A War for Quality Talent Requires Modern Tactics

Most corporate strategists aim to establish a lasting, often static, competitive advantage. However, achieving sustainable market leadership is always a delicate challenge—made even more uncertain by volatile markets and unpredictable capital flows in a post-pandemic world.

RutherfordINTEL Candidates are 48% More Productive & 25% More Profitable

Forbes Rutherford, Understanding Behaviour Performance, 2020

In our 2022/23 P.E.S.T Survey, respondents expressed a mixed but generally optimistic outlook. Regarding 2022, 36% described their attitude as “Somewhat Positive,” while 49% were “Positive” or “Very Positive.” Looking ahead to 2023, optimism grows, with 24% anticipating a “Somewhat Positive” outlook and 64% feeling “Positive” or “Very Positive.”

Despite this optimism, respondents plan to mitigate financial and asset risks through careful resourcing strategies for 2023. This approach highlights the rising demand for skilled real estate and financial portfolio professionals who can safeguard underlying asset values in an uncertain economic climate.

Talent sourced through Rutherford International’s Talent Marketplace platform consistently outperforms industry averages, delivering 48% higher productivity and 25% greater profitability compared to peers in similar roles. Confident in our ability to uphold this standard of excellence, we offer a unique commitment: depending on the complexity of the assignment, we’re willing to defer up to 20% of our advisory fee for 12 months.

Finding and attracting quality talent is no easy task, especially when they may not be actively browsing platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed. In today’s competitive job market, securing top-tier candidates requires a strategic and thoughtful approach. Success lies in being both tactical and mindful, navigating the challenges while adhering to fundamental principles of recruitment.

Basic Rules of Engagement – Finding Quality

1. Top Talent is Always in Demand
   While candidates are plentiful, finding top-tier talent—the upper quartile of performers who excel among their peers—is both rare and highly sought after. It’s important to recognize that, on average, 50% of a company’s workforce will underperform, while 25% will meet expectations. This leaves the top-performing 25% as the key drivers of a company’s success. Regardless of the industry, a business’s competitive edge depends on attracting and retaining this exceptional group of executives and professionals. Notably, most high-quality candidates are discovered through referrals, not by combing through job boards.
2. An individual’s income often mirrors the average income of their five closest connections. Like attracts like, and quality highlights quality. Referral recruiting taps into these high-performance networks—something job boards and social platforms simply can’t achieve.
3. 74% of employees are either dissatisfied with their current job or uncertain about their career path. For many, careers aren’t carefully planned—they’re often chosen by chance. Someone good at math in school might drift into accounting without ever considering fields like engineering, computer science, or biotechnology. External pressures, such as a parent’s expectations, frequently influence these decisions. As a result, many find themselves in careers where they perform averagely, rather than pursuing paths where they could truly excel. It’s no wonder that a third of remote employees juggle side gigs, seeking fulfillment and opportunity outside their primary jobs.
4. Companies are making every effort to retain their employees, using a mix of enhanced perks, recognition, and financial incentives. In fact, 66% of respondents anticipate wage increases throughout 2023. When considering wage hikes as a retention strategy, it’s crucial to evaluate whether the employee demonstrates above-average potential compared to their peers.
5. Hiring decisions should leverage analytical tools that link traits and competencies to the specific on-the-job performance required for the role.
6. When evaluating unemployed candidates from job boards in this market, it’s important to recognize that 80% of terminated employees are dismissed due to behavioural issues rather than a lack of skills or poor performance.*
   • *Despite this statistic, any real estate professional working on commission or a lucrative STIP who is actively pursuing new job opportunities in Q1 or Q4 of the fiscal year should be viewed with caution and undergo careful evaluation. The only exception is if their current employer has altered the STIP or provided an inequitable discretionary bonus.

Predicting Human Potential – Case Studies

Using data analytics to predict human potential has become a cornerstone of modern management, empowering individuals and organizations to consistently gain a competitive edge. However, these tools can often seem as complex as the science behind them. Many hiring managers rely on instinct to evaluate candidates, particularly when assessing education, skills, and experience. While intuition may work in these areas, studies show that 80% of involuntary terminations stem from poor behavioral fit, not a lack of competence.

Eighty per cent of Involuntary Terminations are Due to Poor Behavioural Fit and not Competence

Dr Larry Cash, Behavioural Scientist – Personality DNA

Identifying Potential – Pres./CEO Real Estate Development

The Developer Alliance goes beyond identification—it incubates talent through comprehensive support. Mentees are paired with an advisory team of seasoned professionals experienced in full-cycle development, ensuring they are equipped to excel in the industry.

Rutherford International’s Developer Alliance program, referenced in the CRE 2022/23 P.E.S.T. Survey questionnaire, is dedicated to nurturing high-potential talent in real estate development. Built around a rigorous performance benchmark, the program identifies top-performing and high-potential real estate development CEOs. This benchmark was developed by our behavioral scientist, who expanded on extensive research into thousands of high-performing Presidents and CEOs. This was further refined by incorporating the traits and competencies of 75 highly successful real estate development leaders across North America.

Rutherford International’s Developer Alliance program, referenced in the CRE 2022/23 P.E.S.T. Survey questionnaire, is dedicated to nurturing high-potential talent in real estate development. Built around a rigorous performance benchmark, the program identifies top-performing and high-potential real estate development CEOs. This benchmark was developed by our behavioral scientist, who expanded on extensive research into thousands of high-performing Presidents and CEOs. This was further refined by incorporating the traits and competencies of 75 highly successful real estate development leaders across North America.

Predicting Performance – Integrated Property Services

Rutherford International was tasked with finding a VP of Property Management for a third-party integrated property services firm. After careful evaluation, we shortlisted three candidates. Two demonstrated strong potential for a VP of Operations role, while the third scored well as a Director but performed only moderately for a Vice President position.

Our second-choice candidate ranked slightly below the top contender for VP of Operations but excelled in assessments for VP of Business Development. Based on our analysis, we recommended the client hire the highest-scoring candidate for the VP of Operations role and consider bringing the second candidate on as Director of Business Development. The second candidate expressed willingness to accept this alternative role, opting for a compensation package that included a lower base salary paired with high performance-based incentives.

The client selected the top candidate for the role of VP of Property Operations but was unable to pursue the second option. The chosen candidate excelled in the position, earning a promotion to Senior VP within a year. Today, this individual leads a competing national property services company. Meanwhile, the second candidate has also risen to prominence, now serving as Senior VP at an integrated property services company, overseeing operations and driving business development. Both candidates ranked at the top end of our performance spectrum, where the talent selection ratio is approximately 13 out of every 1,000 candidates.

Matching Partners – Investment Fund Start-Up

A compelling example of the power of executive performance analytics lies in the successful pairing of a client with a compatible partner. The client was launching a core-plus institutional fund and needed an acquisition partner capable of handling institutional deal sizes. This partner had to be a top choice among investment brokers, well-regarded by pension fund managers, and equipped to support the client’s capital-raising efforts. Adding to the complexity was the client’s personality—a Results-Driven/Creative type who sought a partner of equal intellect but with a more Process-Driven approach, adept at managing back-office analytics and day-to-day operations. Despite the challenges, we conducted an extensive search and found the perfect match. According to our behavioral scientist, the compatibility between these two individuals was an extraordinary 1 in 2,500.

The Fit Between These Two Matched Partners was 1:2,500

Rutherford International’s Behavioural Scientist

The talent we provide through our services is proven to be 48% more productive and 25% more profitable than the average employee in comparable roles. We are so confident in the caliber of our candidates that, depending on the complexity and scope of the assignment, we’re willing to defer up to 50% of our advisory fee for a full 12 months.

As a Specialist in Understanding Human Potential, my Role is to help Clients Achieve their Personal and Corporate Tomorrow.

Forbes Rutherford, 2000