You probably have at least one employee like this: your go-to, “set it and forget it” person, the one you’d trust with just about anything. If they were a house, they’d be called “turnkey.” If they were an electronic device, they’d be “plug and play.” When talking about these people, our Omnia clients say, “I wish I could clone her!” or “I’d be all set if I had four more just like him.”

Unfortunately (or fortunately if you really think about it and start digging into the ethical ramifications), cloning hasn’t come that far yet. But, with some planning and preparation, you may be able to do the next best thing: Use your go-to people as benchmarks to help you hire and train new employees just like them.

As my colleague Wendy Sheaffer mentioned, “Benchmarking is finding out what works and using it as the model for making future things work.” This applies to figuring out how to hire for a new or empty position, as she mentioned, and it’s also an effective strategy for finding someone just like your one or two stellar employees.

First: Figure out what works.

What is it about these star performers that makes them so amazing? And how do you find someone else just as amazing? I don’t know your go-to employees personally, but I can make a pretty good guess at what makes them awesome.

• They excel at their jobs. They meet KPIs and they elevate their team, either by acting as a role model or by pitching in (or both).
• They pick up new skills easily. It seems like you can plug your star performer in anywhere and they can make a positive difference, even if they are just filling a temporary gap.
• They show excellent judgment. You can depend on them to make well-reasoned decisions and avoid taking action that would reflect badly on the company.
• They have that extra something special that makes them easy to work with, for everyone. There’s never any drama around them. They elicit loyalty.

Did I miss anything? Ask around and find out what makes your go-to employees so wonderful to their colleagues. The more information you have, the better you can clone benchmark them.

Next: Use this as a model for what to look for in your new employees.

You’ll definitely need to dig a little deeper than your standard resume gathering and interview process for this. You may luck out using the traditional methods, like winning the lotto, but do you really want to risk it?  Here are some simple ways of improving your odds.

1. Have your star performers take a behavioral assessment. Once they have, use them as a template for the position. If you can identify the traits that work great for a specific role, you can limit your search to people who share those characteristics. Omnia’s Customer Success Team can help you create a job setup that matches your go-to person’s traits.
2. Now that you know the behavioral traits you want to replicate, have your candidates take an assessment as well, and compare them to the setup you’ve created. In addition to helping match a candidate’s overall characteristics to an open position, the Omnia behavioral assessment provides insight into any stress or conflict the person may be experiencing. These measurements indicate the likelihood of the candidate showing good judgment on the job.
3. Have your candidates take a cognitive assessment. A candidate who scores well on a cognitive ability test is more likely to learn quickly, assimilate new information and adapt to a changing work environment – all abilities you’ve seen in your go-to employee.
4. Contact references. That “special something” your top employees have? That usually refers to “soft skills.” When you talk to the candidate’s references, confirm the candidate has shown some of the most sought-after soft skills: flexibility, work ethic, dependability, ability to get along with others, and technical savvy.
5. Read/listen closely during the interview and the lead up to it. Of course, you will be listening for the most appropriate answer to your questions, but you also want to pay attention to how well your candidate communicates. Being able to communicate well both in writing and in person are often hallmarks of a future stellar employee.

Bonus: Ask your star employees if they can recommend someone. We’ve already established this person has great judgment, so they’re not likely to recommend a dud. Hey, maybe they have an identical twin? You can’t get much closer to a clone than that! Even better, ask them if they see promise in anyone already working in the company. They tend to build relationships around the organization and may be able to identify someone promising before you do.

Once you have your promising new star, consider having them spend some time shadowing your top performer. Let them learn from the best.

While you’re on this quest to replicate your top employees, don’t forget to show appreciation for the ones you already have! Trust me, people are out there looking for them, and you want to make sure they are happy and fulfilled right where they are – with you!

Do you remember the days of classified job ads in the newspaper? (Do you even remember newspapers?) Those tiny blocks that gave you nearly zero information about a job aside from its title and the phone number of whom to contact? Or maybe you remember the early days of online job postings. Though they made the leap from black and white print to color and multiple fonts, they weren’t much better. Now, online job listings beckon us with dazzling graphics but also often include copious amounts of business jargon and buzzwords that take up a lot of space but don’t actually say much. (Seriously – So. Much. Jargon.)

You may think of job ads as the first necessary, but not particularly impressive, step involved in hiring a new person to fill an open position. Many feel its purpose is to cast a wide net that draws in interested candidates that, in turn, causes HR or management to spend days or even weeks sifting through resumes and conducting interviews to find the person who fits the job requirements best. But what if the job ad itself can help you target the right person from the get-go? Sounds good, but the question remains: how do you compose an ad that’s both informative and attractive to the exact person you want in the job? (Hint: it’s not extra buzzwords.)

What About the Intangibles?

It can be a challenge to write a job posting. Covering the technical requirements of a position is usually easy - the education, experience, and specific subject matter knowledge a candidate must possess to be considered. But what about the intangibles - the attributes that can make the difference between someone who simply performs job functions and someone who becomes a superstar within the role and within your organization? If you’re in HR and simply getting a job description from the manager overseeing the position, you may not be completely sure what the role needs in terms of soft skills or personality traits. Even the position’s manager might be at a loss if that person has never held the actual job.

How Benchmarking Can Help

That’s where benchmarking can make a huge impact. Evaluating the people who are (or were) in the position who have proven themselves to be excellent at the job can give you incredible insights into what to look for in future candidates.

The Omnia Assessment measures assertiveness, sociability, pace, and structure. These four dimensions create a well-rounded picture of how a person approaches their work responsibilities and the motivators that get them excited to come to work every day. Having this awareness about your high-performing employees can help you understand why they are so successful in their roles and what you need to emphasize in your job posting to attract people with similar attributes. Also, a job ad that targets these behavioral traits can cause people who think they will do well, but do not possess the behavioral qualities that are optimal for the position, to pass.

Is your phenom account manager someone who loves helping others and acting as the go-to problem solver for your clients? Then the job ad for a new account manager may need to target those team-oriented, accommodating traits (and cause those who are more focused on pursuing individual challenges than on providing support to look for a different position). Does your rockstar salesperson love the thrill of the chase and converting that skeptical prospect into a high-dollar client? Then a job listing for a new salesperson needs to appeal to someone equally ambitious, competitive, and bold (and scare off those uninterested in taking risks).

Of course, you may have several people who excel at the same position. Benchmarking them can help you see where the commonalities lie as well as how they approach the position in different, but equally beneficial, ways. Perhaps your more assertive and extroverted CSR tops the leaderboard in suggestive sales to existing customers while your lower-key, analytical CSR is the first person clients go to when they have questions or need a complex issue resolved. Knowing how their different traits impact various areas of the position can help you tailor your job ad to find precisely the type of personality you need in the role.

What Else Can Benchmarking Do?

Benchmarking can also bring to light the unique needs of a particular department or organization that may differ from the industry standard. Imagine you’re posting for a management position to replace a retiring supervisor who oversees a small team of capable, self-sustaining employees. But, all of the candidates coming through your door are ambitious, take-charge individuals who have told you about the big changes they would make on Day One. You know that type of aggressive management style would demoralize this staff who are already strong performers. So, you decide to benchmark the current supervisor who has successfully managed the department for years.

Through benchmarking, you find out that this person has a moderate level of assertiveness (instead of the extreme boldness of your job candidates) that enables him to step in and take care of issues confidently while also allowing others on the team to give their input. He is a routine-oriented person who implemented systems within the department that enabled the employees to produce thorough results, and he fosters a sense of order and consistency for his team. This manager also offers the staff autonomy to handle their responsibilities independently while still making himself available to answer questions or offer advice when his employees come to him with concerns. Because of benchmarking, you now understand the nuanced management style that works best within this particular department, which can help you compose a job listing that pinpoints exactly what you – and the team – need.

True Story

To illustrate the value of benchmarking for job ads, I bring you a true story from our very own halls of Omnia. Years ago, we were looking to bring a new profile analyst onboard. The manager of the department, having worked with the analyst team closely and also having previously been an analyst herself, knew exactly what traits typically equaled success in the position. So, she wrote a job posting that listed all of the traits she knew to be important in an analyst. She phrased much of the listing in “If You…” statements: “If you are the person your friends come to for objective advice; If you want to work in a job where you’ll be valued for your knowledge, accuracy, and strong attention to detail; If you are comfortable working on your own,” along with several others.

The person who was hired based on that job ad is none other than my talented colleague (and fellow blog contributor) Jennifer Lucas who has been an indispensable part of the Omnia family for years. In the interview, she told the manager that she wouldn’t have been surprised if the last “If You” statement was, “If your name is Jennifer.”

That’s the power of benchmarking to create a targeted job ad that brings in just the right candidates. At Omnia, we have seen time and time again the tremendous advantage that benchmarking excellent employees can bring when it’s time to find that next A-player – both for our clients and ourselves. But don’t take my word for it. Have your outstanding employees take our Omnia Assessment so you can create a job ad that’s so clear and sharp, the right candidate practically materializes in front of you!

Still Struggling to Write the Perfect Job Ad?

Let us help. If you’re struggling to turn your benchmarking data into the perfect job posting, Omnia will gladly do it for you. We write job postings for just $29 per ad. Contact our client success team to learn more.

Turn on the evening news, read the latest AP wire, or open your Apple News notification and you’re likely to come across someone talking about The Great Resignation. Most likely, as a leader, you’ve had it happen to you and are desperately trying to fill empty seats while struggling to serve your clients with a reduced staff. Finding talent is a challenge; keeping them doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips to be sure that, once you fill those seats, you bring out the best in your employees and prevent them from walking out the door.

1. Get to know your people. Make the time to get to know your individual employees. Take a sincere interest in getting to know them personally – their interests, hobbies, and about their loved ones. This goes a long way in showing you care and that you’re invested in them as a person. Then help your team get to know each other. When you’re hiring, a great way to do this is to benchmark your team to better understand the unique profiles of your existing staff. You’ll be able to see which candidates will blend nicely and align your team culture. When you introduce new players to the team, take time for everyone to get to know each other by sharing their profiles. It helps speed up the onboarding process and boosts team productivity. Imagine how much faster a team can become productive by knowing how their peers prefer to communicate, solve problems, and make decisions.
2. Create an environment of open communication. Regular communication is an essential part of management. This is not just about you communicating with them; you’ve got to get your employees to communicate with you. Ask people about their day and workload, and solicit their opinions and ideas for streamlining operations. Frequently ask what’s getting in the way and involve them in the solution. Commit time each week to having regular team meetings where colleagues share with one another, and you listen.  Schedule regular 1x1’s that are a two-way dialogue where each employee shares updates on their progress toward goals and their developmental needs.
3. Show Respect. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. If you want your team to be professional, don’t treat them like children or talk down to them. Respect their efforts and be tactful and diplomatic when pointing out areas that need improvement. Give your people latitude to make decisions. Empowerment, the business buzzword of the 90’s, is an idea that should never lose its flavor. Your people want to know you believe in them and have confidence in their ability to succeed.
4. Foster a spirit of continuous learning.  Every member of your team has unique qualities and skills that can help make the team more productive and efficient. The best leaders find ways to foster continual learning and involve their employees in sharing their expertise. The business world is filled with so much pressure, and if you’ve hired a team of A Players, they all came with their own self-induced performance pressure pushing them to achieve. That’s great, but it can also create an environment where people don’t feel safe showing vulnerability or asking for help. Create a culture where trial and error are not only OK but appreciated, and create space where your employees can share their insights and help each other grow.
5. Provide ongoing recognition. Being recognized and appreciated is a fundamental human need. You don’t have to implement a costly employee recognition program to have an impact. It does help to know the individual (back to getting to know your people) and to understand that people like to be recognized in different ways. A behavioral assessment is an ideal way to uncover these unique preferences. Provide ongoing recognition for achievements, reaching key milestones, helping others on the team, and personal life events and work anniversaries. A personal handwritten note or a shout out at a company meeting (depending on the preference of the individual) goes a long way.  And we all are likely to appreciate that occasional free lunch, Starbucks card, or UberEATS gift certificate. No matter what form the recognition takes, everyone enjoys having their efforts and achievements celebrated.

In the years ahead, there will be plenty of analysis and reporting on these times and what caused The Great Resignation. For now, studies are already pointing to how people gained clearer insight during the pandemic of what type of work environment they prefer and switched jobs if their current position didn’t support their well-being. Studies also show that fewer people are willing to work for a company that does not align with their values. Getting to know your people and investing in a supportive culture where unique qualities are valued goes a long way in helping retain and get the most out of your team. Begin by showing every member of your team that you care.

Remember when you were a kid, and your little sister (or brother) decided it would be fun to spend the day doing everything you did with relentless commitment. All. Day. Long. “Mom! Deanna is copying me!” By the end of the day, you were beside yourself with rage, and there was lots of yelling and fighting. Your parents may have stepped in, but only to tell you (the victim of this ridiculous crime) that “imitation is the highest form of flattery” so don’t be angry, be honored, and take that noise outside.

Today we realize there is truth to this after all; maybe I should go hug my sister. In business, when something works well, you want to repeat it; you want to do the actions that got great results. Benchmarking is finding out what works and using it as the model for making future things work. That’s my inarticulate, nontechnical definition; you won’t find it in the dictionary. What you will find in the dictionary is “evaluate or check (something) by comparison with a standard.”

So, benchmarking is the adulting, less rage-inducing version of copycatting.

Here at Omnia, we create standards for job roles. We call those standards “targets.” This gives our clients a way to evaluate candidates against a target and it’s another valuable data point for the decision-making process. We do this in a couple of different ways.

Omnia for Selection

Level 1: The Job Questionnaire and Position Description

When our clients use the Omnia Assessment as a selection tool, we start the benchmarking process by collecting a job questionnaire as well as an internal position description. Our “job setup” form helps us build an 8-column personality graph of the job so we can compare a candidate’s 8 columns to the job’s 8 columns. This is the first step towards building a job benchmark that works for you. Our team of customer success managers and analysts review every job questionnaire and reach out to clients with any questions or suggestions. We want to be sure we have an accurate, updated understanding of each job, as well as your culture, peer, and supervisor comparison needs.

Industry Standard Catalog for Target Clients

The setup form and position description is level 1 benchmarking and happens across the board unless you choose to use one of our generic industry standards. With over 35 years in the business, we have a tremendous amount of historical data on successful traits for a multitude of positions.

For example, our data has shown, and continues to show, that certain traits are strong contributors to sales success. The first trait is a high level of assertiveness, which the Omnia assessment measures. Individuals with a high level of assertive, competitive behavior (column 1) are consistently more successful than those with a low level of assertive behavior. The other trait is resilience, the ability to brush off rejection without letting it impact confidence. We also measure that and see it show up time and again in top sales performers. That’s why all our industry standard sales targets have a tall column 1 and the right amount of resilience (column 7).

Level 2: Benchmark Study Using Performance Data

If you want to level up, we also look at your unique requirements by assessing your top performers. This is a benchmark study; it’s one of my favorite things to do. Nothing beats data. By assessing top, proven performers, we build a benchmark that is specific to what is working for you. We copy what works!

Best of all, we make the benchmarking process as easy as possible. We provide you with a unique web link to our assessment site for collecting assessment data. Employees can take the assessment online anytime that’s convenient for them and requires only about 10 minutes of their time. The link is active 24/7 for as long as you want to keep the collection process open. Employees are notified of the project and timelines from your leadership; we can provide sample communication pieces.

While the collection process is underway, if not before, we get the job setup form and internal position description for the job from you. We want to see everything, plus we use your internal job description to write the narratives for your reports.

Upon completion of the data collection, results are compiled using our exclusive benchmarking software and reviewed by Omnia analysts. We recommend the target benchmark ranges based on the position description and the assessment results of your top performers in the role. Next, we present our findings and recommendations to you. Once approved, Omnia analysts prepare custom narratives so every report you receive is aligned to the role description.

Follow-up and Results

Omnia provides training on administering the assessment and interpretation of assessment results via phone call, video conferencing or webinar. Training includes a thorough understanding of the Omnia personality measurements and how to use the reports for selection, coaching and development. In addition, we offer interpretation training via webinar to all clients on the first Friday of every month. Our customer success team is also available to review results and answer questions.

Finally, we encourage a periodic evaluation of results against new performance data to ensure target benchmark alignment.

If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to our customer success team. And go hug your little sister.