Hiring employees with a ‘business strategist’ mind set can make a huge difference for a company’s growth. How do you find people who bring that ‘big picture’ approach? How do you know when you are talking with a potential hire that can help your business define itself more clearly in the market place, with your customers, with potential new customers, even with competitors? Let’s look at the business strategist skill-set and how hiring with that focus can quietly affect the growth of your company or your office.
What does it mean to have a business-strategist skill set?
They Think Ahead
I met a candidate recently who had purchased season tickets for a local pro sports team games. When the team made it into the playoffs, far into the playoffs, he bought tickets to those big post-season games. Then he found buyers for those tickets, netting a sizable return for his investment. Does he have a business strategist mind-set? I think so, he knows how to make money and he thinks ahead.
They Follow Your Industry
You’ve succeeded in part because you know what’s going on in your company’s world, right? What are your competitors doing? What’s going on in the market that could impact what you charge for your products or services? Does the candidate you are considering follow your industry’s news? A recent example is if your company is considering whether to budget for increased aluminum prices. The candidate should know that you probably shouldn’t, because the ingredients needed are in huge quantities, and the biggest user, who are the Chinese, are experiencing a flat economy right now. A person with a business strategist skill-set would know these facts, and just being aware, impacts the ability to skillfully budget.
They Have a Passion For Adding Value
A third piece to a candidate’s story is are they intrigued; do they have a passion for how they add value to your business? Candidates, who demonstrate financial literacy about a business and understand what you seek to provide to your customers, will help you more clearly define who you are in the markets where you serve. Employees eager to learn more, about how their function helps grow their area, about how your business makes money and how you are positioning the business, will challenge you to think bigger. Younger employees with a willingness to ask WHY consistently, when managed well, can add huge value in this business strategy area.
Have They Ever Been in Business?
A bonus question: have they ever owned a business, a lawn service, a DJ business, maybe their family had a small business they helped run. These can be street-smart instinctive business strategists. When you find one, mentor them, challenge them, keep them engaged; they will grow your business with you.
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Read How To Find Employees With a ‘Business Strategist’ Skill-Set and the other informative articles in this issue of Soar to Success magazine.
