Recession is over. In 2015, it’s officially become a candidate driven market.

Says who?

Recruiters at MRI are saying that the market shot up from 56% in 2012 to 90% today. Leaders are still asleep at the wheel, unfortunately, posting ads that draw few candidates – and the reaction time for when they do pull the trigger and hire is slow, according to MRI. 63% of offers are now being made within four weeks of the interview, which is up 59% since the end of 2014. 

The reality is if you are in a leadership position and lose talent, you may have to build or worse – rebuild your team.

Here are four sure fire steps to building (or rebuilding) a team.

1) Assess Quickly
Assessing a team within the first 90 days of taking a leadership position is critical. Look cautiously at workload as well as individual strengths, then at the team itself. Determine what training should be in place in order to bring them to the next level. Watch. Listen. Conclude. While each team member should be able to perform their job, each member may also have an added value. Figure out what their talent is, outside of their skill set. Ensure that you point it out publicly to the employee, so they see you value them as a person and not just a means to an end. Work should be much more than just meeting deliverable. Smart leaders paid attention to behaviors of the team members; specifically not what a team member said, but what they did. An employee’s actions is far greater than their words because everyone knows they want to impress the boss initially.

2) Fire Quickly
When an employee is not salvageable and is consistently resisting direction, it’s time to cut them loose. However, no one should be fired and surprised. By law, a leader should explain what needs to be done, document when the action isn’t taken and watch behavior. Chances should be given to allow the employee to turn it around and emotions should never color the decision to terminate an employee. No one says a leader has to like their employees. You don’t have to invite them to Thanksgiving dinner. It is reasonable to ask for performance and results. If they aren’t cutting it, let them go. You are probably doing them a favor.

3) Train. Train. Train.

Train new employees on everything from old policies and procedures to how your will respond and react as a leader. Figure out the tone and set it quickly. Give the team time to adapt to the new leadership style. After training expect results in performance and look for an uptick. Training can also engage employees at a deeper level, even if the training is just a refresher. It compliments quality and says sloppy work isn’t acceptable. If no improvement is made after training, figure out why. A smooth running team allows you to go on vacation. Build independence so you can step away through training and setting expectations.

4) Blame Game
Good leaders never blame the team when they don’t hit the mark, but instead take on the full responsibility. Leadership is about being accountable for every team member’s actions or inaction. It’s not a title with the ability to create scapegoats and excuses. A leader’s performance is measured by the team’s results. In a football game, the coach knows clearly that one fumble hurts everyone, not just the guy that fumbled during the game. Praise them for what they did well and not completely berating them when they fumble is vital.

5) Identify Top Talent To Promote
Few leaders consider succession planning. Oddly enough many companies talk about career growth. The real question is when the last time they promoted someone internally was rather than placing an ad and hiring someone from outside the company? Identify your top team player and ask them if they have interest in career growth. Consider how you could groom them into the next level up and politically align them to be considered for the position. Great companies understand the cost, time and talent that goes into running a company. Provide a path for key players.

Bio:

Elizabeth Lions is an Author, Speaker and Consultant. Her private practice is in Dallas, Texas and specializes in career transition and leadership development. She is the author of two books, with a third on the way on the topic of women’s leadership. For more about her work please visit www.elizabethlions.com