When faced with the challenge of filling a position on your team the temptation for the Hiring Manager is often to look for a Super Hero.  While a Super Hero sounds appealing, what you need is to fill your open position with an individual that has the skills, qualifications and motivation to be successful.

To identify the right talent for your open position, it is important to set authentic expectations about the skills required and the work to be accomplished.  Following these steps will help you initially dimension what the role requires:

• Examine the existing talent pool that currently holds the position. Recognize the skills and abilities these employees have that contributes to their success.
• Analyze the external market. Consider what the competition is requiring for a similar position.
• Ensure that the skills, knowledge and abilities you have identified in your research are included in the job posting.
• The posting should also depict the essence of the position in an accurate and favorable manner. Thoughtfully consider from the candidate’s point of view the value of the position and the opportunity for career growth that may result from joining the organization.

These simple but important steps are often overlooked in an urgency to quickly fill the open position.  Set realistic expectations around the candidate you want to hire. This will assist you in matching the right candidate to your open position by sourcing from a strong candidate pool and will likely expedite the hiring process. The result is a qualified, talented new hire entering your organization.  Before you know it, they may be leaping tall buildings!