The more specific that your search criteria are, the more important that every relevant candidate is identified. You cannot afford to miss anyone when the talent pool is limited. In this article, you will learn a strategy that guarantees that your candidate research is exhaustive: create a talent map.
A Case Study
I once completed a Board member search for an HR services company. My client was the company’s private equity firm. They wanted to appoint a Board Member in the U.S. who was recently retired and who had recently (within the last 5-10 years) been CEO of a tech-enabled HR services business with at least $100 million in revenue.
It was clear that there were not going to be many people who met these criteria. So, I created a talent map to ensure that every relevant candidate was identified. Without this map, I might not have identified the eventual placement.
The person who was ultimately appointed for the Board was based in the U.S. However, according to his LinkedIn profile, he was located in London (since he was serving on a Board for a company that was based there).
He did not show up in my initial searches in LinkedIn Recruiter, since I was only searching for candidates located in the U.S. The only reason that I identified him was because I was trying to fill in my talent map.
After my initial searches, I noticed a gap in the research into one of my target companies. So, I expanded my search criteria for that company, and he showed up in those results.
Why and How to Create a Talent Map
Even when you think your candidate research has been thorough, chances are that you will still have missed some viable candidates. A talent map helps you identify potential gaps in your research. To create a talent map for a search, follow these four steps:
- Determine the industries or categories where you will search.
- Identify the relevant companies in those industries or categories.
- Identify the relevant employees and alumni from those companies.
- Conduct additional research to fill in any gaps in your talent map.
For example, in the search noted above, I began by identifying several relevant categories within HR services. These categories included employee engagement, payroll, employment screening, HR outsourcing, and others. Then, I created a list of relevant companies (those with revenues of over $100 million) within each of those categories. Then, I tried to identify all of the current and former CEO’s for each of those companies for the last 10 years. Upon noticing that there was a gap in my research into one of my target companies, I expanded my research there and identified the eventual placement.
Summary and Final Thoughts
Some leaders are harder to identify than others. This is especially true for retired executives and for individuals who are not very active on LinkedIn. Even when you think your candidate research has been thorough, chances are that you will still have missed some viable candidates. A talent map helps you identify potential gaps in your research.
P.S. Looking for more help with your company’s executive recruiting efforts?
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About the author: As the Founder of Stronger Talent, Pete Leibman recruits exceptional leaders for innovative sports, fitness, and wellness companies. Throughout his career, Pete has helped clients recruit exceptional leaders at the Board, C-Suite, Senior Vice President, Vice President, General Manager, Managing Director, and Director levels. Pete’s work has been featured on Fox News, CBS Radio, and Fortune.com, and he is the author of two books and over 250 articles on career management, peak performance, and executive recruiting.
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