Professional and Personalized Healthcare Staffing Solutions2038 Ford Parkway, Saint Paul, MN 55116, 612 246-4697, fax 888-668-9602,

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HOW TO SPOT A HIGH ACHIEVER

1. Assigned difficult challenges ahead of their peers. The best people, including engineers, accountants, and sales reps, plus everyone else, are typically assigned tasks, clients and projects that are normally given to more senior people. If it happens regularly, especially during the first year of each new job, you’ve found tangible evidence of the Achiever Pattern.

2. They volunteer or ask to be assigned to projects over their heads. A person needs a lot of confidence to take on a task where they have little or no experience. If they’re successful at it multiple times, the person deserves double bonus points.

3. They’re put on important multifunctional teams. Managers assign their strongest staff members to critical team projects. Look for a consistent pattern, including teams growing in size, importance and impact over time. This is great evidence of strong team skills, as well as the Achiever Pattern.

4. They get a chance to demonstrate their ability to more senior executives. Managers put their subordinates in front of a company exec to both demonstrate the manager’s good judgment, and to help the subordinate get more exposure.

5. They get promoted more rapidly. Look for promotions due to exceptional performance. More proof: a consistent track record of increasing responsibility at different companies.

6. The reason they change jobs is long-term career focused. For each job change, ask the person how got their new job, why they changed jobs, and if these objectives were met. Changing and accepting jobs is one of the most important decisions a person can make. Make sure you hire people who have made them wisely.

7. They’ve established and achieved major goals. Rather than asking about a person's goals, ask first about the biggest goal they’ve already achieved. Then ask how they’re going about achieving their next one.

8. They’ve been rehired by a former manager. Top managers tend to rehire their best subordinates from previous companies.

9. They rehire their former subordinates. Ask more seasoned managers if they’ve ever hired someone they’ve worked with in the past. Top people follow other top people.

10. They’re the “go to” person inside their department. Find out where the person has been recognized for outstanding work and where they’ve coached others. Map this to what you need done.

11. They’ve received formal recognition outside of their department. The best people have reputations beyond their department and function. It could be a company award, a white paper, a fellowship, speaking at a conference, or assigned for special training.

12. They were mentored and/or mentored others. Just ask, and look for a continuous pattern. Then find out why, and the results.

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