Hire People or Select Talent?

One of the most important decisions to make in any business is choosing who will work in the business.   Hiring enough people is a good beginning.  Selecting Talent is an essential beginning.  When I think of hiring people, I think of quantity.  Do I have enough to get the work done?  Do I have enough people to run this shift?  Do I have enough people to serve the guests?  When I think of selecting Talent, I think of capability.  Do I have the talent to grow the business?  Will my Talent provide the kind of service that will attract more customers?  Will my Talent possess soft skills that encourage our guests to tell others about their great experience in our business?    When I just look for people, I could just be looking for warm bodies and beating hearts.  When I look for Talent, I am wisely matching the skills and abilities needed to grow my business with the competency of individuals committed to helping me.   

When hiring people, the questions asked are about how many hours they are available and which days they can work.  When selecting Talent, the questions asked are about the unique skills and abilities to meet the expectations of the role.  Hiring people drives me to think about how much can this person do for me?  Selecting Talent moves my thinking to how can I steward this valuable resource to grow the business and grow the individual?

People take orders, deliver products and complete transactions.  Talent identifies sales or service opportunities, exceeds guest expectations and creates memorable experiences.  

People and Talent are both trained, but Talent is developed and nurtured.  People will stay with you to make a living, but Talent will stay with you to make a life.  

So what will I invest my time in:  hiring people or selecting Talent?  I will choose Talent every time. What will you choose?