We are struggling to align our talent strategy with our three-year picture on our V/TO. How do we use behavioral and cognitive job targets to make sure we are putting the right people in the new seats created by our business growth?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

As you scale your leadership team and work toward the three-year picture on your V/TO®, your existing staff must step into bigger roles, and you will need to hire outside talent. To do this successfully without relying on gut feel, you should use behavioral and cognitive job targets to align your talent strategy.

Start by defining the exact behaviors and mental agility required for each critical seat on your Accountability Chart. Do not focus on resumes; instead, look at the cognitive and behavioral profiles of people who currently excel in similar positions.

Use psychometric tools like the Predictive Index to build an objective job target for each open seat. This target represents the ideal cognitive and behavioral wiring needed to succeed in that specific role.

When evaluating internal candidates for promotion or screening external prospects, assess them against these targets. This allows you to evaluate executive team alignment on business strategy and ensure that new hires have the natural drives to thrive in their seats. By replacing subjective bias with data-driven talent optimization, you ensure your people strategy directly supports the strategic goals outlined on your V/TO®.