This posting is for those in our organization who find themselves involved with recruiting and hiring new talent, particularly entry-level reporters, sales people, marketers, etc. It can be difficult to assess entry-level talent, and to know how someone will grow in our organization. Sure, they may be qualified for the job you are filling right now--but will they be able to step up to work on higher level projects or to take on a leading role for something we may do in the future?

For those who like sports metaphors, here's a blog post by a fellow named Brian Grey comparing the challenges of recruiting in business to those faced by talent scouts in Major League Baseball. It turns out that baseball scouts and media company hiring managers face the same difficulties--how to know when an unproven but apparently talented individual will grow into the kind of talent we need to move our business forward?

http://briangrey.com/blog/2009/05/24/scouting-for-talent-in-baseball-and-business/

At the other end of the hiring spectrum, where we are hiring more experienced and generally higher level managers and editors, we recently made a small change in our interview regimen. For selected positions, we've decided to make sure that our VPs from around the company participate in the interview process and provide feedback to the hiring manager. I'll do some of those interviews as well. The question I want those secondary interviews to answer is whether the proposed new hire has the skills to work in concert with their peers in other departments and whether they have the potential to someday expand their role in the organization. We're looking not just for people who can play one particular role, but who have the skills to grow as our needs change and will work well with others along the way. That's the talent we need to recruit if we are to ensure our success into the future.