Why Great Advancement Leaders Are Talent Spotters

Throughout my career, I’ve learned one of my most important responsibilities as a leader is being a talent spotter. I tend to see the potential in people, sometimes before they see it in themselves. More than once in an interview, I’ve encouraged a candidate to consider another role on the team, because I could see them thriving somewhere bigger or different. That same instinct has led me, over time, to create new roles around people’s strengths and potential. Ultimately, our job as leaders is to recognize what’s possible in others and make space for it.

New research supports this. Managers who consistently match people’s strengths, interests, and energy to the right role create lasting value—for their organizations and their team members. Employees who get matched to the right role earlier in their careers have compounding benefits to their income and their future career growth. Organizations experience compounding results for performance and productivity.

Great leaders don’t push team members harder; they place them better. Here’s how to put this into practice in your advancement organization.

1.      See People Clearly

Your role as a talent spotter starts on Day 1. Great leaders hire and promote for potential, not just past performance. Seeing people clearly requires slowing down enough to notice patterns others may miss. The sooner you can identify what a team member’s strengths are, what motivates them, and how that aligns with your organizational goals, the better you can set up everyone for success in the short- and long-term.

2.      Place Them Thoughtfully

Shift 1:1 conversations from project management to career management. Set aside one of your recurring 1:1 meetings to talk with your team members about their learning goals.

Understand team members’ aspirations by asking them questions like:

• When do you feel most energized at work?

• What’s getting in your way?

• What do you want to learn more about?

• Who would you like to learn more from?

In these conversations, be sure to discuss your role as their leader to support them in achieving their goals.

3.      Stretch Them Safely

Allow team members to experiment with your support. This is an investment in their future success, not a test for a team member to prove they belong. Clarify your expectations, define success, and stay engaged. My friend, Allie, calls stretch opportunities “launchpads”—which I love. Say something like, “This will help you build X skill. When you do this well, here’s how it positions you for future opportunities here.” This helps the team member see their pathway and that growth is possible without burnout.

4.      Support Them Consistently

Talent spotting doesn’t end when someone gets promoted or moves on to a new organization. Make a commitment to team members’ success when you hire them and extend the relationships throughout their career. Many of the leaders I’ve worked with continue to reach out to me for guidance and advice years after we worked together. It takes effort and intention to build these relationships, and it’s part of the joy of leading people.

In our higher education advancement organizations, we’re often asked to do more with less. One of the most effective, and underused, opportunities is thoughtful talent placement. In case you need extra motivation: Research shows a single work experience with a great manager is enough to set employees on a better career path, no matter who their manager is later. When advancement leaders become talent spotters, organizations experience higher engagement, stronger performance, and increased retention and individuals build lasting careers they’re proud of. This is the kind of leadership our advancement organizations—and our beloved profession—need right now.

Shanna Hocking is a strategic advisor to university advancement leaders and teams.