The Secrets of the Talent Scouts - NYTimes.com
By GEORGE ANDERS
Published: March 14, 2009
Excerpts:
In pockets of the American economy, however, the hunt for game-changing stars remains surprisingly intense... Finding the next big hit can save the day, but running out of talent is a recipe for extinction.
... So mavericks like Michael Moritz, the Silicon Valley venture capitalist, are shrugging off talk of economic collapse and scouting for winners anyway. “A downturn can be a very good time to build a company,” he contends.
Of course, bravado alone won’t guarantee success. But in fields where picking hits is crucial, executives say it’s vital to keep wooing candidates no matter how jittery the economy. In extended interviews, seven of these talent scouts argue that enduring success can come only from adding more of the best people to their teams.
These executives’ specialties are as diverse as architecture, biotechnology and country music. Asked to share their recruiting principles, they touched on a handful of simple, recurring themes. Among them: take chances on passionate people early in their work lives, focus on what can go right, offer rewards no one else can match and harness the lessons of your own career.
A favorite starting point for talent-spotters is to cast a wide net, finding intriguing candidates who might never appear on rivals’ radar screens.
... Judging people is more difficult than judging a market or a product. Markets rarely deliver big surprises. People will always produce surprises.”
Read full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/business/15talent.html
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This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
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