In yesterday’s Advisor, we talked about the idea that there may be both pros and cons to always trying to hire only top-level talent. While it may be tempting to think that it makes sense to shoot for the stars and hire top talent all the time, today we’ll outline a few of the challenges that could come along with that hiring decision.
While star employees may be right for some roles, they’re not right for all. Here are a few reasons why:
- The payroll budget may not allow it. Star performers often command higher pay, and if the payroll budget won’t budge, it may be a no-go. There may be ways around this if you can offer excellent benefits or some other enticement, but if the budget is too far off from the expectations for this level of talent, you’re likely to be wasting time trying to bring someone on board who’s only going to walk away once you start discussing numbers. There’s also the consideration of possibly upsetting pay equity, even if your budget will allow it.
- Top performers may require more management, not less. In yesterday’s Advisor, we noted a benefit of having a reduced learning curve when hiring a star performer. However, that can come with a drawback, too. Someone who’s clearly excellent at what he or she does may not be as willing to learn new ways of doing things. That may mean more resistance to new processes or more likely to get into interpersonal conflicts when there are disagreements. Top performers may have higher expectations of others, which can also lead to misunderstandings and frustrations. Essentially, hiring a star performer is not a guarantee of easy, stress-free management—it still may take a lot of effort and time, so if that’s not something the organization is ready to handle, it may be a reason to either reconsider who you’re hiring or take extra steps to try to ensure the new hire will be not only a top performer but also an excellent organizational fit.
- Discipline may be more difficult. Continuing from the last point, when you have a new hire who was brought in as one of the “best and brightest,” it can almost feel like a failure if there are any issues—which can lead managers and HR alike to dismiss or write off concerns. This can be especially problematic if the person truly isn’t a good fit for some reason—HR and managers will be less likely to let that person go in a timely manner, for fear of losing all of the benefits of having the star employee. If this is something you’re concerned about, it may not make sense to take the risk.
These concerns are hurdles you may have to jump over when working with top performers. They’re not insurmountable, but it may not always be worth the extra effort to find, recruit, and retain a star employee. In some cases, it may make more sense to look for a stable, qualified employee who meets your minimum criteria and will be able to do the job—even if he or she is not top of their field. Every organization needs employees who are dependable and can get the job done, and it doesn’t take a star employee to fill those shoes every time.