In high-performance sport, talent identification is a comprehensive process that goes beyond natural ability. It’s clear to me that the relentless pursuit of data for decision making in elite sport is the difference maker.

Sports measure the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of each potential hire; they focus on teamwork, alignment to culture and they are obsessed with resilience. They seek every available data point to measure candidates before considering any potential hire – only then do they apply “gut feel”.

Whilst organisations should adopt a multifaceted approach to recruitment, measuring all available data points, few do. Adding complication is the reality that gathering data to measure potential hires outside of sport is not as easy, nor as accurate as it is in sport. Yet organisations continue to rely mostly on just a few interviews to make decisions. Interviews are often frighteningly short, conducted by interviewers who rely on intuition, and in no way replicate the environment in which a potential hire will perform.

What can organisations do to better replicate the success generated in elite sports?

A colleague’s son was recently hired by a global organisation in the financial services sector. Here is a snapshot the recruitment process... 15 interviews in total with 15 different people assessing different skills, attributes, motivators and team fit; a 3 hour practical test of the candidate’s skillsets; a 2 hour debrief/interrogation of the results produced in the practical test conducted by senior hiring managers; psychometric testing; and structured reference checks conducted over half an hour with hiring managers interviewing referees. Better data than a couple of interviews over 2 hours? You bet. No surprise this organisation wins the equivalent of championships year in year out.

Sporting teams know teamwork and alignment with culture are non-negotiable. Athletes are selected for their skills but also for their compatibility with team dynamics. Similarly, businesses must look beyond technical abilities to assess a candidate's cultural fit and soft skills, such as emotional intelligence and teamwork. Companies like Atlassian and Canva, known for high-performing teams, value collaboration and adaptability in their recruitment processes and they have a system to measure it.

Using data-driven tools like psychometric testing and skills-based evaluations are non-negotiable steps in their process. Gathering data to assess candidates' potential fit and to better predict future performance, rather than relying on qualifications, work history and interviews, is a crucial difference maker.

You can’t win championships if you can’t perform under pressure. Mental toughness and resilience can be developed, but elite teams seek out those with a natural disposition in this regard - they demand it.

We operate in an increasingly uncertain environment which means the ability to cope well under stress is becoming a essential competency. Are organisations focusing enough on measuring candidates mental toughness and resilience? How do they measure it if they are?

Behavioural interview questions assessing candidate’s responses to multiple past work challenges; gathering personal histories to assess hardships and how they have been overcome; and psychometric testing can together provide a good gauge on resilience. By incorporating these tools, organisations can better identify candidates who will thrive under pressure and cope with challenges.

In high-performance sport, athlete development is a long-term commitment. Similarly, businesses should view recruitment as an investment in long-term growth, not just a way to fill immediate vacancies.

Companies that value a  growth mindset, encouraging employees to focus on skills development and career progression do far better than their peers. You don’t keep top talent without it.

High-performing teams are built on a foundation (and system) of continual development, ensuring both employee satisfaction and long-term success, reassuring the audience about the potential for growth within their organisations.

High-performance sport requires constant adaptation to new training methods, technology, and competition. Similarly, an organisation’s recruitment strategy must be flexible to adapt to changing job markets and industry trends. With the increasing demand for remote and flexible working arrangements, businesses must adjust their recruitment processes to attract top talent. By staying agile and refining recruitment practices; organisations can ensure they remain competitive in the talent market, empowering them to make necessary changes in their processes.

The need to adapt should never come at the cost of gathering the data needed to make great decisions. In recent years I have witnessed too many organisations abandoning processes aimed at gathering better data in their desperation to attract talent.

The truth is that once an organisation establishes its reputation as a high performer, it’s the candidates who will flex to meet the organisations processes – Groucho Marx great line “I wouldn’t want to belong to a club that would have me as a member” springs to mind.

The principles of high-performance sport, (strategic talent identification, focus on cultural fit, resilience, long-term development, and uncompromising use of multiple data points), are effectively applied to recruitment by the highest performing organisations.

Most organisations don’t adopt these practices. Why? My guess is there are many reasons - its too hard; it takes too much time; they fear the steps involved will become a hurdle to securing talent in competitive markets; or they simply haven’t thought enough about it.

What I do know is that when they adopted, these strategies build high-performing teams equipped to outcompete and deliver results.