I will admit, I love sport, and high among my favourites
is football, and therefore I follow England with keen interest.
I have often critiqued the recruitment process in football,
especially for players, but that is for another time. I was taken over
the last month with the Gareth Southgate story. I obviously don’t know
Southgate, but in my opinion he should get the job; that said, I’d have given
it to him permanently as soon as the position became available.
What the FA decided to do, was something akin to a temp to
perm.
When you take someone temp to perm, you get all the benefits
of trying before you buy, checking out how the candidate operates before you
commit, getting to judge them over time, rather than just in an interview….it
can be a great scenario.
There is a flip side though, the candidate is sometimes left
with everything to lose!
At the outset of the contract, the candidate has the job -
it’s only theirs to lose. They then work through a trial period where
they may feel everything is under the microscope; they ‘cannot make a mistake’.
It is possible that this pressure of having to prove oneself over an
elongated period could prove uncomfortable for some candidates. The same
individual may blossom given the full sponsorship of a permanent role offered
from day one.
Don’t get me wrong, temp to perm can be a great solution for
candidates and employers alike, but don’t underestimate the value you get from
making a strong and committed offer from day one.
I wonder how great Gareth may have felt had the FA said you
are our man, and if the players could have worked any harder knowing they were
impressing their long term boss?
You never know, but it’s worth a thought!
