaders of organizations, we tend to think in a very linear fashion when it comes to hiring. If a candidate has the requisite credentials and relevant work experience, we tend to score them higher than someone who has less relevant experience but may have a broader skill set. Sometimes this is the right call, but other times, we may limit the possibilities for our organizations.

During my time in politics and ministry, I learned how to effectively manage relationships with people, problem solve, empathize, write, speak, resolve conflict, negotiate, and generate consensus with individuals from diverse backgrounds. I worked with my teams, in some cases, to overcome seemingly insurmountable adversities, which I believe prepared me better for my position now— more so than any business degree or accounting course could’ve taught.

The reality is that sometimes the most important skills are not acquired from the letters that come after our name, but rather those experiential skills that are developed throughout the course of our lives. And the same is true for your potential candidates. In a labor market where there are more jobs than people looking for work,innovation in hiring is a must. Job functions and skills can be taught in most professions, but hiring for the transferable skills that I mentioned above must become a higher priority in most of our organizations.

How do you assess that in an interview? Let your candidates do the talking. Give them space to share about the life lessons they learned and problems they solved. You will gain a lot more insight into the person that you’re hiring and what skills they bring to the table, instead of staying focused on the position that you’re trying to fill.

Robby Sheehan, MPA is area manager at BBSI, a national payroll, workers’ compensation, HR, risk, and business consulting services company.