When considering the creation of a new team the first requirement is to have a clear understanding of what needs to be achieved; a mission. What is the purpose of this team? It could be anything from winning the Olympic women’s volleyball title to discovering a cure for cancer. Even in the banking world missions can be very diverse and it is vital to consider the front and back office staff you will require to achieve business goals.
Charismatic leaders are vitally important, hard to find and are generally the first team members to be selected. This individual must have a clear picture of what needs to be achieved and be able to communicate an inspiring vision. This figurehead will have a history of success and may well have to leave a role with achievable bonuses in order to build something new. The opportunity must be traded off in his or her mind with its inherent costs and risks. It is important to offer a balanced package which gives short term security and long term benefits to an individual who is happy to build towards long-term goals.
This deferred reward mentality is not something everybody is prepared to adopt. It is the challenge of the recruiter when building new teams and start-ups to work with key stakeholders to find team members who not only have the technical ability to carry out their duties but the belief in themselves, the leader and the mission. That belief and the trait of wanting to achieve something important tend to go hand-in-hand with the required philosophy. Finding this match is part of what we call a “cultural fit” and identifying the right individuals requires a thorough search and extensive face-to-face interviewing.
This is an over-used phrase in recruitment. Let me explain further; it is not enough to merely have a team of experienced professionals with the requisite skills and experience who share the vision. Organisational research has shown that certain untitled roles need to be assumed by members of truly successful teams. Everybody needs to be a leader in their own right with each one driving towards different subordinate goals. This does not just mean subject specialists or deal closers. For example, one person may always drive the team towards consensus, another towards new ideas, one towards external resource identification and another towards time management. These aren’t roles that show up on CVs.
It is dangerously easy to recruit one candidate at a time without considering the group dynamic. Working with the line manager and HR department, or whomever the key stakeholders are in a banking start-up situation, the professional recruitment consultant can build a team which achieves cohesiveness and results through trust, respect, open communication and group ethics. Repeated success will mean a similar dynamic is built between the recruitment professional and his or her clients.