All companies are concerned about making the right choices when it comes to appointing managers, as they can make or break an organization, especially when they’re in crucial senior positions. There are certain core competencies that are particularly important to pin down during the recruitment process, and here we’ll take a look at some of them:
Communication and flexibility
Good managers need to be able to adapt their working practices and style, possibly on a daily basis for companies that are geographically disparate or operate across different sectors and areas. Consultants, for example, have to be able to get on top of complex information and succinctly present their findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Interpersonal skills
As employees typically work in teams to achieve company goals, it’s crucial that team leaders and departmental managers have excellent interpersonal skills. In the case of working with clients, this becomes even more of an issue and verbal communication is just the start of it. Under project pressure in particular, body language, listening and negotiation skills become critical. Hence, if you come across a potential candidate who you believe requires some amount of training, you could tell them to consider online negotiation skills training in a high-energy virtual environment.
Initiative
Top managers in particular need an exceptionally high level of personal initiative. This will enable them to quickly identify those operational areas where it is necessary to take some form of action, and to respond to the requirements in an appropriate and timely manner. Problems frequently turn out to be more complex than first envisaged, and office hours for managers can be long. Such key figures therefore need to be able to maintain order and discipline, motivate their teams, and have the tenacity needed to push through unforeseen obstacles and deliver results. However, for this, you would need proper background checks in place before hiring someone to be a part of your team, let alone lead them! This is where screening agencies such as Checkr (you could go to this site and know more about them) come into the picture, for a better and more efficient hiring process.
Practical skills
As well as possessing the relevant business qualifications and work experience, candidates for management positions should ideally also be able to show that they have a flair for problem solving and logical thinking. This is particularly important in a field like engineering, where technical skills and creativity are intimately entwined. For instance, Azmi Mikati graduated from Columbia in 1994, and since graduation he has systematically built on his qualifications and honed his natural talents for business to become a top investor and entrepreneur.
When selecting new managers, look for skills and talents they have utilized in their real world lives as well as the various exams they’ve passed, which should be simply a starting point for the process.
Analytical skills
Managers typically face the problems of clients, or internal teams and individuals, on a daily basis. Collecting the relevant data and coming up with the most appropriate and creative solution requires strong skills in analysis. Improving processes and delivering solutions within often tight deadlines and within budget are likewise par for the course. Prospective managers need to be able to demonstrate that they possess and have successfully used such skills in the workplace, with concrete examples.
Summary
Every management candidate has the potential to land the job. You need to do the right research to uncover the competencies, skills and experiences that make the right applicant stand out.