As you begin your strategic planning, do you have a process in place to objectively measure the personality and capacity profiles of all your people? Are you sure that you have all your talent in the right jobs?

I once hired a six-figure executive to manage a high-profile project. The stellar reference on this guy made me eager to add him to the team. Only later did I learn the person giving me the reference was a close friend of the candidate for employment.

Once on the job, this new employee looked and acted the part, but did not produce results. Worse, my precious time was spent following up and constantly nudging him for the very performance I thought the big salary would buy. Within a matter of months, I had to spend more time documenting the situation so that I could safely go through the expensive termination process.

In another situation, I saw an individual wasting away in a secondary role that did not maximize her assertiveness and quick problem solving talent. When we moved her into a leadership role that focused on her can-do attitude, native abilities, and acquired skills, she took off like a rocket. Within a matter of months she more than made up for my earlier bad hire!

Now, I avoid bad hires and misplaced employees by using proven tools that help me hire and place the right talent. For example, LMI's Profile Evaluation System (PES) looks at how an individual may perform in a given job by comparing the candidate's Profile to a normative pattern, which can be developed for a particular job at a specific organization. Along with interviewing, checking references, and administering other applicable tests, the PES helps ensure solid, winning hiring decisions.

The PES is often used in hiring and placement of higher-level associates and sales individuals, as it is very comprehensive. As a coaching tool, the PES is right on target in helping a supervisor to effectively communicate, train, and develop associates.

If I had used the PES (Assessments) from LMI, I would have saved approximately the $100,000 that it took to rid me of one bad hire. More exciting is how PES would have helped me speed up the placement of a high-performance star into the job she excelled at and loved. As leaders, isn't that part of our focus on What Matters Most?

Within your organization, do you currently have the Productivity Tools in place to hire and retain the right people?