Right vs Best Talent

When looking for new talent to join teams and organizations, there is much debate about whether the right talent or the best talent should be hired. It sometimes depends on the nature of the job and urgency of hiring the specific talent. My view is that unless the new talent is working in isolation, it is always better to go with the right talent over the best talent (if they are indeed different).

Hiring managers and leaders of teams spend a considerable amount of time looking for the best talent. The best talent is the person who is most qualified for the job, who has the best credentials, who very often has attained the highest level of education in the field. A more important qualification is whether or not the candidate is the right talent. The right talent may or may not be the most qualified in terms of credentials and education. The right talent will be the person who has at least sufficient qualifications to do the job well, AND will fit right into the culture of the team and the organization.

The cultural fit of talent is important as teams that spend less time fighting, misunderstanding each other, disliking each other, or whatever your choice of disruption is, are less effective and less productive. Teams that have a shared vision and work ethic, like each other, share the same values, and understand each other, are far more productive and effective as they speak the same "language" and are pulling in the same direction.

To Your Unlimited Possibilities!