5 Overlooked Ways to Manage Top Talent

For many managers, one of the “perks” of hiring top talent is that they don’t seem to need as much “hands-on” attention as most employees. Failing to provide the management support top talent needs, however, merely sets up your top performers to leave in search of a company that does support them – and strands your hiring managers with a very large hole to fill.

Here are five ways to give top talent the support they need to thrive:

Make sure managers are hired or promoted for their ability to manage others well.

In many companies, managers are hired or promoted based on their ability to do their team’s work well. While this sort of “content knowledge” is essential, good managers are those who know how to lead and direct others’ energies into the most productive outlets – skills that are distinct from the ability to do the team’s work. Make sure top talent is paired with managers who know how to lead a team and how to encourage each team member to do their best work.

Clarify the company’s goals and missions for every team member.

Top performers see more than the average worker. They realize that their work fits into a larger goal. When the details of that goal or the ways in which the company’s structures support it are obscured, a top performer may get frustrated. By clarifying the company’s goals and mission – and how the company’s structures make it happen – managers help top talent stay focused, see the value of their work, and offer ideas for improved efficiency.

Find a project that ignites their passion.

Top performers reach the “top” because they possess an internal drive that makes them long to be a part of something meaningful that aligns with their professional passions. Simply by assigning top employees to projects that inspire them, you’ll get better work from them, better results on the project, and an employee with no desire to leave the company.

Take the time to do (and communicate!) thorough performance reviews.

Without a clear metric for success, top talent will often become discouraged – especially when it appears that they could do just as well by putting in less effort. Make sure that performance reviews are thoughtful, thorough, and shared in detail with your top performers. Doing so communicates that the company is genuinely interested in the employee’s long-term future.

Sit down and talk career development.

Thoughtful performance reviews help send the message that the company cares about the top performer’s career – and a discussion of the top performer’s career goals confirms that message. Simply put, if your best employees know that there is a path to success for them within your company, they’re more likely to stick around and turn that opportunity into a reality.

At THE RIGHT STAFF, LLC, our recruiters strive to match the best talent available with companies that offer a compatible culture, values, and goals – every time. Contact us today to learn more.

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